Ripley, N.Y. (WBEN) - On a normal summer Tuesday afternoon, only a smattering of people would be spotted along State Street - the main drag in the tiny Chautauqua County town of Ripley.
But not this particular afternoon.
Population in Ripley grew four-fold, as thousands of train and railroad buffs and history fans along with everyday curiosity seekers made their way to a set of train tracks to catch a glimpse of the massive, 1.2 million pound "Big Boy".
Big Boy is the last active steam-powered locomotive in the U.S. It was part of a fleet made between 1941 and 1944 by the former American Locomotive Co. of Schenectady.
Union Pacific Railroad is traversing the country with Big Boy as part of the America 250 celebration.
But the crowd at Ripley serves as a snapshot of America's love of trains.
"We see it with millions of people who have turned out," said Ed Dickens, Union Pacific senior manager of steam operations and one of the engineers piloting Big Boy. "You really see it in small towns."
Ripley was packed. Cars were parked on lawns, dirt patches and anywhere where people could get an up close and personal look at the gleaming, jet black Big Boy.
It had a collegiate tail gating feel and atmosphere.
"To be able to see it is awesome," said Tom Schmidt of Jamestown - a self-described model train collector.
Schmidt has a Lionel model train replica of Big Boy.
"Most people don't realize it but it is history," Schmidt said.
To Sherman resident Jason Stockmayer, a history buff, seeing Big Boy was a key moment for him.
"When you see something like, you begin to appreciate its history," Stockmayer said.
Big Boy's caravan including 18 passenger cars, another locomotive and a four water cars.
"That's not a big load for Big Boy," Dickens said.
Union Pacific has a team of 20 traveling with Big Boy to help with the operations. Union Pacific, in partnership with Norfolk Southern Rail Co., are coordinating and working on the logistics for each stop.
"It is a team of hundreds," Dicken said.
Big Boy was headed to Buffalo from Ripley and will be in Buffalo through Thursday morning.
Big Boy's cross-country trek ends on July 4 in Philadelphia.
The historic steam-powered locomotive was a big draw
The historic steam-powered locomotive was a big draw
