The Rocky Mountain Division of the Train Collector's Association. RMDTCA members collect, run, buy, and sell classic and modern toy trains (rmdtoytrains.org). RMD also hosts the annual Rocky Mountain Train Shows (rmtts.com).
The town I grew up in was St. Albans Wv . We had a big boy locomotive 2700 that sat there for years then was moved . I always wondered what happened with it.
Time Stamp 8:22 Exhibit A this is why #3985 is in the shop and #844 was in the shop see those caps? they are style KH which means they are the wrong type of bolts for this engine and Steve replaced that firebox 10 years ago only to have it rust because he made the same mistake he made in 1999. Also look at Exhibit B on the next slide see those bolts? that is illegal they were tack welded onto a cap the correct thing to do is run the bolt all the way though with a full penetration weld and seal the ends with grout. Steve did not do that and I believe the guy who did this weld was Scott Nixon this is part of the reason why he is not with UP or Wasatch anymore this weld made the locomotive unsafe to operate.
9:58 Exhibit B and I'm sure you saw the stacked bolts thats a no no you place a ridged staybolt here and run it all the way though and cap it with a stud you do not weld near caps.
Congratulations Ed Dickens I am praying for you and your family this is Gary Andrews for Mansfield Ohio your brother in Christ Jesus God bless you at Dickens on 844 and 4014 beautiful locomotives you got a great gift at Dickens God bless you please text me back thank you brother God bless you and those that don't 844 and 4014 and I tell you that you're a blessing I wish you would come to Mansfield
Wonderful to see alI these Engineering projects come to life. But expensive, time consuming. Many more to be done yet. SS United States, Lockheed Connie's. Many. And talk is cheap.
If a book that chronicled the process of getting the Big Boy back on the rails were published, I would be standing in line with my wallet opened up to buy a copy!
I’m, 25, I’ve lived in Michigan all my life, been a fan of steam since childhood and never took a trip to Cheyenne and it’s one of my biggest regrets. Ed Dickens and his team are the best out there for steam heritage. 844 and 3985 were the best of the preserved steamers and now big boy 4014 has taken that place with 844 and the challenger and 5000 class are part of RRHMA. Having locomotives like these around and those from the past or what show the survival and early generation of railroads built them to the fullest and help to maintain and run them well
12:05 abatement crew is going in originally Wasatch was suppose to do it but they botched the job, Ed terminated them, and he had to bring in this abatement crew. Everything on #844 that was covered in asbestos went in the bags even the ceiling had to go in the bags thats why #3985 is in the shape it is no one removed the asbestos.
Hello Ed Dickens. I'm a few months north of 70 years and raised for the major part of my life in Ohio. A few years of that time was spent very near a two track Baltimore and Ohio right of way and very young when there were a couple steam locomotives around as well as propellor and reciprocal engine powered aircraft at the USAF base nearby. Most of my early memories however are of the F and G series diesel electric locomotives and the later and not as asthetically pleasing rectangular or better put boxy looking EMD diesel electrics. There was a lot to be said for the rounded, streamlined appearance of the nose of those F series engines. I retired in 2019 from a 35 year long career as a long haul trucker. Many was the time that I passed by or through Cheyenne WY going East or West. I regret never having the the time to stop and have a look/see at the U & P Cheyenne Yard. A tour of that steam shop would have been an absolute delight and fascination for this old guy. Millions of wide eyed questions would have come to mind. Now as I get nearer the end of the road of my life's journey I find myself looking back and thinking if only. Well that is the way of things sometimes and hindsight is as it has been said 20/20. Thank you very much sir for posting this video. It salves the unrequited itch of that mechanical engineer that my maternal grandfather saw in me and hmm, the fascination with mechanical objects that I've never outgrown. All the best to you the the U & P folks. Especially those at the "Steam Shop" 4014, 844, truly marvels of mechanical engineering. PS. I cannot begin to imagine the engineering and machining that went into this rebuild/overhaul. Well done gentlemen. Well done indeed.
Steam locomotives ran for over 100 years pulling a lot heavier trains than they pull today without any help from a diesel to stop. Show a little faith in your equipment and loose that diesel. It ruins the nostalgic atmosphere created by the steam locomotives.
