7-14-2026 4:26am

History on the Rails: Colebrookdale Railroad Excursion Brings Passengers Face-to-Face with Legendary Big Boy 4014

Lesley Misko Editor

by Expression Staff

The excitement began not in Pottstown, but aboard the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown, where more than 120 passengers climbed aboard beautifully restored railcars for a sold-out excursion to witness one of the most famous steam locomotives ever built.

Long before Union Pacific's legendary Big Boy No. 4014 appeared around the curve in Pottstown, the Colebrookdale train itself buzzed with anticipation. Families swapped stories about favorite railroad excursions. Children eagerly peered through the windows while their parents refreshed online trackers showing the historic engine’s arrival had been delayed.

Many passengers dressed for the occasion. Union Pacific Big Boy T-shirts, engineer caps, railroad-logo hats, and apparel celebrating railroads from across the country filled the vintage coaches. Everywhere you looked, there were reminders that this was more than a sightseeing trip—it was a pilgrimage for railroad enthusiasts.

With a long blast of the whistle and applause from passengers and crew, the Colebrookdale Railroad eased out of Boyertown and into the scenic Secret Valley.

"Big Boy, here we come!" one railroad staff member called out.

Creating a Memory to Last a Lifetime

The special excursion was organized around Union Pacific's historic America 250 tour, which brought Big Boy No. 4014 across the country on its way to Philadelphia's Independence Day celebrations. Built in 1941 to haul World War II freight across the rugged Rocky Mountains, the locomotive has become a rolling symbol of America’s industrial heritage. One of only eight surviving Big Boy locomotives—and the only one still in operation—No. 4014 weighs more than 1.2 million pounds, stretches 132 feet long, and is widely-recognized as the world's largest operating steam locomotive.

Excitement around Big Boy’s journey to Philadelphia began building online in May, prompting the Colebrookdale Railroad to announce an excursion to see the majestic engine during its planned “whistle stop” in nearby Pottstown on July 2. Demand for tickets immediately exceeded expectations.

Originally, railroad officials planned to accommodate about 50 passengers in the railroad’s open-air car. Those tickets quickly disappeared and so additional seats were released. They, too, sold out within days.

Weeks later, as the packed train rolled through the wooded beauty of the Secret Valley along the former Reading Railroad branch, temperatures climbed toward 105 degrees.

"Welcome aboard. Tickets please," one conductor joked while making his rounds. "Even with a ticket, I'll throw you off the bridge into the river!" The lighthearted comment drew laughter throughout the train.

Behind the scenes, railroad staff focused on making sure every guest enjoyed the experience. Conductors periodically updated passengers on Big Boy's progress to Pottstown, while staff distributed bottled water and reminded everyone to stay hydrated

"Everything is so well planned out," said Carol, who first joined the Colebrookdale Railroad as a volunteer before becoming a staff member more than two years ago. "We aim to create an experience that our passengers will never forget."

By the time the train neared Pottstown, many of the passengers who had boarded as strangers had become traveling companions, comparing photographs and talking about the locomotives that first sparked their fascination with trains.

However, conversation always returned to a single topic: Big Boy.

Passengers Chasing History

Among the travelers was Boyertown resident Isaac Cope, whose lifelong love of trains began with Thomas the Tank Engine.

A former Colebrookdale Railroad volunteer who once worked as a car hand, Cope had already traveled to Scranton to see Big Boy during an earlier Pennsylvania stop. Still, the opportunity to ride his hometown railroad to another viewing was too good to pass up.

"I've been planning this trip for the last month!" Cope said. "It's really an honor for Big Boy to visit the Keystone State.” He also hoped to meet one of the locomotive's engineers during its stop in Pottstown.

Other passengers came from out of state. Bob Burke journeyed from Connecticut after his brother, a Colebrookdale Railroad conductor, helped him secure a ticket.

"I've wanted to visit Colebrookdale Railroad for a long time and also wanted to see Big Boy," Burke said. Having previously seen the locomotive only as a static display at Steamtown National Historic Site, he eagerly anticipated watching it thunder down the rails under its own power.

Kim Ellis of Allentown and her father, Bob Wendling, had already followed Big Boy across Pennsylvania, even catching multiple glimpses of it during another rail excursion.

"We passed it four times," while traveling on another train, Ellis explained. "The size was incredible!"

Yet even after seeing Big Boy repeatedly, they eagerly looked forward to the Colebrookdale Railroad excursion.

Fleetwood resident Jacob Swavely Jr. has been fascinated by trains since he was five years old, crediting his father and the family's HO-scale railroad for nurturing his interest. He first learned Big Boy would be traveling through Pennsylvania in April and had visited the locomotive in Scranton. But he said watching it arrive in Pottstown and hearing its whistle would be something altogether different.

