Big Boy No. 4014, the Union Pacific steam engine, rumbled through the communities of Mount Vernon and Lisbon Friday, Sept. 6.
The last time a steam engine from Union Pacific passed through Mount Vernon was in 2019, when a similar sized train made the trek.
The steam engine traveled from Cedar Rapids towards its resting space in Rochelle, Ill., where it was docked for the weekend. Attendees could get up close to the train at its stop Sunday in Rochelle, Ill. The train also made a whistle stop at Grand Mound Friday.
The old Lincoln Highway bridge near Cornell College was a spot where more than 50 were gathered to watch the train as it passed.
One youth said he had made the trek from Wisconsin to come and see the train along this portion of the route, and had been looking forward to for a while.
Dennis Rodenberg was hoping the train was running on time this year. He and his children had tried to make it near the tracks during the last time the train passed through Mount Vernon and just missed it by five minutes.
Nicole and Arthur Christiansen got there at close to 9 a.m. to get the perfect spot to sit on the bridge, while Arthur enjoyed a morning snack of crackers to watch the train as well.
When another westbound freight train passed on the second rail line, an attendee was excited about the prospect of seeing two trains on the rail system in the same day.
Others visited about past times they had seen the train or other similar vehicles, and the importance of rail safety as some individuals could be seen near the tracks further to the west of the bridge.