POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Railroad enthusiasts have a chance to see a historical train engine when Big Boy No. 4014 visits Poplar Bluff, Missouri this week.
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first was delivered in 1941.
The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds.
Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves.
The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
There are seven Big Boys on public display in various cities around the country, including one in St. Louis, Missouri.
was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941.
The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service.Ìý
Big Boy No. 4014 began its on Wednesday, August 28 from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
It will travel across nine additional states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
The eight-week tour concludes in late October.
No. 4014 will be on display in Poplar Bluff from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 13 at the Amtrak station at 400 S. Main Street.
For more information on the "Heartland of America Tour" click .
For more information on Big Boy No. 4014, click .Ìý