Although every passenger had a different story, they all shared the same goal.

Soon, conversations quieted.

Eyes turned toward the windows.

The Colebrookdale Railroad was approaching Pottstown and its rendezvous with Big Boy.

The Moment Everyone Was Waiting For

By late afternoon, thousands of spectators lined the tracks along Hannover Street and the old Pottstown train station.

Firefighters opened a hydrant and sprayed cooling water over the crowd, while first responders treated cases of heat exhaustion. Yet no one seemed interested in leaving. Every eye remained fixed down the tracks.

Then, shortly after 4:45 p.m., Big Boy's whistle echoed in the distance.

A roar swept through the crowd as spectators caught their first glance of the enormous locomotive and its billowing steam rounding the curve. It rolled into the station, slowly coming to a halt.

Even enthusiasts who had spent years watching videos and studying photographs found themselves momentarily speechless.

One of the locomotive's engineers climbed atop the engine to photograph the thousands gathered below, who cheered the Union Pacific crew and recorded the moment on their overheating iPhones.

After an approximately 18-minute stop, another long blast of the whistle echoed through Pottstown and Big Boy resumed its journey toward Philadelphia.

As the locomotive disappeared around the bend, one voice rose above the applause and chants of “USA! USA!”

"Thank you!"

It was a sentiment shared by many aboard the Colebrookdale Railroad that afternoon.

More Than a Train Ride

For young train enthusiast Paul of Mechanicsburg, the Colebrookdale Railroad has been part of his life almost from the beginning. He first rode the railroad when he was just 18 months old.

Now, traveling with his grandfather Jack, mother Andrea and younger brother Alan, Paul proudly wore a vest covered with pins from railroads that he visited across the country, including the Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire and the Pike's Peak Cog Railway.

"We're train people," Paul explained with a grin. "I'm really excited about seeing Union Pacific Big Boy. The history of it, and how it helped to build our nation is incredible. The size of the engine is amazing."

For Paul, trains represent something deeper than transportation.

"Everyone loves the beauty of trains," he said. "The artistry, the history, the mechanics—it's all incredible."

His grandfather, Jack, smiled as he reflected on how the family's railroad adventures had come full circle.

"That's what happens when you have grandchildren," he said, sharing that Paul's enthusiasm had rekindled his own childhood fascination with trains.

Paul's mother, Andrea, laughed that railroading has become the family's favorite way to travel.

"We do train vacations and drag the whole family along."

Seated in an adjacent car, Emily Hall of central Pennsylvania was on her own ambitious quest. She and her husband have challenged themselves to ride at least one different tourist railroad every month during 2026, though they've often managed three or four.

Standing beside the tracks in Pottstown, she found herself overwhelmed—not only by Big Boy's size, but by the people gathered to see it. "Even as hot as it was, when you heard that whistle—you got excited and you forgot that it was 103 degrees out.”

“This tour is bigger than I ever thought it would be," Hall added. "I thought it would only be train enthusiasts in the crowd, but the momentum has been building with every stop."

For Hall, the timing made the experience especially meaningful.

"To be here for July 4, and for this to be the 250th anniversary of the United States made this really special," she said. "We needed this right now, the sense of community and people coming together."

Young train enthusiast Paul agreed. Looking to the future, he said: "I hope we can ensure future generations will be able to see Big Boy for America's 300th birthday."

NOTE - Second video shared by Emily Hall from central PA.

Upcoming Events at the Colebrookdale Railroad

Known as the Secret Valley Line, the Colebrookdale Railroad operates along a historic branch line originally built by the Reading Railroad and preserved by the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust since 2010. Today, the Boyertown-based heritage railroad offers scenic excursions, elegant dining trains, seasonal events and educational programs aboard meticulously restored Victorian-era passenger cars while preserving an important piece of southeastern Pennsylvania's railroad history.

The railroad recently received a significant boost when the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the railroad a $25 million federal grant to improve its connection in Pottstown. The project includes construction of a new train shed, rehabilitation of the High Street Bridge and railroad infrastructure, and new lighted pedestrian walkways linking the Pottstown station to SEPTA service, local sidewalks and the Schuylkill River Trail.

The Colebrookdale Railroad continues to expand its lineup of unique experiences. Among this season's offerings are the return of its popular rail bikes—including newly introduced electric rail bikes—as well as themed excursions such as the K-Pop Demon Hunters Train. The railroad also offers a full calendar of brunch, lunch, dinner and seasonal excursions through the scenic Secret Valley. More information about upcoming events, including how to book your own ride on the Colebrookdale, is available on their website here, or by clicking the railroad ad in the Boyertown Area Expression daily email to subscribers.

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