The Big Boy Steam Locomotive made a stop in Indiana for the America’s 250th Anniversary tour

The ‘Big Boy number 4014’ stop in Knox was highly anticipated by railroad enthusiasts, some of them camping out and waiting for hours to see the legendary locomotive.

The nostalgic sound of a steam engine is music to the ears of train lovers like Wayne Carr. Carr is from Valparaiso, Indiana, and travels to Knox, waiting for three hours to get a glimpse of the Big Boy. The Big Boy steam locomotive is the only engine of its kind to still be in operation. 

“Haven’t sat down, had one bottle of water…I saw others get a little bit overheated, but man, I drove this way just to see this. I was not gonna miss it,” Carr said, 

Growing up, Carr had model trains and had a family history with the railroad industry. His grandfather worked in the industry for 50 years, and his father-in-law was a railroad engineer. 

Being able to see the steam locomotive in real life was something Carr isn’t going to forget. 

“I stood there, I head the whistle blow, my body vibrated, and it was a thrill,” Carr said. “The size, the scope, the scale, the courtesy of the engineer waving at the crowd, and all of the service group there, it was just fabulous.” 

Carr wasn’t the only one excited to see the locomotive. The locomotive was originally commissioned to support World War II efforts. 

Walter Fitz is a railroad enthusiast who has never seen the Big Boy in person, making this his first opportunity. 

“This is almost a once-in-a-lifetime experience, brings back memories of 1976,” Fritz said. 

In 1976, the Big Boy made a stop in South Bend and was open for visitors for two days; he missed it then, he wasn’t going to miss it this time. 

“Excellent day to spend a hot, humid, Canadian wildfire smoke day…uh, every bit of its enjoyable,” Fritz said. 

This locomotive retired in 1961, after more than a million miles of service. There are seven others on display in cities across America, the closest one in Green Bay, Wisconsin. To follow the route for the Big Boy Tour, you can track it on their website here.