Must-see big steam for 2024

From tourist line operations to a transnational tour, see which of these big locomotives will be in steam and a must-see for 2024!

Additional locomotives and schedules are expected to be added throughout the year based on upcoming news and announcements. Check back regularly for the most up-to-date list of the must-see big steam for 2024.

Current schedules

Milwaukee Road No. 261

It was a quiet 2023 for this 4-8-4, having made two short trips in June and November/December for events at St. Paul Union Depot. But quiet certainly wasn’t the case for the Friends of the 261 and Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, which were busy with capital projects in Silvis, Ill., and Minneapolis. As for No. 261 in 2024, expect the locomotive to return to Union Depot for the annual North Pole Express excursions this December.

Schedule

Milwaukee Road No. 261 is scheduled to operate the North Pole Express, Dec. 6-8. The second weekend of trips, Dec. 12-15, will use Milwaukee Road EMD E9 diesel No. 32A. Visit the Friends of the 261 website for more information.

Pere Marquette No. 1225

After an extensive wheel and running gear rebuild, No. 1225 returned to service in late 2023, just in time to lead the Steam Railroading Institute’s popular North Pole Express excursions once again. In 2024, the Owosso, Mich.-based organization plans to expand the 2-8-4’s operations beyond the holiday season for the first time since 2019.

Schedule

• June 7-9, 14, and 16: Hands on the Throttle, Owosso
• June 15: Freedom Flyer – Vintage Baseball Train, Owosso to Ashley, Mich.
• Oct. 26 and 27: Cadillac Limited – Fall Color Tour, Mount Pleasant to Cadillac, Mich.
• Nov. 23, 24, 29 and 30, and Dec. 1, 6-8, 13-15, and 20-22: North Pole Express, Owosso to Ashley

Visit the Steam Railroading Institute website for more information.

U.S. Sugar No. 148

This smart-looking 4-6-2 was busy in 2023 and will remain so in 2024. Not long after the holiday season, No. 148 was already hard at work hauling passenger excursions across the U.S. Sugar system in Central Florida. From short train rides to all-day trips, from Clewiston to Lake Placid, the locomotive is operating most weekends heading into the Holiday Season. There are plenty of opportunities for must-see big steam in the Sunshine State.

Schedule

• March 9, April 13, and Nov. 9: Clewiston Comet, Lake Placid to Clewiston
• March 10, April 14, June 16, and Nov. 10: Highlands County Crescent, Sebring to Childs
• March 16: Sugarfest Local, Clewiston
• April 20 and 21: Sugar Express Photo Charter, Clewiston
• April 27, May 18, June 22, and Oct. 19: Lake Placid Limited, Clewiston to Lake Placid
• April 28, May 19, and June 23: Sugar Cane Ice Cream Train, Clewiston
• July 26 and 27: Caladium Festival Flyer, Lake Placid
• July 28: Farm to Table Train, Lake Placid to Clewiston
• Oct 20: Archbold Arrow, Clewiston to Archbold Biological Station
• Dec. 7 and 8: Sebring Santa Train
• Dec. 12: Toys for Tots Train
• Dec. 14 and 15: Clewiston Santa Train
• Dec. 20-22: Lake Placid Santa Train

Visit the Sugar Express website for more information.

Western Maryland No. 1309

For those looking to experience the “Beast of the East” thunder from Cumberland to Frostburg, Md., you might have to wait a bit longer. The 2-6-6-2 was sidelined last December when the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad discovered they needed to replace the piston heads and rods. Fundraising is currently in progress, and the scenic railroad eyes the return of No. 1309 by the holiday season.

Stay tuned for the 2024 schedule.

Visit the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad website for more information.

Previous schedules

Canadian Pacific No. 2816

When it comes to must-see big steam for 2024, Canadian Pacific No. 2816’s upcoming cross-continental journey after an extended absence is as big as it gets. The overhauled 4-6-4 will embark on the “Final Spike Steam Tour” to commemorate the first anniversary of CPR and Kansas City Southern’s merger into CPKC. From late April to mid-July, The Empress will traverse parts of Canada, the United States, and Mexico with public displayed stops in selected cities.

