Big Boy 4014 Rebuild Project To complete 2019

[Herr_Reitz]

So if you are into steam locomotives, you may find this of interest:

 

https://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/steam-update-5-31-2017.htm

 

 

Here's another smaller steam...

[pikohan]

I've been trying to keep up with this ever since they started the project, but UP's official site and Youtube channel have been really stingy as far as progress reports go. Can't wait to see it done, though; before UP announced the project, I was pretty sure I'd never see a working Big Boy in my lifetime.

[Zero_Kelvin]

The fun part about old technology: seeing it in action and being able to say that it actually still works.

 

This baby is gonna be amazing to see when she's completed. Best of luck to UP on this project.

[Shigure_DD]

I went and saw 4014 when they where moving her from LA.

[AVR_Project]

Speaking of 'OLD' technology..   How about this one from the 1950s ??

http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-days-of-atomic-locomotives-in-america-1564623650

[Umikami]

There is an older guy on YouTube who goes by the handle ToyMan television. He is always putting up railroad videos of RR events he and his wife attend out west. Has his own channel, and a lot of his stuff is very interesting, if you don't mind the sound of his voice. He is quite knowledgeable and entertaining and if you are into railroading, he has all types of fascinating shows on old locomotives, roundhouses, and other railroad topics.

 

Link to his site : http://toymantelevision.com/

[tcbaker777]

oncee she's done, she'll be taking the title of "Largest Operating Steam Locomotive"

[Hydrawlix]

oncee she's done, she'll be taking the title of "Largest Operating Steam Locomotive"

 

right now its 3985

[Battlecruiser_Siegfried]

I'm... less eager about this than I should be. I've never been a fan of articulated steam engines, especially when they grow that massive. The charm of steam locomotives begins to be lost when you balloon these goliaths to that scale. Of course, YMMV, but that's definitely how I see it.

 

Frankly, I want to see the world's only surviving GS-6 run again:

 

[Herr_Reitz]

Well I'm glad a few of you find it interesting. I can hardly wait for her to be finished. I am old enough to recall seeing - barely recall seeing - an operating steam engine in the very early 60's. Or i totally imagined it. :-) Plenty of those F-model diesels came through town - man, how I loved seeing them go ripping through town. 

 

Appreciated the links too - thanks much

 

 

[tcbaker777]

I'm... less eager about this than I should be. I've never been a fan of articulated steam engines, especially when they grow that massive. The charm of steam locomotives begins to be lost when you balloon these goliaths to that scale. Of course, YMMV, but that's definitely how I see it.

 

Frankly, I want to see the world's only surviving GS-6 run again:

 

 

that'd be nice, double header with 4449, which was, i guess you could say, a cousin to the GS-4, 4449 has a VERY similar design, and its a......GS-4 i believe is 4449s class?

[Battlecruiser_Siegfried]

 

that'd be nice, double header with 4449, which was, i guess you could say, a cousin to the GS-4, 4449 has a VERY similar design, and its a......GS-4 i believe is 4449s class?

 

Yes. The GS-6 was just a successor in the series - slight improvements, always painted black, and only a single light in the cone-shaped nose. Still, I like big time Southern Pacific steam, and this would be a good option.

[Herr_Reitz]

What I find intriguing is the designers, engineers, everyone who put their heart, soul and back into making all those locos so long ago. And maintaining them... I think that entire era, say 1900 through 1950's saw some of the best mechanical design work of nearly any age. 

[Battlecruiser_Siegfried]

What I find intriguing is the designers, engineers, everyone who put their heart, soul and back into making all those locos so long ago. And maintaining them... I think that entire era, say 1900 through 1950's saw some of the best mechanical design work of nearly any age. 

 

The only reason we stopped using steam was because it was mechanically demanding - they required too much maintenance. It wasn't until the 1990s that your average mainline road diesel equaled the tractive effort of the last major steam locomotives.

