Reading 2102 & Union Pacific 4014 To Lead Excursions

Published: April 6, 2026

Port Clinton, PA – The Reading & Northern will be celebrating the semiquincentennial of the United States in a “big” way. The R&N is proud to support the biggest steam locomotive in the world, Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” #4014. A single, one-way trip powered by #4014 from Nesquehoning to Pittston will be executed on Sunday, June 14 by Union Pacific.

Reading 4-8-4 #2102 leads a Reading & Northern excursion northbound through Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania on July 2, 2022. Doug Kroll photo.

Reading 2102 Excursions

Excursions powered by Reading & Northern’s own Pennsylvania-built 4-8-4 T-1 steam locomotive, #2102, will take place on Saturday June 13, Sunday June 14, and Wednesday July 1, 2026. All three of these steam excursions will depart Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station and operate round trip through the Lehigh Gorge to Pittston, PA. Each trip will feature photo opportunities for guests while safely remaining onboard the Reading & Northern excursion as it passes Union Pacific #4014 along the way. Ticket pricing will start at $125.00 for Standard Coach seating.

On Thursday, July 2, 2026, a special diesel-powered round-trip excursion will depart Nesquehoning southbound to Reading Outer Station. This trip will also offer safe, onboard opportunities for passengers to take photos of Big Boy #4014. Tickets for this trip start at $49.00 per person for Standard Coach seating. Reading & Northern’s specially painted semiquincentennial diesel locomotives, SD40-2 #1776 and GP38-2 #2026, will power this train.

A Union Pacific photo featuring #4014 outside the shops in Cheyenne, Wyoming in July, 2024.

Tickets for all Reading & Northern #2102-powered and diesel-powered trips will go on sale Friday, April 10, 2026 at 9:00am. Tickets may be purchased online at www.rbmnrr-passenger.com; or by calling 610-562-2102 9:00am – 5:00pm daily.

According to Andy Muller, Jr., owner and chief executive officer of the Reading & Northern, “The most fantastic railfan event of the 21st century will occur on the Reading & Northern. All are invited to join us for this event to either ride or safely follow the train. People will be required to stay a minimum of 25 feet away from all railroad tracks, which will be strictly enforced. One hundred percent safety is a must; ninety-nine percent is not enough.”

Senior VP/GM-Passenger Matt Fisher says “We are most flattered that Union Pacific has chosen to make Reading & Northern a part of the Big Boy’s eastern semiquincentennial tour. This locomotive has never been on the Reading & Northern, let alone east of the Mississippi River since its construction in Schenectady, NY in the 1940s.”

About The Reading & Northern

Reading & Northern, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving over 80 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Wyoming). It has expanded its operations over the last 40 years; and projects 40,000 carloads of freight in 2026 (which removes over 220,000 trucks from the highway), while its Passenger Department welcomed over 410,000 happy customers in 2025.

R&N operates its freight and steam- and diesel-powered passenger excursions over 400 miles of track, owns almost 2,000 freight cars, and employs over 400 dedicated people. The railroad has been repeatedly honored as one of the premier railroads in the nation, including being named Regional Railroad of the Year in 2020 by Railway Age magazine.

Facebook X Pinterest Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Messenger