Big Boy locomotive to make two whistle stops in Colorado

Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will make two whistle stops in Colorado at the end of its 10-state Heartland of America Tour before returning to its Cheyenne, Wyoming, base.

Big Boy is scheduled to make 30-minute stops in Strasburg at 3:45 p.m. Oct. 21 and 12:35 p.m. Oct. 23 in Greeley. The Greeley whistle stop takes place at Union Pacific's 10th Street crossing.

The steam engine departs for its eight-week tour at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 in Cheyenne for its first stop in Sydney, Nebraska.

The tour takes Big Boy through Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas before its final stops in Colorado.

The engine will be in Denver on Oct. 22 for a private event. There will be no public viewing opportunity during that time.

The last time the 132-foot-long engine weighing 1.2 million pounds was in Denver was July of 2022 when it was at Union Station.

Big Boy is the only one of 25 such locomotives built during World War II that is still in operation.

There is no public viewing to Big Boy outside of listed whistle stops.

Schedules are subject to change. Check the Union Pacific Steam Schedule website for updates to the schedule.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Big Boy locomotive to make two whistle stops in Colorado