Colossal Big Boy Locomotive Stops in Northwest Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – The largest operational steam locomotive in the country continues its journey across the country and now stands in Shreveport.

Union Pacifics Big Boy, a 132-foot, 1.2-million-pound locomotive, will be on display at 6215 E. Jewella Avenue until 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Around World War II, a total of 25 Big Boy locomotives were built to carry goods and equipment. Big Boy No. 4014, the locomotive in Shreveport, was retired in 1961 after having covered more than 1 million miles during its 20 years of service. The mighty locomotive ran over the Wasatch Mountains east of Ogden, Utah.

In 2013, Union Pacific bought back No. 4014 from a museum in Pomona, California, and spent years restoring the locomotive in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Big Boy returned to service in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroads.

Big Boy has left his home in Cheyenne and has traveled through Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and southern Louisiana. Fans of the famous locomotive are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtag #BigBoy2021. Fifty people win a Big Boy t-shirt when they post with the hashtag.

You can follow Big Boy and see the stop schedule here.

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