Reading & Northern 2102 and Union Pacific 4014 • The America 250 Flyer (4K)

This was it, the last time that 4014 and 2102 will see the main together for what is likely to be a long time Reading & Northern 2102 is a class T-1 4-8-4. Originally built for the reading railroad as 2-8-0 2044 and work work mostly branch lines. However in world war 2, 2102, along with 28 other locomotives, were brought Into the reading railroads shops and completely overhauled, converting them to 4-8-4s. By 1956, the reading converted to diesel and 2102 was retired. However, in 1962, the Reading restored 2102 along with sisters 2100 and 2124 to pull their new Iron Horse Ramble trains. This program ended in 1964, and 2102, again, was retired. After going through multiple owners, it was bought by the Blue Mountain & Reading railroad in 1986. And pulled excursions until 1991 when it needed an overhaul. This overhaul would begin much later in 2016. And in 2022, it emerged as Reading & Northern 2102. Since then, it has been powering the Reading & Northerns excursion passenger trains Union Pacific 4014 is a 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” built in 1941 for the Union Pacific for its wartime traffic. It would serve the railroad until 1959, when it was retired. It was sold to the Southern California chapter of the R&LHS. And like all other big boys, this would be the end of its story. Until 2013. Union Pacific had announced the restoration of 4014. And a year later in 2014, the locomotive was moved to Cheyenne. After an extensive 5 year restoration, 4014 was steamed up for the first time since 1959 and pulled its first excursion in 2019. It also became the first steam locomotive equipped with positive train control (PTC) in 2021. This year, 2026, it embarked on a lengthy cross country excursion to celebrate the 250th anniversary of americas founding. It traveled east from Sacramento all the way to Philadelphia on the 4th of July. The Reading & Northern hosted 4014 for a series of limited runs alongside their own 2102. They would have them running one after another and even passing each other In Scranton. And lucky for me, I was there on the last day that 4014 and 2102 would be side by side. Join me as I chase 2102 up to Pittston. And then coming back we see 4014 and 2102 coming back down