I would leave for Fostoria at 10:45am, to see the Big Boy come through, I would have to deal with a small problem of finding parking. I would eventually, but it was nearly a mile away. I would sit on the corner of the old Fostoria depot with some other railfans.
While I waited and chatted with many people who passed by, an ice cream truck stopped by. I decided to get a Spongebob Popsicle, and it was pretty good. The popsicle really helped seal the deal when it came to deciding if it was worth it, since it felt like people were very excited to see the engine.
I have always had an interest in trains. Growing up, watching them from the park my parents took me to, or watching my Grandpa's trains go around his office, I have always loved trains. Growing up along the CVSR, I got to see my fair share of different trains go by, such as the famous steam engine NPK 765. So when Union Pacific announced they would be bringing the famous Big Boy 4014, the largest steam engine ever built through Ohio, I had to go visit it at any cost.
After waiting 2 hours, and seeing several other trains pass by, we heard the distinctive sound of a steam whistle. At 2:20 pm, Big Boy would steam into Fostoria. It wasn't going to stick around, only stopping for 15 minutes. Seeing, and hearing such a large steam engine pass by was a thrilling experience.
After 4014 came to a stop, I would walk along the train to try and see the engine again. I walked alongside the many coaches the Big Boy was pulling. I walked about half a mile, and reached a point where I couldn't get any closer, but I got to see it stopped. It was HUGE, and the scale of it is hard to explain. It was very crowded, and I genuinely got a little claustaphobic at times in the crowd. After 15 minutes in Fostoria, Big Boy set out once again heading East towards Cleveland.
At 2:40pm, Big Boy would steam away heading to Cleveland, and I would walk back to my car to head to Taylor's grad party. Seeing the engine under her own power was super cool, especially after seeing Big Boy 4012 in Scranton, PA in 2010. Big Boy had some pretty good acceleration, quickly getting to speed. Throughout my time in Fostoria, I got to talk to so many people who were excited to see the engine. Most had never seen a real working steam engine, only ever seeing them parked in museums. I think Union Pacific bringing the Big Boy east is a thrilling way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.