Marsha Diane Arnold

Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Team: The World's Largest Steam Engine Roars Back to Life! Marsha Diane Arnold

In the 1940s, they thundered across the United States, 25 600-ton steam locomotives called Big Boys. These mammoth engines were built to pull trains transporting soldiers and freight, supporting the war effort. When less-expensive diesel-electric engines became popular, Big Boys were pulled from service, either scrapped or sent to museums as exhibits. Big Boy 4014 pulled her last train in 1959. She spent most of her retirement at an outdoor train museum. People came from around the world to visit, marveling at her size. But in 2013, a different group of visitors came to see her. May 9, 2019, would be the Golden Spike Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Could Big Boy 4014 be restored in time for the celebration?