Interviews with the crowd, photo journal of a historic Day for Steuben County
By Janie L. Ferguson ~ Cameron Mills is my home!
A true American icon, The Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy 4014 thundered through our little hamlet of Cameron Mills, NY Thursday, June 11, 2026. There was a feeling of excited anticipation as hundreds looked on to capture this “once in a lifetime” event. From Hornell, Canisteo, Adrian, Cameron, Cameron Mills, Rathbone, and Addison all along the Canisteo River’s Norfolk Southern line. So many arranged their day to come out and see this “once in a lifetime” event. Area schools gave their children a half day of, others took the day off from work, some just made sure their work took them close to the tracks at just the right time to see him.
Our two local businesses ran specials, Frank Haftl the owner of Cameron Mills Market (Crawford’s Store) said,
“It is amazing to see it come through just the sheer size of it, 133 ft long. My store is 70 feet wide in comparison, and it really has brought in a lot of business. If only Big Boy could come by everyday!”
Frank then hurried off to take care of customers. His business is currently on the market for sale.
Then right next door The Dairy Barn had ice cream specials, Ray’s food truck came in to support the community, and sell “street food,” and they had t-shirts for sale with their logo on the front, and “Happy Birthday America” with a flag and a train with “BIG BOY 4014” written on the back. Kurt Phillipson said his sister had them made. There was also an order sheet for the shirts there if you didn’t find your size there then.
Ioanna Dickson, an employee, said “it will be fun to see it. I am here to work!”
Some of the hard working employees at Cameron Mills Market gathered for a picture by the Crawford Bros.1868 sign. There is a long line of history with this store!
From L to R is Kaitlin Dewert, Rande Ketrow, Brandie Caparulo, and in front Annette Miles. Annette said it was exciting to see the train come through our little hamlet.
As Wendy, Alyssa and I mingled around before Big Boy came through we stopped and bought shirts, and I ordered some children’s sizes, too, and then we went next door to eat. A couple of the girls were told by the railroad guys that came in that there was one bridge down the line that had to be widened in order to accommodate Big Boy.
I spoke with Dave Vanfleet who works for the Steuben County Public works department, and he said that one of his employees was taking the day off so he could bring his kids to see the train.
Herb Smith said, “I’m going to sit right on my back porch, and watch it come through,” with his pager and radio in hand. Herb is a volunteer firefighter in Cameron. He said his sister Kimberly was bringing some Jasper alternate education students in to see it, as well.
Jim Barbour rode his bike in from Naples, NY and was there for a meal. He said he traveled this way often just to enjoy the natural beauty all around here, and of course today to see the train. He said he grew up right by the railroad tracks in Niagara Falls, and on his bucket list was to be able to get to ride on a locomotive in his lawn chair. Can anyone make that happen for him? He wants a ride!
Joyce Tompkins said when she was a child she lived in Webster, NY right by the tracks. She can remember the happy railroad guys at the depot who were very kind to her there. So she, too, wanted to see it today.
I spoke with a driver who brought the mennonite John Zimmerman family in from Rushville, to see the train.
Caire from Hammondsport said she had a friend who works at Alstom, and they were talking about it, and she decided to come in with Mike & Brandy who came in from Maravia which is 2 1/2 hours away.
Chris and Brenda were there with their dog Kali, and Chris said he has always liked trains, and has a Lionel train that sits on a shelf at his home. He also said that his grandparents gave him, the first born child, a RR spike with a train on it from Colorado when he was just 4 or 5 years old. Brenda said her dad used to come in the store all the time. His name was Benny Benjamin “Big Ben”.
Stephen & Ann Dartt were there, too, who are related to the Dartts that owned the store in Cameron many years ago.
Our youngest daughter Anna Ferguson Jacobson actually got up in a tree in her yard to capture a view of Big Boy coming down the valley, as she looked across the Risley field here in Cameron Mills. I enjoy seeing all the colors of this beauty in her shot!
After the train roared through, many people were looking to see if they could find the coins that had been put on the tracks, to have a souvenir of Big Boy on this memorable occasion.
It was a very hot, humid day when we all came out to catch a glimpse of this historical 1941 giant that slept in silence, and was awakened, and brought back to life, the legendary steam locomotive Big Boy 4014. It was born in the early 1940’s during WWII. They wanted the biggest engine ever built to carry the war freight over the challenging massive Wasatch Mountains, in the western United States. The American Locomotive Company ALCO is where it was created. Legend says that a worker chalked “Big Boy” on its front, and the name stuck. Engineers back then said, “It was not like driving a locomotive, it was like wrestling a living creature.” In 1959 the final Big Boy was retired.
In 1964 Big Boy rolled into the museum in Pomona California where it would sit for the next half a century. Then came July 2013 it was agreed that Union Pacific would bring Big Boy back to life as the fully operational, largest, steam locomotive in the world.
Could it be done!?!?
Yes, it could, and proof of it came through our beautiful little hamlet of Cameron Mills for all who came out to see it. Some who described it under my Big Boy photos, on my Cameron Mills FB in the comments said “Summer Sutton “such an awesome experience,” Heidi Sutton tells her Aunt Helen Sutton Smith, who lives out of state, and grew up here, “there were people parked all along CR 119 next to the tracks. Every railroad crossing was jammed packed also. I think everyone in the county was out to see it today.” One last quote comes from Bob Bettinger who says, “I was there. What an amazingly, powerful, beautiful experience! Bob sums it all up just right!
Thank you Union Pacific & Norfolk Southern Railroads, and your many workers across the country who helped make this happen. It was really appreciated here. What a memorable, historical event you all brought our way.
More photos of Big Boy 4014 coming through Hornell NY below:
