The 4-8-8-4 Big Boy 4014 is heading our way. It began moving on May 25th and is now parked for the day at the Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska. It will be rolling through Pennsylvania on June 9th. After starting out from Conneaut, Ohio at 9AM, it is now scheduled to arrive for a 10 minute stop at 11:30 AM and then depart at 11:40AM, directly across from the Lake Shore Railway Museum. Union Pacific adjusted the schedule slightly from the original times, now showing it arriving 5 minutes later than before. Once it departs North East, it will be heading for a 30 minutes stop in Ripley, NY.
The Bailey Yard, where it is now, is the world’s largest classification rail yard, covering 2,850 acres, where trains are sorted and assembled. The yard served as a short stop for millions of military personnel during World War 2 and offered them the opportunity to have some fresh coffee and baked goods served by volunteers at the North Platte Canteen before moving to or returning from the war.
The yard has two live cameras so you can observe operations and, for rail enthusiasts traveling there, the Golden Spike Tower, offers an overhead view where visitors can watch the action below.
You can see where Big Boy 4014 is every day with the 4014 Steam Tracker.