Big Boy brake shoes cost a lot of money. By minimizing wear on the brake shoes that saves money for UP when they sent 4014 out on a tour. Is that a bad thing?
Yes, it does, but I read that dynamic braking is needed to run on the main line now and the diesel supplies that along with wifi and heat to the passenger cars. Big Boy was not engineered to do those things. Plus, on an excursion, I believe it was in the south, one of the cities didn't want to refill the water tank for a second time... So the Diesel helped get Big Boy to the next stop with available water. I guess we have to be practical.
@@darlenemassey6161 the diesel is there for Dynamic braking to cut down on brake shoe wear. It’s not a requirement, it’s something they choose to do. The diesel also provides PTC (positive train control) data to the in-cab displays on the 4014. And lastly it can keep the 4014 moving should the need arise. The diesel does NOT provide power or WiFi to the coaches. It doesn’t have the ability to do so. That power is provided by a dedicated “power car” you can see in the consist.
The trips has been postponed. No new date has been set yet. Trains magazine has announced this. I guess UP is in some trouble with traffic and other trouble going on So they are gonna wait till traffic gets better and other things get better and then announce new dates
While i love 4014, i realy realy REALY wish to i got to see 844, i only ever got to see 4014 and, while that was by far the best time of my life, here in southern cali, comdined with the fact that im not even 13 yet, i never actulay got to see 844, still excited though
I get a kick out of Ed having working PTC interface on a steam locomotive without a hitch when NS can't even work theirs on the diesels without constant issues. Ha!
Now I understand WHY the UP sub-contracted a second party to store and, (perhaps), restore 3985. Man! That's serious marketing money my friend and to get her off the balance books in Corporate had to be a large sigh of relief. Let's just hope and pray that the new owners can take care of her the way Ed Dickens, and the UP did...Time will tell, right?!?
@@PowerTrain611 really i know the 3985 had been in the UP steam shops storage and was in decent shape, i assumed the reason UP stored it was they were to cheap to keep 3985, 4014, and 844 going
@@derrickconnor1303 3985 is not in good shape. She needs a lot of major repair work, and if you need proof, look up some videos of her from 2009-2010. In some scenes, you will notice plenty of steam leaks. Leaks to some extent re perfectly normal and understandable, but to have as many as she did... the challenger put in a lot of miles. It only makes sense that she'll need a decent amount of TLC to be good as new again.
@@PowerTrain611 oh ok damn thats sad well i hope they get her fixed up right. I know bigboy 4014 had a ton of issues but they restored him well. Just wish they woud restore the remaining big boys and have a fleet or a big boy day with all of them running together, pipe dream i know but one can hope
45:11 Exhibit C this is why #3985 needs a rebuild see that bolt it is Style KH that is the wrong type of bolt for that locomotive. KH is used on coal burners that burn anthracite coal and those are replaced daily. UP locomotives and all ALCOs use Style KJ or Style KW which is threaded on one end has holes in both ends and is secured with a sleeve and a cap. Style KH is welded to the frame and it can become defective after years of use. That's why the industry does not use this style.
2:54 Exibit A and this is the same problem #3985 has see those jackets? solid asbestos thats why Turner, Cross, and Kranning are not with them they were exposed to that stuff. Wasatch was brought in to do the abatement they did not have a permit and when Ed saw it he said Stop Everything and he reported to UP management. Kranning, Cross, and Turner got terminated and Ed had to bring in new guys and had to hire an asbestos removal firm and everything had to go into the bags because it was contaminated.
I would love to see those same pictures of scale compared to when they tear down the 844 in the future. Would be interesting to see how the water treatment has worked.
Update 4/22/22, BigBoy excursion postponed due to "Supply Chain Congestion". You'd think fertilizer from Donaldsonville would be TOP PRIORITY! Who told UP to limit fertilizer shipments? I smell unAmerican malfeasance.
I came to see the 4014 last August when you stopped in Denton, Texas..it was very hot. I waited in that sun for over 3 hours. I recall y'all had a problem that made you late. It was well worth the wait. Thank you for your dedication to these beautiful trains!! I grew up in Ohio, a village the train came thru. I'm not far from where the train runs here. My mind is on its schedule. I can hear the whistle even in winter when doors are closed. I love to hear that beautiful sound!! Thank you for your hard work. Bless your efforts!!
