Steamtown Announces Big Boys 4014 & 4012 On Display
Published: April 29, 2026
By: Adam Burns
The Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania has announced its own 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, #4012, will be on display with sister #4014 from June 17 through June 30. “This is a significant moment for the park. It will be the first time two Big Boy locomotives, No. 4014 and our own No. 4012, are in the same location, offering a rare and highly visible opportunity to connect visitors with the scale and impact of American railroading,” Steamtown said in a news release. Since the organization is expecting thousands of visitors for this event, timed tickets are required. To purchase tickets please visit recreation.gov.
“We’re pleased to partner with Union Pacific to offer two public display days on Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16. Visitors can get up close and personal with both Big Boys, visit the Union Pacific Museum Experience car, and check out two Union Pacific special commemorative diesel engines (No. 1616 and No. 1776) on display in our core complex,” Steamtown said.
While 4014 will remain in Steamtown until June 30th, after June 16th the engine will be serviced and can only be viewed from a distance.
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" #4012 on display at Steamtown when the operation was located in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Jim Shaughnessy photo. American-Rails.com collection.About Steamtown
The Steamtown National Historic Site is one of the most significant railroad heritage destinations in the United States, preserving and interpreting the era when steam locomotives powered the nation’s industrial growth. Located in downtown Scranton, the site occupies roughly 40–60 acres of the former yard of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, a major northeastern carrier that helped shape the region’s coal and manufacturing economy.
Established by Congress in 1986 and later opened to the public by the National Park Service in 1995, Steamtown was created to preserve the history of steam railroading and its impact on American industry, commerce, and daily life. The site’s origins trace back to entrepreneur F. Nelson Blount, who began assembling a large collection of steam locomotives and rolling stock in the mid-20th century. His collection eventually formed the core of the museum after being relocated to Scranton in the 1980s.
At the heart of Steamtown is a reconstructed roundhouse and working turntable, modeled after the original Lackawanna facilities. These structures, along with several surviving buildings dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, create an authentic railroad yard environment. Inside and around the complex, visitors encounter a diverse collection of steam locomotives, passenger cars, and freight equipment representing various railroads and eras. The site’s exhibits emphasize not only the machinery but also the people—engineers, shop workers, and laborers—who kept the railroads running.
One of Steamtown’s defining features is its status as a “living railroad museum.” Unlike static displays, the site regularly demonstrates the operation and maintenance of steam locomotives. Visitors can observe restoration work in the locomotive shop, watch the turntable in action, and learn about the complex mechanics of steam power through ranger-led programs. Seasonal excursion rides are another highlight, offering short trips within the yard as well as longer journeys into northeastern Pennsylvania aboard historic passenger equipment.
Educational programming is central to the park’s mission. Through exhibits such as the “People and Railroads” museum and interpretive talks, Steamtown illustrates how rail transportation fueled the Industrial Revolution, connected communities, and transformed the American landscape. The site is unique within the National Park System in that it focuses specifically on the story of steam railroading and its technological and social legacy.
Today, Steamtown National Historic Site stands as both a museum and an active preservation facility, bridging past and present. By combining historic structures, operating equipment, and immersive interpretation, it offers visitors a vivid look at an era when steam locomotives symbolized progress and powered the nation forward.
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