Big Boy Mississippi crossing, August 2021

A crowd of people get close to a large steam locomotive that is stopped near an old truss bridge.

The Union Pacific Big Boy begins to move its train off the Bayou Plaquemine bridge at Plaquemine, Louisiana on Friday morning, Aug. 20, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

Large steam locomotive with train on long bridge seen with telephoto lens.

Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 with it's Armour Yellow passenger train consist, descend the Huey P. Long Bridge on Aug. 22, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 with it's Armour Yellow passenger train consist, descend the Huey P. Long Bridge on Aug. 22, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

Large steam locomotive rolls over a short deck bridge framed by water, trees, and green shrubs.

Union Pacific Museum Special behind Big Boy 4014 slowly rolls across Bayou Lafourche at Donaldsonville, Louisiana on its trip North out of New Orleans on Sunday.
Steve Smedley photo

Large steam locomotive with train on a long bridge with a commercial jetliner in the distant background.

Union Pacific Railroad's Union Pacific Museum Special behind Big Boy 4014 slowly rolls across the Huey P. Long Bridge as it lifts the train out of New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

View of a large steam locomotive with yellow passenger train on a bridge, as seen from below.

Union Pacific Railroad's Union Pacific Museum Special behind Big Boy 4014 slowly rolls across the Huey P. Long Bridge as it rolls downgrade at Bridge City, Lousiana on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

Viewing a large steam locomotive on a bridge from below.

Steam locomotive and yellow passenger train on a long bridge deck.

Rear view of a large steam locomotive moving through the trusses of a large steel bridge.

Union Pacific Railroad's Union Pacific Museum Special behind Big Boy 4014 slowly rolls across the Huey P. Long Bridge as it lifts the train out of New Orleans, Lousiana on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021.

Steve Smedley photo

Large steam locomotive hauling train under clouded skies with a storm in the far distant background.

Union Pacific Railroad's Big Boy 4014 blasts away from Huffman, Texas as seen from Highway 1960 on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, on its run between Houston and Beaumont, Texas.

Steve Smedley photo

Large steam locomotive and train cross a causeway over water.

Union Pacific Railroad's Big Boy 4014 rolls slowly across Lake Houston at Crosby, Texas on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, on its run between Houston and Beaumont, Texas.

Steve Smedley photo

The Union Pacific Big Boy Mississippi River crossing is one for the history books. So far as Trains editors know, this is Union Pacific Big Boy 4014’s first foray to the “Big Easy,” New Orleans!

Join Trains contributor Steve Smedley for this portion of Big Boy’s 2021 tour through Texas and the Mid-South with an exclusive photo gallery you’ll see nowhere else.

A full schedule of the Big Boy’s route is available from the railroad.

See another photo gallery of the Big Boy on tour in Texas!

Only from Trains.com!