Big Boy locomotive to stop in Las Vegas Sunday

Railroad fanatics can get their kick this weekend as Union Pacific’s Big Boy locomotive will make a stop in Las Vegas.

Just 25 Big Boy trains were built for Union Pacific, aimed at being able to travel steep terrain between Wyoming and Utah, with the first going into service in 1941.

The No. 4014 Big Boy train is set to arrive at 1:45 p.m. Sunday at the Union Pacific rail yard at 1001 Ironhorse Court in downtown Las Vegas and it will be on display until 3 p.m. Monday. Big Boy is set to leave the station at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

With only eight left, No. 4014 is the only operating Big Boy train in the world and is still owned by Union Pacific.

The Las Vegas stop is part of the Big Boy’s tour, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Part of the tour saw the train complete a journey through the upper Midwest and a trip to Ogden, Utah, in May.

The occasion was marked by Big Boy and historic steam locomotive Living Legend No. 844 meeting nose-to-nose, recreating an iconic image taken May 10, 1869, when the last spike was tapped into place at Promontory Summit, creating America’s first transcontinental railroad.

Running times and scheduled stops are subject to change due to the dynamic nature of the tour. A route map and tour schedule, including No. 4014’s GPS location tracking information, is available online at upsteam.com.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.