 

Every so often, there are still proposals floated to develop a 'new breed' of steam locomotives that could compete with diesels, but it never gets anywhere. It's a real shame.

[Hydrawlix]

17 hours ago, Battlecruiser_Renown said:

 

The only reason we stopped using steam was because it was mechanically demanding - they required too much maintenance. It wasn't until the 1990s that your average mainline road diesel equaled the tractive effort of the last major steam locomotives.

 

Every so often, there are still proposals floated to develop a 'new breed' of steam locomotives that could compete with diesels, but it never gets anywhere. It's a real shame.

diesels do there job fine but theyre sooooo boring to watch and look at 

[TenguBlade]

On 6/13/2017 at 6:18 PM, Hydrawlix said:

right now its 3985

3985 hasn't operated in over 7 years.  Union Pacific put her in storage in 2010, and reactivating her is on the back burner behind bringing 4014 back.  At this point, it comes down to which of the operational Northerns in the United States is heavier/longer/has bigger drivers/produces more drawbar horsepower depending on how you measure "largest."  UP 844 takes the crown on all but the last one, while SP 4449 takes the horsepower crown with 5500 maximum.

20 hours ago, Battlecruiser_Renown said:

The only reason we stopped using steam was because it was mechanically demanding - they required too much maintenance. It wasn't until the 1990s that your average mainline road diesel equaled the tractive effort of the last major steam locomotives.

 

Every so often, there are still proposals floated to develop a 'new breed' of steam locomotives that could compete with diesels, but it never gets anywhere. It's a real shame.

It's not only a matter of maintenance.  Steam engines do not have multiple unit capability, whereas you can slave a technically-infinite number of diesels to one engineer's controls by just installing a few extra circuit boards - not to mention that multiple-unit working has been standard for over 50 years in the United States.  That turns the diesels' lower individual horsepower output into a massive economic advantage, since you can use one model for almost any purpose: individually for switching, and in sets of 3-4 to haul road freights.  Less specialized logistics (i.e. parts and training) are required as a result, on top of the massive simplifications in maintenance that diesel engines of the pre-digital age brought over steamers.

 

Diesel locomotives have fewer critical failure points in their propulsion system, and the MU capability also mitigates this since there are other locomotives in the train that can at least drag it out of the way if not carry on to their destination.  A failure in the alternator or transmission will still cripple a diesel, but they can carry on with a burned-out traction motor, non-functional dynamic brakes (ill-advisable, but technically-possible), damaged pistons/blown turbos, and with modern computer controls, even malfunctioning cooling, fuel, or oil pumps (albeit at reduced capacity).  In addition, on most trains, multiple diesels are present, so if one goes down they can drag the train into a siding and out of the way until a replacement arrives or the problem is fixed - few freight runs besides yard transfers don't have more than one locomotive as power nowadays, and only shorter-distance Amtrak trains use single engines.  On the other hand, virtually point in the steam generation process is a point of critical failure for a steam locomotive, and the lack of MU ability means that a train with a crippled steam locomotive is  usually a stranded train - doubleheading was a rarity in those days for a reason.

 

Nowadays, with sophisticated control and safety-related electronic systems in place, diesels are becoming just as complex as steamers in their own ways.  Of course, a similarly-equipped steam locomotive is an even bigger headache to maintain than a digital-age diesel locomotive, but the fact remains that locomotive complexity skyrocketed again with the advent of digital electronics.

[Herr_Reitz]

Spoiler

 

 

I like both those engines ;-) 

But oh mah gawd listen to this one!

 

(fyi - you want YT video just past the link... I hope they bring back the old style tho')

[tcbaker777]

14 hours ago, Herr_Reitz said:

  Hide contents

 

 

I like both those engines ;-) 

But oh mah gawd listen to this one!

 

(fyi - you want YT video just past the link... I hope they bring back the old style tho')

you gotta hand it to UP, thy knew how to make some powerful steam engines