Iconic locomotive arrives in Yuma
A piece of railroad history will steam its way into the Desert Southwest on Tuesday.
Union Pacific’s iconic steam locomotive Big Boy No. 4014 will make a whistle-stop in Niland before making a stopover in Yuma for the night.
The Big Boy was built exclusively for Union Pacific beginning in 1941. It was specifically designed to handle the steep terrain between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah.
Of the original 25, only eight remain in existence. No. 4014 is the only one still riding the rails. It took more than two-years to restore the locomotive.
This Big Boy recently completed a tour of the upper Midwest. Then, in May, it made a return to Ogden for the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s completion. Now it’s headed for the Desert Southwest.
Big Boy No. 4014 makes a whistle-stop in Niland at 1st Street and Memphis between 1:30 and 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.
It arrives in Yuma at 4 p.m. at 10th Street and Arizona Avenue. Mayor Doug Nicholls will be on hand to welcome Big Boy and its crew to Arizona. The historic locomotive will roll out of town Wednesday morning at nine.
KYMA 2019
