Railway Preservation News :: View topic - Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown

SCRANTON — Massive crowds mobbed Steamtown National Historic Site on Monday for the much-anticipated Big Boy Reunion featuring a visit by Union Pacific Big Boy 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, side-by-side with the park’s nonoperational Big Boy 4012.....As of Friday, 26,000 tickets were reserved for Monday alone, the opening day of the 4014’s two-week stop at Steamtown. Another 13,000 were reserved for Tuesday and the total tickets stood at 55,000 over the two-week run. Those figures almost certainly increased over the weekend that had Big Boy 4014 making a visual splash crossing the historic Tunkhannock Viaduct bridge in Nicholson, where a crowd estimated at 20,000 turned out. The locomotive also drew crowds along the way to Nesquehoning and Pittston for a special excursion, before it doubled back to Scranton on Sunday.

The prior largest crowd at Steamtown was 30,000 people during the weekend it opened in 1995, officials have said.

Hi
Yes Chris I fully agree with you Ross Rowland would have been very impressed seeing the Two locomotives together,, Pat.

It's unfortunate that Ross Rowland didn't live to see this!

Funny part is NS really seems to care less. I saw a youtube video of Ed talking about how the original plan was to take it down south on the way back via Charlotte/ NCTM/Atlanta. I'm sure it was NS who pulled back on that not UP.

Funny part is NS really seems to care

I think the route across part of the Water Level Route...

Except didn't it run on the former Nickel Plate instead?

Quote:

I think the route across part of the Water Level Route, including the excursion on Reading and Northern, visit to Steamtown, and the trip over Horseshoe Curve are good trade offs. It is not as if NS showed no support for the venture.
Wesley

I wasn't there, but my understanding is that it left Chicago using the former NYC main thru Elkhart and then it used the former Nickel Plate to get to Buffalo.
Chris Webster

Former NKP from Chicago to Buffalo. Did not use the NYC out of Chicago.

Author:	Chris Webster [ Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:51 am ]
Post subject:	Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
A June 15, 2025 article in the Scranton Times-Tribune , Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown: Quote: SCRANTON — Massive crowds mobbed Steamtown National Historic Site on Monday for the much-anticipated Big Boy Reunion featuring a visit by Union Pacific Big Boy 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, side-by-side with the park’s nonoperational Big Boy 4012.....As of Friday, 26,000 tickets were reserved for Monday alone, the opening day of the 4014’s two-week stop at Steamtown. Another 13,000 were reserved for Tuesday and the total tickets stood at 55,000 over the two-week run. Those figures almost certainly increased over the weekend that had Big Boy 4014 making a visual splash crossing the historic Tunkhannock Viaduct bridge in Nicholson, where a crowd estimated at 20,000 turned out. The locomotive also drew crowds along the way to Nesquehoning and Pittston for a special excursion, before it doubled back to Scranton on Sunday. The prior largest crowd at Steamtown was 30,000 people during the weekend it opened in 1995, officials have said. It's unfortunate that Ross Rowland didn't live to see this!

Author:	Pat Fahey [ Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:04 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Hi Yes Chris I fully agree with you Ross Rowland would have been very impressed seeing the Two locomotives together,, Pat.

Author:	PrrOpCrew [ Fri Jun 19, 2026 12:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Pat Fahey wrote: Hi Yes Chris I fully agree with you Ross Rowland would have been very impressed seeing the Two locomotives together,, Pat. This is true, that Ross would have marveled at seeing how many people got tickets to see the two locomotives toegther. That being said, he would have also made an effort to get some engine seat time with the Big Boy to get his hand on the throttle while it operates in Pennsylvania and then cried loudly to anyone who would care if it didn't happen.

Author:	BWills [ Fri Jun 19, 2026 1:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Outside of UP, I'm sure the other class ones absolutely won't take note, but the crowds I've seen and seen photos of are way more than I'd have thought they'd be. It's really quite impressive. Good on UP for pulling it all together. It does really show that steam locomotives can still draw a crowd and be a great PR tool even in 2026. Now I'm sure UP's PR team reached out to various news networks etc to give them a headsup, but that's their job. Funny part is NS really seems to care less. I saw a youtube video of Ed talking about how the original plan was to take it down south on the way back via Charlotte/ NCTM/Atlanta. I'm sure it was NS who pulled back on that not UP. I'd think similarly massive crowds would have been at those locations. But clearly NS doesn't care/doesn't want to deal with it. With 765, 611, 4501 all running trips while 4014's tour is happening, it would have been very easy for NS to to say "Hey let's get 611 to NCTM or Roanoke or Atlanta for a display day", even without public trips it would have drawn a crowd. Same goes for some 250th trip with 3751 on BNSF. But alas BNSF, CSX, NS could give a F_ Can you imagine the crowds if NS brought 4501, 611 to NCTM while 4014 was there. Even if no trips were run, having those three sitting together would have been a massive draw. I think it really highlights how the other C1's want nothing to do with any of it, even more so than how UP sees it as a tool.

