Big Boy buzzes by Fulton en route to Rochelle during “Heartland of America Tour”

FULTON – A small crowd of train enthusiasts gathered at the Frog Pond railroad crossing on the afternoon of Sept. 6 looking to the west for the signature plume of black smoke from the Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 steam engine.

The big black vintage machine, dubbed one of the world’s biggest and most powerful steam locomotives, did not disappoint as it raced past about 30 people as cellphones captured the moment.

Big Boy left Clinton, Iowa, about 12:30 p.m. and buzzed by the Frog Pond crossing at 12:52 p.m. on the south tracks heading east through Morrison for a 15-minute whistle stop in Sterling.

From there, the engine and its bright yellow cars headed to Rochelle for the weekend with the public invited to view the train Sunday.

The train’s trek was part of Union Pacific’s eight-week “Heartland of America Tour,” which started Aug. 29 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and continues across nine states – Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas – before finishing its journey in October. Fans can track Big Boy’s location as it progresses along its route via the Steam Locomotive Tracking map on Union Pacific’s website.

At 133 feet long, the steam engine is longer than two city buses and weighs more than a Boeing 747. It has enough power to pull 16 Statutes of Liberty over a mountain range.

Big Boy steam locomotives were used to haul freight between Wyoming and Utah in the 1940s and ’50s. Of the 25 engines built, only eight remain and only the 4014 is operational.

The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service.

It visited the Rochelle Railroad Park in July 2019 where it was greeted by thousands of railway fans and curious citizens.

On Sunday, 61,000 people turned out to see the train at the UP Intermodal site that is south of Rochelle.