Union Pacific's Big Boy Steam Locomotive Rolls Through Eastern Oklahoma

The Union Pacific locomotive known as "Big Boy" is back in Green Country for the first time since 2021 as part of its Heartland of America Tour.

The world's largest steam locomotive measures 132 feet long and weighs over a million pounds.

Union Pacific built 25 of these Big Boys exclusively for its railroad operations. The nickname "Big Boy" came from a factory worker who wrote the words in chalk on the first one, and it stuck.

This particular locomotive was delivered to Union Pacific in 1941 before being retired in 1961. After a lengthy restoration process, the Big Boy returned to the tracks in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's completion.

Union Pacific now sends the Big Boy on tours across several states, drawing large crowds at every stop, including McAlester, where it's currently stationed. It will depart at 9 a.m. and spectators can continue to gather for a chance to see this remarkable piece of American history as it travels north through Oklahoma.

Here's a list of the upcoming stops for October 14:

1. Muskogee at 11 a.m.
2. Wagoner at noon (15-minute stop)
3. Claremore at 1:15 p.m.
4. Coffeyville, Kansas, overnight