Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 attracts a crowd wherever it goes. When the Cheyenne-based, 1-million-pound-plus steam locomotive arrived in Denison, Iowa, on Monday to a throng of Big Boy’s usual fans, the train was carrying a particularly unusual guest that surprised the crowd.
It was the famous comedian and gearhead Jay Leno, who had climbed aboard Big Boy in the Missouri Valley for the ride to Denison, alongside Heritage Operations Manager Ed Dickens and other members of the Union Pacific Steam Team.
Leno, who was host of “The Tonight Show” on NBC for about 17 years, is a well-known lover of vintage cars and engines, owning more than 180 cars and 160 motorcycles, including the famed McLaren F1, which fans consider the greatest supercar of all time.
Since leaving “The Tonight Show,” Leno has had more time than ever to devote to his hobbies, especially his passion for rare and unique cars.
His popular show “Jay Leno’s Garage” was on CNBC from 2015-2022, and has continued on Leno’s YouTube channel which has more than 3.7 million subscribers.
On the show, Leno shows off his collection while traveling to see, drive and ride in some of the world’s coolest cars.
Now his program is going to include a segment on the legendary Big Boy No. 4014, which Union Pacific built during World War II to haul huge equipment over mountains to send it coast to coast. The episode is set to air on Sept. 23.
Big Grin For Big Boy
Union Pacific did not respond to Cowboy State Daily’s inquiries about Leno’s visit, but in a trailer for the upcoming YouTube segment, Leno can be seen with three cameramen standing outside the Big Boy, talking about it.
During the trailer, he also rides with the engineers and pulls the rope that activates Big Boy’s whistle, and then a huge grin appears on his face. As he gives the cameramen a big thumb’s up, it’s clear he’s really enjoying his visit on the world’s largest operable steam locomotive.
Leno also visited Union Pacific’s Heritage Fleet during his Big Boy visit to see the garage where Union Pacific’s restored passenger cars are maintained. And he got to eat in the dining car, where Union Pacific media materials suggest he proclaimed the bacon as best.
The YouTube episode Leno is planning goes live Monday, Sept. 23, and will highlight Union Pacific’s early role in transporting visitors to national parks like Yellowstone, Zion, Grand Canyon and Death Valley back when they were first formed. It will also highlight Union Pacific’s modern-day partnership with the National Park Foundation and its Open Outdoors for Kids program.
Comedian and famous gearhead Jay Leno was on the Big Boy 4014 locomotive Monday, which will be featured on his Sept. 23 episode of "Jay Leno's Garage." (Union Pacific via YouTube) 
Comedian and famous gearhead Jay Leno was on the Big Boy 4014 locomotive Monday, which will be featured on his Sept. 23 episode of "Jay Leno's Garage." (Union Pacific via YouTube)
Big Boy Finishing Up Heartland Of America Tour
Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 is finishing up its Heartland of America tour, which departed from Cheyenne on Aug. 28 for an eight-week tour of nine states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
The Heartland Tour is actually Big Boy’s second tour of the season, with the first its Westward Bound Tour, which covered Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. More than 200,000 people came to see the locomotive during the Westward Bound Tour Union Pacific Officials told Cowboy State Daily then, and the city of Rosalind, California, enjoyed a $3 million bump in economic impact from tourists coming to see the train.
Big Boy has an almost cult-like fandom around it, which demonstrates the continued power of the world’s last operable Big Boy Steam engine.
Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
