Attention all Illinois train enthusiasts: Union Pacific's Big Boy is coming to town.
Late last month, Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 launched its "Heartland of America" tour, giving train lovers in 10 states the chance to see the classic steam engine in real life.
The tour started in Wyoming before traveling to Nebraska and Iowa over Labor Day weekend. Friday, the train will make its first of four whistle stops in Illinois. Below is the full schedule of when and where to see it in the state:
- Sept. 6 – Sterling, 1:30 – 1:45 p.m. CT, , 111 W. 2nd St.
- Sept. 9 – Rochelle, 8:45 – 9:00 a.m. CT, Rochelle Railroad Park, 124 N. 9th St.
- Sept. 9 – Watseka, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. CT, North St. Crossing
- Sept. 10 – Nokomis, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. CT, Maple St. Crossing
Following its visit to Illinois, the steam engine will travel to Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and more. The full Heartland America tour schedule can be found here.
Local
All attendees must remain 25 feet back from the tracks when viewing the locomotive, and must never take a picture or video while standing on the track or ballast and must never climb on the locomotive or related equipment, officials said.
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According to officials, Big Boy No. 4014 is one of 25 built in the 1940s to handle the steep grades in Utah's Wasatch Mountain Range during World War II. It is just one of eight to survive, and the only one that remains in operation today.
