SerpApi.Org
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Big Boy No. 4014 is heading back through Ohio, and anyone hoping to catch the world’s largest operating steam locomotive can follow its progress online.
Union Pacific offers a live tracking map that will show Big Boy’s location as it enters the state Sunday, travels across Northeast Ohio on Monday and continues west toward Fostoria.
The official tracker is the best resource for following the train. Crowdsourced railfan reports and public railroad scanner feeds also may provide additional context for people trying to track its movement in real time.
How to track Big Boy No. 4014
Union Pacific’s live Steam Tracking map is the official tracking resource for Big Boy No. 4014.
The real-time map shows the locomotive’s reported location and highlights its planned route. It may be especially useful Monday as Big Boy travels from Conneaut through Ashtabula, Lake and Cuyahoga counties before making a whistle stop in Rocky River.
The tracker should be treated as a guide rather than a guarantee that Big Boy will reach an unofficial viewing location at a particular time. Railroad operations, weather and other factors may cause the train to operate ahead of or behind the published schedule.
Union Pacific also does not provide estimated times for communities or viewing locations beyond its officially scheduled public stops.
Viewers should not use the tracker as a reason to wait near tracks, enter railroad property or rush between viewing locations.
Other ways to track Big Boy
HeritageUnits.com is a crowdsourced tracking site used by railroad enthusiasts to report sightings of notable locomotives, including Big Boy.
Reports may include the locomotive’s location, direction, train symbol and whether it was visually confirmed. Because users submit the reports, they should be treated as supplemental information rather than an official schedule or live location guarantee.
Some enthusiasts also may follow railroad radio traffic through public scanner feeds.
A Broadcastify feed covering Norfolk Southern operations in the Cleveland area monitors railroad traffic from Vermilion through the Cleveland area and east toward Wickliffe. Its coverage includes portions of the Norfolk Southern routes Big Boy is expected to use Monday.
Scanner traffic can provide additional context for experienced listeners, but it is not an official tracking service and may be difficult for casual listeners to interpret. Radio traffic also does not necessarily provide a clear or continuous description of the train’s location.
Big Boy’s Sunday schedule in Ohio
Big Boy is scheduled to depart Conway, Pennsylvania, at 9 a.m. Sunday before entering Ohio and making a whistle stop in Struthers in Mahoning County.
The Struthers stop is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to noon at the South Bridge Street crossing.
After leaving Struthers, Big Boy is expected to continue through the Youngstown area before heading north toward Ashtabula County and doubling back east to Conneaut for an overnight layover.
Union Pacific lists no public access in Conneaut on Sunday.
Big Boy’s Monday schedule in Northeast Ohio
Big Boy is scheduled to depart Conneaut at 9 a.m. Monday, with no public access at the departure location.
The locomotive will follow the historic Nickel Plate Road route west through Ashtabula, Lake and Cuyahoga counties, retracing its June route in reverse.
Big Boy is expected to pass through or near Ashtabula, Geneva, Madison, Perry, Painesville, Mentor, Willoughby, Wickliffe, Euclid and East Cleveland before reaching Cleveland.
The train then will cross the Cuyahoga River on the Nickel Plate Road High Level Bridge and continue through the western side of Cleveland, Lakewood and into Rocky River.
Big Boy’s only scheduled public stop in Northeast Ohio on Monday will be from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at the former Nickel Plate depot, 19060 Depot St., in Rocky River.
Unlike its June trip, Big Boy will not make whistle stops in Euclid or Lorain.
After Rocky River, the locomotive will continue west through Lorain County toward Bellevue and Fostoria. Union Pacific lists its Monday arrival in Fostoria as a private Norfolk Southern employee event with no public access.
Big Boy’s remaining Ohio schedule
Big Boy will be on public display from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Norfolk Southern Fostoria Automotive Distribution Center, 3101 N. Township Road 47.
Admission and parking are free, and tickets are not required. The Fostoria event is Big Boy’s only public display day in Ohio.
The locomotive is scheduled to depart Fostoria at 9 a.m. Wednesday, with no public access at the departure site.
Big Boy then will make its final Ohio whistle stop from 11:30 a.m. to noon near Oak and Main streets in Continental before continuing toward Indiana.
What is Big Boy No. 4014?
Measuring 133 feet long and weighing about 1.2 million pounds, Big Boy No. 4014 is the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.
Union Pacific commissioned 25 Big Boy locomotives beginning in 1941 to haul heavy freight over the Wasatch Mountains between Utah and Wyoming.
Eight Big Boys survive, but No. 4014 is the only one still operating. Union Pacific restored the locomotive to service in 2019 for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
The current coast-to-coast tour celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States and includes more than 50 whistle stops in 10 states and major display events in eight cities.
Safety reminders for watching Big Boy
Union Pacific urges spectators to stay at least 25 feet from all railroad tracks, including when photographing the locomotive or using drones.
Railroad tracks, bridges, trestles, yards and rights of way are private property. Spectators should not trespass or assume that any track is abandoned or inactive.
Drivers should not attempt to pace or follow the train from nearby roads. Tracking tools also should not be used as a reason to drive hurriedly between locations or stop where parking is prohibited.
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