Schedule

• April 24: Calgary, Alta. display – CPKC Head Office, 7550 Ogden Dale Rd., 3-8 p.m. MST
• April 26: Calgary to Medicine Hat, Alta.
• April 27: Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw, Sask.
• April 28: Moose Jaw display – CPKC parking lot, 3 Manitoba St. E., noon-4 p.m. MST
• April 29: Moose Jaw to Minot, N.D.
• April 30: Minot display – Main St. N. railroad crossing, 4-7 p.m. CST
• May 1: Minot to Glenwood, Minn.
• May 2: Glenwood to St. Paul, Minn.
• May 3: St. Paul display – Union Depot, 214 4th St. E., 3-8 p.m. CST
• May 5: St. Paul to Portage, Wis.
• May 6: Portage to Bensenville, Ill.
• May 8: Franklin Park, Ill. display – 9748 Franklin Ave., 3-8 p.m. CST
• May 9: Bensenville to Nahant, Iowa
• May 10: Davenport, Iowa display – Quinlan Court, 101 E. River Dr., 2-5 p.m. CST
• May 11: Nahant to Kansas City, Mo.
• May 18: Kansas City display – Union Station, Haverty Family Yards, 30 W. Pershing Rd., noon-5 p.m. CST
• May 21: Kansas City to Heavener, Okla.
• May 22: Heavener to Shreveport, La.
• May 24: Shreveport display – CPKC Shreveport Tower Office parking lot, 4540 N. Lakeshore Dr., 4-8 p.m. CST
• May 25: Shreveport to Kendleton, Texas
• May 27: Kendleton to Laredo, Texas
• May 28: Laredo display – CPKC Laredo Yard, 604 Serrano Rd., 4-8 p.m. CST
• June 7: Mexico City display – Calle Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca y Av. Rio San Joaquín, noon-2 p.m. CST
• June 13: Laredo to Kendleton
• June 15: Kendleton to Shreveport
• June 24: Shreveport to Heavener
• June 25: Heavener to Kansas City
• June 27: Kansas City to Davenport
• June 29: Silvis, Ill. display – Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, 1101 2nd Ave. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CST
• July 1: Davenport to St. Paul
• July 3: St. Paul to Thief River Falls, Minn.
• July 4: Thief River Falls to Winnipeg, Man.
• July 6: Winnipeg display – CPKC Yard, 949 Jarvis Ave., noon-4 p.m. CST
• July 7: Winnipeg to Brandon, Man.
• July 8: Brandon to Moose Jaw
• July 9: Moose Jaw to Medicine Hat
• July 10: Medicine Hat to Calgary

Grand Canyon Railway No. 4960

After its centennial year in 2023, Mikado-type No. 4960 is picking up where it left off on Arizona’s Grand Canyon Railway. Between March and October, the 2-8-2 is scheduled to operate on select Saturdays, while navigating the sharp curves and steep grades between Williams and Grand Canyon National Park. A Monday trip is also planned on August 12 to celebrate No. 4960’s birthday.

Schedule

• March 2
• April 6
• April 20: Earth Day
• May 4
• June 1
• July 6
• Aug. 3
• Aug. 12: No. 4960’s Birthday
• Sept. 7
• Sept. 21: Grand Canyon Railway’s Anniversary
• Oct. 5

Nickel Plate Road No. 765

No. 765 certainly found its place along the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. While the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society is always on the search for additional operating opportunities, the third year of the Indiana Rail Experience on the mentioned short line is already on the docket. One of the new events to the experience in 2024 is the return of the society’s Throttle Time program for participants to operate the Super Power star.

