MEXIA, Texas — The largest steam locomotive in the world, the famed "Big Boy No. 4014", rolled its way through Mexia on Thursday, Sept. 19 on its latest tour, which includes multiple stops in Central Texas.
Hundreds of people gathered to watch the famous train chug through the city, giving residents a chance to snap pictures and videos and hear the whistle blow.
The Mexia visit is only the first of multiple stops in Central Texas, all of which are part of the train's 2024 Heartland of America Tour.
Big Boy 4014 is also on track to make stops in:
- Navasota and Hempstead on Oct. 4
- Spring and Navasota on Oct. 7
- Bryan on Oct. 8
- Marlin and West on Oct. 9
25 Big Boy locomotives were built during World War II for Union Pacific Railroad, only eight of which are still in existence. Of the eight, 4014 is the only one still in operation. The other seven are on display around the country.
According to Union Pacific, the Big Boys were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. Big Boy 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in 1941, and was retired in 1961 after 20 years of service and over a million miles traveled. More about the Big Boy can be found at this link.
The full schedule for the Heartland of America Tour can be seen at this link.
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