Rail fans in Berks County will have a rare opportunity to see one of the world’s largest operating steam locomotives when Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014 arrives in Reading on Thursday, July 2, as part of the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad’s Semiquincentennial Steam Celebration.
According to Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, Big Boy will travel from Jim Thorpe to Reading over the railroad’s main line, making several scheduled stops before arriving at Reading Outer Station.
The locomotive is scheduled to depart Jim Thorpe at 9 a.m. and travel through Schuylkill and Berks counties. Approximate times are subject to change.
In Berks County, Big Boy is expected to arrive in:
- Hamburg from noon to 12:15 p.m. for a 15-minute photo stop.
- Mohrsville at approximately 12:30 p.m.
- Leesport from 12:40 to 12:45 p.m. for a five-minute photo stop.
- Reading Outer Station between approximately 1:05 p.m. and 2:20 p.m.
Reading Blue Mountain & Northern said Reading Outer Station will be open to the public for viewing Big Boy during its visit. However, parking will not be permitted in the Reading Outer Station parking lot, and visitors should plan accordingly.
The stop marks the culmination of a special passenger excursion that will depart Nesquehoning at 9 a.m. behind RBMN diesel locomotives Nos. 1776 and 2026. That excursion train is scheduled to arrive at Reading Outer Station around 12:30 p.m. before departing for the return trip to Nesquehoning at 3 p.m., with an estimated arrival of 5 p.m.
Following its Reading appearance, Big Boy will depart Reading Outer Station at approximately 2:20 p.m. to head toward the BELT interlocking, where it will transition to Norfolk Southern tracks to continue its journey.
While the railroad has published an operating schedule, officials cautioned that all times are approximate and may change due to the nature of the special event.
The visit is part of Reading Blue Mountain & Northern’s Semiquincentennial Steam Celebration and is expected to draw large crowds as the historic locomotive makes its only scheduled stop in Berks County.
View the complete Union Pacific steam schedule here.
Follow Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 on Tour: Big Boy No. 4014 Steam Tracker Map