Schedule

• May 24-26: Indiana Ice Cream Train, Angola, Ind.
• May 25: Wine & Whiskey Train, Angola
• June 14, 17, and Sept. 2: Throttle Time, Pleasant Lake, Ind.
• June 15: Tri-State Scenic Excursion, Edon, Ohio to Hillsdale, Mich.
• June 16: Tri-State Scenic Excursion, Edon to Jonesville, Mich.
• Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Rolling Victory Weekend, Pleasant Lake
• Oct. 19 and 20: Fall Color Train, Pleasant Lake to Hillsdale

Reading & Northern No. 2102

It’s a new year for 4-8-4 No. 2102 with all-new destinations as part of the Iron Horse Rambles. While the first of the three summer excursions will repeat the previous routing from Reading to Jim Thorpe, Pa., the other two will each depart from Nesquehoning and head into the beautiful Lehigh Gorge. Layovers are expected to take place at Tunkhannock’s Founder’s Day Festival and Pittston’s Tomato Festival. Additional trips are planned during the fall season from Reading to Jim Thorpe.

Schedule

• May 25, and Oct. 5, 19, and 26: Reading to Jim Thorpe
• June 22: Nesquehoning to Tunkhannock
• Aug. 17: Nesquehoning to Pittston

Santa Fe No. 2926

Relearning to crawl before it could run was the focus for this mammoth 4-8-4 in 2023. No. 2926 put in its first miles of operation, post-restoration, with appearances at the nearby Tractor Brewing Wells Park and Albuquerque’s downtown Rail Yards. The locomotive’s owner, the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society (DBA New Mexico Heritage Rail), states the operating season of public and private events is scheduled for 2024.

Schedule

• May 4: Escape The Gate Anniversary at Tractor Brewing Wells Park
• June 26 and 27: Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society convention at Albuquerque’s downtown Rail Yards
• Sept. 27-29: New Mexico Railroad Days and night photo sessions at the Rail Yards
• Oct. 28 and 29: Pete Lerro yard photo shoot

Santa Fe No. 3751

From one Santa Fe 4-8-4 to another, No. 3751 is scheduled to visit Los Angeles Union Station again in September. Rail Safety: Los Angeles is staged as an educational experience to learn about the size, scale and speed of railroading equipment, and how to be safe around them. In addition to Tinseltown’s steam star, Amtrak and Metrolink will also be represented by their own equipment planned to be in attendance. Multiple night photo sessions are also planned at Union Station on Sept. 21, and the Redondo Junction turntable on Sept. 22.

Schedule

Rail Safety: Los Angeles will be held Sept. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., each day. No. 3751 will be under steam while displayed on Track 15 during the event. The only movements will occur during the ferry runs between Union Station and the locomotive’s home base at the nearby Amtrak maintenance facility of Redondo.

Soo Line No. 1003

Operations for this 2-8-2 can be limited. But if you can catch it in steam, it’s worthwhile to watch this Midwestern favorite thunder across central Wisconsin. No. 1003 is scheduled to make its annual appearance in Hartford, Wis., for the town’s Christmas Parade on Nov. 9, unofficially kicking off the Holiday Season.

Schedule

Soo Line No. 1003 is scheduled to be in Downtown Hartford from the Wisconsin Automotive Museum for display from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on Nov. 9, 2024.

Visit the Steam Locomotive Heritage Association website for more information.

Southern Railway No. 4501

After returning to Summerville Steam Special duties last fall, 2-8-2 No. 4501 will have an extended 2024 schedule. On select days in the spring, summer and fall, passengers will ride behind the famed excursion veteran from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Grand Junction in Chattanooga, Tenn., over Genesee & Wyoming’s Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway to Summerville, Ga. The June 1 and November 3 trips will each feature a doubleheader with Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630. The consolidation-type will mainly oversee the shorter Missionary Ridge Local and Evening Ridge Runner excursions at the museum.

Schedule

• March 23
• June 1: Doubleheader with No. 630
• June 22
• July 27
• Aug. 24
• Sept. 9: Founder’s Day Missionary Ridge Local, Evening Ridge Runner, and night photo session
• Sept. 14 and 28
• Oct. 5, 12, 13, 19, 20, and 26
• Nov. 2
• Nov. 3: Doubleheader with No. 630

Visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum website for more information.

Union Pacific No. 4014

The Union Pacific Railroad’s 2024 steam schedule will see Big Boy No. 4014 heading back to the Golden State before traveling east to the Land of Lincoln. In late June, the “Westward Bound Tour” departed Cheyenne, Wyo. for public displays in Portola and Roseville, Cali., and Ogden, Utah. The section from Roseville to Sparks, Nev., on July 14, hosted a public excursion, organized by the Union Pacific Museum as a fundraiser. The “Heartland of America Tour” will then begin in late August, heading east to Illinois before the Big Boy points its headlights south towards Texas. Display stops are currently planned in Rochelle, Ill., Houston and Fort Worth, Texas. Cab ride auctions by both the museum and Union Pacific’s Friend-to-Friend Network will also be offered for the section of the tour on Sept. 2 and 4.

Westward Bound Tour schedule

• June 30: Cheyenne to Rawlins, Wyo.
• July 1: Rawlins to Rock Springs, Wyo.
• July 3: Rock Springs to Evanston, Wyo.
• July 4: Evanston to Salt Lake City, Utah
• July 6: Salt Lake City to Elko, Nev.
• July 8: Elko to Winnemucca, Nev.
• July 9: Winnemuca to Portola, Cali.
• July 10: Portola display – Western Pacific Railroad Museum, 700 Western Pacific Wy., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. PST
• July 11: Portola to Roseville, Calif.
• July 12 and 13: Roseville display – Atlantic and Vernon St., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. PST
• July 14: Roseville to Sparks – Union Pacific Museum public excursion
• July 16: Sparks to Winnemucca
• July 17: Winnemucca to Elko
• July 19: Elko to Ogden
• July 20: Ogden display – Ogden Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. MST
• July 21: Ogden display – Ogden Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. MST
• July 22: Ogden to Montpelier, Idaho
• July 23: Montpelier to Rock Springs
• July 25: Rock Springs to Rawlins
• July 26: Rawlins to Cheyenne

Heartland of America Tour schedule

• Aug. 28: Cheyenne to Sidney, Neb.
• Aug. 29: Sidney to North Platte, Neb.
• Sept. 1: North Platte to Grand Island, Neb.
• Sept. 2: Grand Island to Council Bluffs, Iowa – Union Pacific Museum cab ride auction
• Sept. 4: Council Bluffs to Boone, Iowa – Union Pacific Museum cab ride auction
• Sept. 5: Boone to Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Sept. 6: Cedar Rapids to Rochelle
• Sept. 8: Rochelle display – Union Pacific Ike Evans Global III Terminal, 2701 Intermodal Dr., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. CST
• Sept. 9: Rochelle to Villa Grove, Ill.
• Sept. 10: Villa Grove to St. Louis
• Sept. 12: St. Louis to Poplar Bluff, Mo.
• Sept. 13: Poplar Bluff to Jonesboro, Ark.
• Sept. 14: Jonesboro to North Little Rock, Ark.
• Sept. 16: North Little Rock to Texarkana, Ark.
• Sept. 17: Texarkana to Dallas
• Sept. 19: Dallas to Hearne, Texas
• Oct. 4: Hearne to Houston
• Oct. 6: Houston display – Amtrak Station, 902 Washington Ave., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. CST
• Oct. 7: Houston to Bryan, Texas
• Oct. 8: Bryan viewing only – Wellborn Rd., and F & B Rd., crossing
• Oct. 9: Byran to Fort Worth
• Oct. 10: Fort Worth display – T&P Station, 221 W. Lancaster Ave., 9: a.m.-3 p.m. CST
• Oct. 11: Fort Worth display – T&P Station, 221 W. Lancaster Ave., 9: a.m.-1 p.m. CST
• Oct. 13: Fort Worth to McAlester, Okla.
• Oct. 14: McAlester to Coffeyville, Kan.
• Oct. 15: Coffeyville to Kansas City
• Oct. 16: Kansas City viewing only – Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd.
• Oct. 17: Kansas City to Salina, Kan.
• Oct. 18: Salina viewing only – Historic Depot, 400 N. 13th St.
• Oct. 19: Salina to Hays, Kan.
• Oct. 20: Hays to Sharon Springs, Kan.
• Oct. 21: Sharon Springs to Denver
• Oct. 23: Denver to Cheyenne