Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014, which is considered the world's largest operating steam locomotive, will stop in Altoona this July as part of a nationwide celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
Union Pacific officials say this is the locomotive's first East Coast tour. It will leave from Cheyenne, Wyoming on May 25, arrive in Philadelphia for a Fourth of July celebration, and stay in Altoona from July 8-11 on the way back to Wyoming.
“To see Big Boy No. 4014 come through Altoona and traverse the Horseshoe Curve is something no one has ever experienced before,” said Joe DeFrancesco, Executive Director of the Railroaders Memorial Museum and Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness two of the greatest engineering achievements in American railroad history come together in one unforgettable moment.”
Officials with the Horseshoe Curve expect thousands of people to come to Blair County during the three-day event. Tickets for the private event on July 11 sold out within four hours of going on sale on Tuesday. There will be free public access July 9-10 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
People who are interested in riding the train can only do so on a trip through the Poconos Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania on June 14. Tickets go on sale May 4.
