Giant Steam Locomotive Visits

After a two-year restoration, the world’s largest production steam locomotive will puff into Des Moines this week for public display. Union Pacific steamer No. 4014 is scheduled to arrive at 3201 E. Court Ave. at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31. It will be on display from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1.

The visit is part of an extended celebration of the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s completion.The locomotive is described as a Wasatch Class “Big Boy,” the name given to a group of massive steam engines built during World War II to haul military equipment over the steep grades of the Wasatch Mountains. No. 4014 is the only working example of this class. The last one in service stopped in 1959.

The free display includes an “Experience the Union Pacific” rail car, a renovated baggage car holding a multimedia walk-through exhibition that provides a glimpse of the past while telling the story of modern-day railroading. Due to the train’s historic nature, it is not accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For precise information on the train’s location and updated schedule, visit upsteam.com.