Millions of Americans have gathered across the country to witness the "Big Boy" 4014 locomotive, the world's largest operating steam engine, as it undertakes a cross-country tour celebrating America's 250th birthday. However, the celebratory journey was marred for one train enthusiast in Nebraska.
Trevor Allen Bentley, 34, of Kearney, sustained a fractured spine after falling approximately eight feet while attempting to board the iconic train in his hometown on May 28. Bentley, a longtime admirer of steam locomotives, had previously emailed Union Pacific to request a ride in the cab of the 133-foot-long Big Boy 4014. The rail company granted his request, allowing him to ride the train for 40 miles from Kearney to Grand Island.
Video footage captured the moment Bentley slipped on a rain-soaked ladder as he was boarding, falling onto the rails below. The incident caused the train's departure to be delayed by 30 minutes. Bentley described the experience to Cowboy State Daily, stating, "A boyhood dream got dashed as I fell eight feet off of Big Boy 4014 before I got the ride of a lifetime." Despite the fall, he initially felt fine, though sore, and expressed a desire to continue with the ride, but was unable to make the final step. The train departed without him.
The Big Boy 4014's tour, which began in Sacramento, California, in April, spans 14 states and is scheduled to conclude in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at the end of July. The tour aims to celebrate America and highlight the historical and ongoing role of railroads in connecting communities, fostering trade, and supporting the nation's supply chain.
The locomotive has drawn massive crowds in various locations. In Fostoria, Ohio, known locally as "Train City USA," more than 46,000 people gathered at a Norfolk Southern railyard to see the train. The event, which allowed public viewing and tours of some passenger cars, saw visitors arriving as early as 4 a.m. Fostoria Mayor Don Mennel estimated that nearly as many people were turned away due to capacity limits as those who were able to attend, suggesting close to 100,000 people converged on the town of 13,000.
Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver explained the significance of the tour, noting that the Big Boy locomotives, built between 1941 and 1944, were essential for traversing the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah. "They were called the Giants on the Rail," she said.
Of the 25 Big Boy trains originally built, only eight remain, with the 4014 being the only one currently operational. The train weighs 1.2 million pounds, stands 17 feet tall, and measures 133 feet long, comparable to half the size of a Boeing 747. These locomotives operated for about 20 years before being largely replaced by diesel trains and many were scrapped.
Union Pacific began restoring one of the surviving Big Boys in 2014, a project that took 2.5 years. Since then, the locomotive has undertaken annual journeys. This current tour is its first time traveling through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York since its initial deployment in the 1940s. The train made a notable stop in Philadelphia on July 4th, a location chosen as a symbolic halfway point and the birthplace of America.
The locomotive is operated by a crew of 30 to 40 people, with 12 dedicated to running the steam engine. Tysver expressed that the public's enthusiasm for the Big Boy is a testament to nostalgia and the enduring appeal of operating historical machinery. "It is an antique. It is an important piece of history, but it's operating," she remarked. "It's operating as this machine that you can hear, you can smell, you can feel as it rumbles down the track."