Just a little view of the steam shop area in Cheyenne as the worlds largest operating (sometimes) steam locomotive in the world prepares for an eastbound departure May 22, 2004
this sure brings back memories and I can't wait until 3985's restoration starts to bring her or him back to service by 2021 or 2022 to be alongside with 844 and 4014 and maybe get a triple-header as a celebration for its return. just like how union pacific has planned to have a doubleheader with 4014 and 844 sometime in May of 2019 and then a triple-header for 3985's return to service.
In most countries, the freight train is shunted onto the right line with smaller engines before the main engine comes up. THIS is the America, home of the largest, strongest, heaviest, and toughest steam locomotives, where every locomotive is EPICALLY BEASTLY AWESOME enough to move their ENTIRE 50 TON TRAIN onto another track-BACKWARDS-NO SHUNTERS.
have a story to tell about this girl and her sister 844 when she visted st louis in 2009. me and my uncle tagged teamed in chasing after both engines he never seen 844 and i have never seen the 3985 before. so my uncle went chasing after the 844 while i went after the Challenger best memory i have ever had!
This is totoally awesome! my dad loves trains and was watching it ove and over >> *over my sholder and soon after the first watch took the computer from me >>* i think this is the best! fav~
I'd love to see a Big Boy run again!! Heck, they kept a Challenger working fine all these years. Coal. Hm, well I guess the only logical way is shipping it in from out East to the UP. But in the end, all def worth it. Which Big Boy do you think is the best candidate for restoring back to working order?
I can vaguely remember steam locomotives from my childhood. My father was a railway employee working on the track. I recall one afternoon I went to visit him at his depot & a steam train had arrived & waiting for another train to come from the opposite direction ie crossing on the loop. I can clearly remember my father telling me to become a guard at the rear of the train. My father died & never got to see me become a railway employee...not as a guard but as a locomotive engineer up the front.
Why thank you :) I try not to go overboard, even with you, but man, some of your comments really did irk me. At times, made me like my work with these engines is meaningless. I can actually think of many other "machines" that deserve a scrappers torch well before steam locomotives. Cars are at the top of my list!! With all those junker cars out there, you could make millions selling that metal!! And the uses are nearly endless!!
@Trailltrader - She burned coal originally but was converted to oil firing in the early 1990s due to line-side grass fires ignited by flying coal sparks.
@SkipW They are being used as water tanks, but they were originally built as fuel tanks for the gas turbine electric locomotives used by UP from 1948 to the early 70s.
Excellent video ! I read that this was converted to burn oil ? How does this affect the train as far as performance VS coal? The 2 tenders behind the coal box are those full of water ? If so how is it transfered? Last but not least how reliable is this train? Thank you.
The 4005 was the oil test locomotive with a standard Thomas oil burner. The single burner caused spot heating on the crown sheet which caused it to leak putting water into the firebox.
Ya im in the same boat with you with NS cutting the steam program. A friend of mine and myself have desided to work towards being the President and CEO of NS and restore the steam excursion program
I watched as the last AT&SF steam engine was put to bed, at the Engine shops in Topeka, KS. 2 years later, not only was the engine gone, but so were all the other steam engines gone as well.
@CityFolk120 Skip is right water towers are just landmarks now. Because the water tower are not used these water tenders are placed behind #844 and #3985 on each trip. without the water tenders the locomotives will run out of steam.
4014 is in good shape. i saw it a couple of years ago and it looked great and seems to be in good operating condition, but the 4023 was the last big boy i know of to get an overhaul (1957) and then be put in the roundhouse with the 3985. it was owned by the UP and sat in the roundshouse until 1975 then it got donated to omaha. i really wanna see that locomotive i heard it looks amazing. but i think they should restore the 4023.
It is, but it backed on to the mainline at the west side of town. waiting for the green signal eastbound, (FYI the center of Cheyenne,WY is the rail yards)
I figured you were going to bring me down with your brilliant logic. Besides being a train nut, I am an avid history buff. Steam locomotives are just as big a part of American history as is the Declaration of Independence or the Statue of Liberty. But what if someone shredded the Declaration of Independence, claiming it was a useless document. Or disassembled the Statue of Liberty, claiming the metal is worth more in parts then as a whole statue.
And as we all know, the tourist railways/private railways are all funded by donations, grants, etc. Museums have virtually no costs maintaining trains on display, so that's kind of a freebie. To the best of my knowledge, the only North American railways that have "active" steam programs are the UP and the CP in Canada. Even if for some sad reason those programs ended, the trains wouldn't be scrapped. They would be preserved, either sent to a museum or private RR.
