STRUTHERS, Ohio – Turnout for the midday arrival of Union Pacific Railroad’s Big Boy No. 4014 locomotive far exceeded expectations, Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller said. 

Big Boy, which Union Pacific touts as the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, stopped in downtown Struthers about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, part of a nationwide tour in conjunction with the U.S. semiquincentennial. Throngs of spectators lined the tracks as part of a daylong festival the city organized around the visit. 

“We wanted to make a day of it. We wanted to make it something that people enjoyed, and we wanted to showcase what we have here in Shuthers,” Miller said. 

Union Pacific representatives who contacted city officials about the stop said to expect  between 4,000 and 5,000 spectators. Based on what Miller could see Sunday, attendance likely was triple that. 

“We got a lot more than what we were expecting, and they told us to expect more than what we were expecting,” she said. 

“It’s a wonderful response. It’s beautiful,” said Ed Dickens, Union Pacific senior manager-heritage operations. “This is what we see everywhere we travel with the Big Boy. It unites people, brings them together. … They get to see with their own eyes the magnificent machine that this is.”

According to the Union Pacific website, 25 Big Boys were commissioned for the railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941, built to haul heavy equipment in support of the war effort. Retired in December 1961 after traveling 1.03 million miles, No. 4014 returned to service in 2019 following a multiyear restoration effort and is the only one that remains in operation, with another seven on display.   

“Several of us knew that this would be very popular. When we get to a community like this, it’s very heartwarming,” Dickens said. “People love celebrating America’s 250, and what better way to do it than the world’s largest operating steam locomotive?” 

Downtown was closed to vehicular traffic for much of Sunday. Several restaurants were open for the event, and a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area was in place, allowing patrons to carry alcoholic beverages while the area was closed to traffic. In addition, several vendors and community organizations had tents to provide information or sell merchandise. 

Entertainment on a stage erected on the ECMSI parking lot, adjacent to the tracks, included performances by Candace Campana, The Decades and The House Band.

“Any time I contacted somebody, everyone was all in,” Miller said. “That’s what Struthers does. We’re always all in. We always show up when things like this happen.”

Pictured at top: Union Pacific Railroad’s Big Boy No. 4014 locomotive arrives in downtown Struthers on Sunday.