Thousands welcome giant locomotive to Continental

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONTINENTAL — Some called it a once in a lifetime experience and they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.

Union Pacific’s locomotive No. 4014, known as “Big Boy” sounded its distinct Hancock Long Bell three-chime whistle as it rolled into the Putnam County village of Continental at 11 a.m. Wednesday, much to the delight of several thousand people who gathered near the main drag to see it. Train enthusiasts, spectators and anyone who wanted to see the giant engine came from different parts of Ohio and out of state and they cheered as it came to a stop downtown.

Continental’s population is roughly 1,100 and the village just minutes from the Paulding County line was well prepared for the large crowd of visitors. Some of them tried to see Big Boy the previous day in Fostoria, but were unsuccessful due to long lines and traffic tie-ups.

It was the second time in about six weeks that the world’s largest operating steam locomotive made a 30-minute “whistle-stop” in Continental. The first time was June 6, early on in the train’s historic journey across the country. When Big Boy stopped then, it was a rainy day. Wednesday was sunny and warm to start, then downright hot when the train pulled away just after 11:30 a.m. on its way to and through Paulding County and into Allen County, Indiana. Those who gathered near the tracks cheered and waved as the giant locomotive left the village.

The train also featured Union Pacific’s Abraham Lincoln commemorative locomotive No. 1616 and America250 locomotive No. 1776, plus three Norfolk Southern America250 locomotives. Behind them were Armour Yellow cars from Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, red Norfolk Southern business cars and the Marco Polo, a restored Pullman car used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In April, Big Boy traveled from its home base of Cheyenne, Wyoming, through Utah and Nevada to begin its tour in Sacremento, California, near historic Milepost 0 – the site where Central Pacific began construction on the nation’s first transcontinental railroad in 1863. From there, the magnificent steam engine cross country to Philadephia, Pennsylvania, in early July to celebrate America’s 250 birthday.

According to Union Pacific’s website, the route through the Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania and the Northeast reflects the historic role railroads played in shaping America’s economic heartland, connecting factories, ports and population centers.

25 Big Boys were commissioned exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. These massive locomotives were built to haul heavy equipment in support of the war effort. Of the eight remaining Big Boy locomotives in existence today, No. 4014, which weighs 1.2 million pounds, is the only one still in operation.

According to Union Pacific, No. 4014 was retired in December of 1961 after traveling over one million miles. Union Pacific reacquired it from the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013 and relocated it back to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for a multi-year restoration. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion.

The seven other remaining Big Boys are on public display in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.