The 4012 in steamtown is a rumor. 4014 in Pomona, CA is actually in near running shape. 4023 in Omaha, Nebraska is also servicable. 4018 is in the worst shape in Texas. She is suffering a lack of funding just like the Battleship Texas. UP has also stated that it wouldn't make sense for them to put a Big Boy in service....if they only knew the money they'd make on that!
Well so far my investments are ok, so no complaints there. And that's great you support railroads overall!! And it was your decision to leave UP. But since 99.9% of steam programs are privately funded, well, I guess that's pretty much self explanatory. Maybe steam will never come back in North America as the lead locomotive type. I just enjoy seeing them in a museum as much as I do working with the railroad I am involved with that runs some steamers. All the way around, everybody wins.
Yup. I've seen the 4014. Cosmetically, its in great shape. The real question is what does she look like on the inside? I say if all the parts are there, clean her up and get her moving again!!! We'll worry about small technical details such as finding a turn-table big enough to turn them later on.
The ACE3000 project was America's last known attempt to reserruct its steam program. It failed for two reasons: the lead investor I believe died, so his funding was cancelled, and the design that engineers were commissioned to work on made this "newer" steam locomotive too big for most city terminals to handle. And honestly, it all had nothing to do with inefficiency and high costs!! It probably would have worked!! But my answer to the future of the railroads? Hydrogen!!
@ravinago But the steam engine burns twice, or more, as much diesel as on diesel engine. The steam engine is about 8 percent efficient and the diesel is about 22 percent.
some other reasons for not restoring a Big Boy is that there's no place to turn them around. Most turn tables are long gone andd the ones' that are left couldn't support the weight or the darn things are too long. The wye's at most servicing facilities and balloon tracks are only capable for smaller four and six wheels trucks.
Secondly, I want everyone here to search for the steam railroading institute of Owosso MI. For anyone who has their doubts where my work with steam locomotives is, well there you go!! I live near there and volunteer there as much as I can. I am one of the mechanics that works on PM No.1225, and every so often I step in as the fireman on that train when the main guy can't make it. Its all volunteer work. I don't get paid a dime to do it.
I'd also like to point out that you have contradicted yourself in one of your views. One day ago you wrote this in one of your comments: "You like them, okay! I do too. You said that in regards to steam. Then you said this more recently, "I don't like steam locomotives."
"Park them, part them, junk them, cut them, melt them. Sell the metal! Send the parts and assemblies to a blast furnace! Get rid of them!" This is what you say regarding steam locomotives. What if I said that about diesels? What if I commented this same phrase regarding diesels over and over and over again on this video. How would that make you feel? Even better, what if EVERY diesel locomotive in North America was scrapped? You would be pissed and dont deny it.
Expensive, yes it is. Mainly in custom parts costs due to the fact each part has to be specially machined these days. But its all worth it just to see some 10 year old's eyes light up when that big steam locomotive passes him :)
how does the parts on thoses locomotive stay in place with out falling apart l but why do they have a extra engine or is it to help it push it along ? but for the steam when it comes out is it really hot or would it really hurt somone but was just cerious
When Will The Next Steam Locomotive Go Through Illinois Or Near Chicago area ? Do You Know If Not Please tell me who would know or a website i could Find any information on anything?
Before I begin, I would like to point out a few things. First off, my knowledge of the ACE3000 project comes from books, magazines, periodicals, etc. >How much did you invest? How much did you loose? I was only a baby at the time this project was actually going on.
Now you have a powerful locomotive, using cheap fuel (coal), that's not killing the environment. I dont know about you, but if I were to invest with a railroad, a railroad that has locomotives like that would sure attract me!!
We all have our opinions on this matter. 99% of us are avid steam fans, who enjoy seeing these machines in action. Cockroach has very good points about the fact that they are old, ineffeciant, finical losers, etc. What really needs to stop though, is the heavy support of them being scrapped for good!! No, not steam locos. There are many other things that can be scraped and people wouldn't care. Junker cars, junker boats, junker airplanes. Those could be scrapped with much success!!
True, But if the train crashed or derailed, it would be an extremely dodgy situation to be in. Also Nuclear waste is notoriously difficult to dispose of.
If you say yes, then please explain to us the costs associated with maintaining these static steam locomotives. I worked at the B&O railroad museum for four years before I moved away from there. That was my job back in high school. So Ill be able to see if youre lying or not with your answer.
