Pic of the Day

Worlds largest steam engine rolls into Houston, Texas on its way to Cheyenne, Wyoming to remain on display.

The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1959. Eight Big Boys survive, most on static display at museums across the country. One of them, No. 4014, was re-acquired by Union Pacific and restored to operating condition in 2019, regaining the title as the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive in the world. It was likely the heaviest steam locomotive ever built: the 772,250-lb engine and 436,500-lb tender together outweighed a Boeing 747.