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The railroads in Oklahoma were rocking recently, and a local, neighboring city felt the shaking of the tracks firsthand.

Thousands gathered along Cherokee Avenue and the railroad track in Nowata, Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 16th to see an iconic moment. The Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 steam-engine locomotive rolled into town. It was built in 1941 and served 20 years with the Union Pacific, helping the company haul freight over the tallest mountains in America.

Ben Jones – the Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Union Pacific – said the UP4014 is the world’s largest steam locomotive. He said they refurbished the train for the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Their celebration kicked off last May in Utah.

The train has been on a cross country tour ever since. During the UP4014's stop in Nowata, Jones presented a Union Pacific Partnership Coin to Mayor Dana Robinson. He said the coin was created in 2012 for the company's big anniversary celebration of the rail system's completion and President Abraham Lincoln's efforts to make that possible.

Operating in 7,300 communities, the history of the Union Pacific's trains and railroads is recognized in those communities. Jones said presenting this coin in Nowata recognized the Union Pacific’s partnership with the town yesterday, today and in the future.

Mayor Robinson said Nowata will cherish this forever. The coin (pictured below) will be placed in the Nowata History Museum located along S. Oak Street, which is just off of Cherokee Avenue by the railroad track in Nowata.

Nowata would love to hold more events like this, because it brings people in and shows the rich history and tradition that lives in the small town today. It also makes a tremendous impact on local businesses, shops and cafes in the community.

Mayor Robinson said the coin celebrates the beauty and passion of Nowata. She said putting the coin in the Nowata History Muesum is important because everyone needs to be able to enjoy and see the history that was presented to them.

The Union Pacific also provided a limited edition book called "Race to Promontory," which celebrated their 150th Anniversary. The UP only produced 150 of these books, and thanks to Nowata's efforts to welcome them with open arms, the UP gave them one of the copies. This book was raffled off the day of the event.

The Nowata Chamber of Commerce’s Vice President Ronda Harbour was praised by the mayor for her work in coordinating this historic event. Praise also has gone out to Kelly Collins who helped the Chamber be in touch with the Union Pacific and local media outlets about the special day.

The Big Boy 4014 is now traveling home to Cheyenne, Wyoming through Kansas after gracing Kansas City, Missouri. Meanwhile, Nowata lives on in northeast Oklahoma, looking to build off of the historic presence of the locomotive on the railway that runs through the heart of town.

(For the audio feature of this story, click here)

As we look back on Nowata's history with the railroad system, it shows that this mode of transportation has always been vital in the area.

In the summer of 1889, the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad Company extended its line from Coffeyville, Kansas through Nowata before ending up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Trains (freight and passenger) were vital to the area, but the last passenger train that passed through Nowata to Claremore was back in March 27th, 1960. The Nowata History Museum notes that approximately 180 people made that final trip from Nowata. Freight trains still run through Nowata today.

Although the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad Company got things started, Missouri Pacific held the longest time frame with the railway before being acquired by the Union Pacific. That leads us to today, where Nowata still works closely with Union Pacific.

With Saturday's event, Jones with Union Pacific reflected on the history the company has in small town America as well. He said the greatest thing they have is history in communities, and the older folks that remember days gone by. There is also the younger generation that is impacted as they roll through small towns. He said he hopes they see the train and dream of being a conductor for the Union Pacific one day.

There were 25 of these Big Boys that were built for the Union Pacific. They were 132-feet long and weighed approximately 1.2 million pounds. Only 8 of the 25 Big Boys survived a scrap heap, which includes the one that traveled to Nowata. The UP4014 was actually pulled out of Pomona, California in a static state and was drug all the way back to Cheyenne, Wyoming to be refurbished.

The remaining Big Boys are static and not retrofit like the UP4014. If you missed the train on Saturday, and should you ever want to see one of the remaining Big Boys, you can go to the National Transportation Museum in St. Louis, or to Frisco, Texas, Omaha, Nebraska, Denver, Colorado, Scranton, Pennsylvania and Cheyenne, Wyoming.