Hundreds of train aficionados gathered on a warm afternoon to welcome a historic steam engine in Yuma.
The Union Pacific Big Boy Number 4014- the world’s largest steam locomotive- arrived near the Crossroads Mission’s main campus on Oct. 15.
The engine is making its way across the southern United States celebrating the transcontinental railroad’s 150th anniversary.
Clarisa Quinteros of Yuma took photos of her 5-year-old twin sons Isaac and Isaiah with one of the train’s engineers and Isaiah’s toy train.
“He brought his first Santa Fe Rail Chief train and he’s very excited," Quinteros said. "This is his first legit railroad train so it’s very nice that we get to come out here and they get to see something close to what they have.”
The locomotive was scheduled to depart Wednesday morning.
Only eight of the Big Boy trains remain in existence but Number 4014 is the only one still operating.
"People are fascinated by trains but they're really amazed in this day and age, in 2019, that they can see the world's largest locomotive right here," said Ed Dickens, a steam locomotive engineer with Union Pacific Railroad.
