“All aboard!” cries the conductor. As the USA celebrates 250 years of independence this year, a special locomotive known as the “Big Boy” is traveling around the country. Constructed during World War II to help haul heavy freight over the Wyoming mountains, the 25 “Big Boys” were the largest steam engines ever built.
Eight of these Big Boys survive, most on display at railroad museums around the country. However, the Union Pacific Railroad restored one to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad in 2019. This Big Boy is again rolling across America, allowing many to experience the whistles, rumbles, and roars of live steam. Big Boy #4014 recently steamed from Chicago through the northeast, arriving in Philadelphia on July 4th for Independence Day.
Big Boy’s excursion reminds me of another steam train that toured America for the bicentennial, the USA’s 200th birthday in 1976. That train, the American Freedom Train, was a rolling museum of Americana, displaying artifacts from American history including art, sports, and movie memorabilia. While the interior exhibits were interesting, the beautiful GS-4 Northern steam locomotive captured the imagination of an 11-year-old boy.
The Freedom Train began its journey in 1975 when Gerald Ford was president. Starting in Delaware, a Reading Railroad #2101 engine pulled the train for most of its eastern stops. In Chicago, the GS-4 Northern engine #4449 then took over for the western leg of the Freedom Train’s route. The GS-4 was the engine known as the “Daylight” because of its striking red and orange lines. However, restoration workers adorned it with a unique red, white, and blue paint scheme for the American Freedom Train.
The bicentennial year of 1976 then dawned. Not only did I learn that the Freedom Train would be coming to my hometown of Atlanta, but also that our 6th-grade class would be making a field trip to see it. I began counting down the days until our May visit.
Those were the days before the internet, when event details were sketchy and found only in newspapers, magazines, or the local television news. I was expecting to see the “east coast engine,” the black Reading loco that had pulled the train in the northeast.
When the big day dawned, I grabbed my Kodak 126 Instamatic camera and boarded the school bus for our field trip. The train was on display at Fort Gillem, an army post southeast of Atlanta that had a railroad spur. When we arrived at the site, I unexpectedly spotted the GS-4 locomotive standing proudly at the head!
While our teachers purchased group tickets to tour the 10 exhibit cars, I snuck away to gaze at and photograph the steam engine (that is my actual photograph above!). As we entered the museum cars, I was amazed at the innovative moving sidewalks. These provided both crowd control and a unique way to tour the vast collection. My personal favorites were Archibald Willard’s “Spirit of ‘76” painting, Hank Aaron’s #714 baseball bat, and a moon rock from Apollo 16.
What a thrill for a young boy and train fan! The bicentennial, historical exhibits, and arguably the most beautiful engine ever built combined for an unforgettable experience. I purchased an American Freedom Train patch, displaying it on my blue windbreaker as a souvenir memento.
As I still live in the southeast, I am unlikely to get a chance to see the Big Boy in 2026. I am grateful, though, for that special May day 50 years ago when I had a chance to explore and enjoy the American Freedom Train.
Do you have any memories of the bicentennial or American Freedom Train? Or perhaps of seeing the Big Boy in 2026? Please share your comments below!
Rails, Whales and Tales 