Author:	Wowak [ Sat Jun 20, 2026 7:21 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Chris Webster wrote: It's unfortunate that Ross Rowland didn't live to see this! Why, so he could complain loudly to anyone in earshot that Steamtown needs to be privatized? No thank you.

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Author:	wesp [ Sat Jun 20, 2026 9:44 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Quote: Funny part is NS really seems to care less. I saw a youtube video of Ed talking about how the original plan was to take it down south on the way back via Charlotte/ NCTM/Atlanta. I'm sure it was NS who pulled back on that not UP. I dunno. NS is hosting Big Boy on Horseshoe Curve and brought the UP train in across part of the Water Level Route. The meet you propose at Spencer would be nice but the display at Steamtown are pretty good trade offs.

Author:	wesp [ Sat Jun 20, 2026 9:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Quote: Funny part is NS really seems to care less. I saw a youtube video of Ed talking about how the original plan was to take it down south on the way back via Charlotte/ NCTM/Atlanta. I'm sure it was NS who pulled back on that not UP. I think the route across part of the Water Level Route, including the excursion on Reading and Northern, visit to Steamtown, and the trip over Horseshoe Curve are good trade offs. It is not as if NS showed no support for the venture. Wesley

Author:	Chris Webster [ Sun Jun 21, 2026 11:07 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
BWills wrote: Funny part is NS really seems to care That's because NS is a very badly flailing company right now. Back in 2024, NS paid CPKC $25 million to get a CPKC "Precision Scheduled Railroading" (PSR) expert out of his contract at CPKC and bring him to NS. Now, just two years later, NS's network has melted down, the unions are saying that the railroad doesn't even have enough crews to keep its trains moving, and the PSR expert is leaving the company. Here are some articles about what PSR did to NS: March 20, 2024: PKCR.com - CPKC announces departure of Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer January 8, 2026: Railway Age - 2026 Railroader of the Year: Norfolk Southern’s John Orr Jan 9, 2026: NorfolkSouthern.com - Railway Age: John Orr is 2026 Railroader of the Year June 1, 2026: Trains.com - Norfolk Southern names Barr as chief operating officer June 8, 2026: Railway Age - A June 1 Resignation, a New COO, and the Harder Question Norfolk Southern Will Have to Answer (Updated) June 9, 2026: Trains.com - Norfolk Southern begins to reverse network slowdown June 10, 2026: Atlanta Journal Constitution: Norfolk Southern doesn’t have the crews to keep trains moving, union says

Author:	Richard Glueck [ Sun Jun 21, 2026 11:24 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Here comes the bricks and flaming torches: Imagine if 4014 and 1218 had paired up under steam? I know, I speak heresy, but I also know some of you have thought it!

Author:	LiveWire [ Sun Jun 21, 2026 8:42 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
wesp wrote: I think the route across part of the Water Level Route... Except didn't it run on the former Nickel Plate instead?

Author:	Chris Webster [ Mon Jun 22, 2026 10:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
LiveWire wrote: Except didn't it run on the former Nickel Plate instead? I wasn't there, but my understanding is that it left Chicago using the former NYC main thru Elkhart and then it used the former Nickel Plate to get to Buffalo.

Author:	BnOTolSub [ Mon Jun 22, 2026 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
Former NKP from Chicago to Buffalo. Did not use the NYC out of Chicago.

Author:	wesp [ Mon Jun 22, 2026 8:44 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
wesp wrote: Quote: Funny part is NS really seems to care less. I saw a youtube video of Ed talking about how the original plan was to take it down south on the way back via Charlotte/ NCTM/Atlanta. I'm sure it was NS who pulled back on that not UP. I think the route across part of the Water Level Route, including the excursion on Reading and Northern, visit to Steamtown, and the trip over Horseshoe Curve are good trade offs. It is not as if NS showed no support for the venture. Wesley Quote: I wasn't there, but my understanding is that it left Chicago using the former NYC main thru Elkhart and then it used the former Nickel Plate to get to Buffalo. Chris Webster Quote: Former NKP from Chicago to Buffalo. Did not use the NYC out of Chicago. My error Re: Water Level Route. Regardless, the route east from Chicago was on NS trackage, and is evidence of NS support for the Big Boy trip east. Wesley

Author:	PrrOpCrew [ Fri Jun 26, 2026 10:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Massive crowds swamp Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown
The 250th Semiquincentennial makes a "good excuse" for Union Pacific to bring their biggest marketing tool to the nation, but in reality this nothing but a press tour for UP to make a case to the public to support the merger/acquisition of Norfolk Southern. I saw one of the postcards that was being handed out at Steamtown and the reverse side had essentially Union Pacific merger propoganda on it. As follows: "Union Pacific is building in President Lincoln's vision for a unified transcontinental railroad. The Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern combination will transform the U.S. supply chain, enhance American competitiveness and energize virtually every sector of the economy. Encourage members of Congress to support the merger. Scan the QR code to complete a digital letter and get all the facts at AmericasGreatConnection.com"

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