State Representative Chris Miller (il) | Representative Chris Miller (R) 101st District
State Representative Chris Miller (il) | Representative Chris Miller (R) 101st District
Union Pacific is sending its "Big Boy" engine — the world's largest operational steam locomotive — on a tour across 10 states, including Illinois. It will be making an overnight stop in Villa Grove. This event holds significance for the 101st District.
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, with the first delivered in 1941. Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941 and retired in December 1961 after traveling 1,031,205 miles during its service period. Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013 and relocated it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion.
In related news, there was a recent visit to Villa Grove CUSD 302 where students and staff engaged in discussions about various topics including the Preamble of the Constitution and The Tytler Cycle. The visit was facilitated by Sara Jones, Dr. Carol Munson, and Shane Phebus.
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