@@thedesertrailfan В СССР и В РФ выполняли план по металлолому и резали даже музейные экспонаты. Респект Америке, сохраняющей память! В РАБОЧЕМ СОСТОЯНИИ!
It actually enrages my simple mind trying to comprehend how someone even BEGAN to think about making this and putting it all together in such a way that this was the result. I feel the same way when I watch shows like How It's Made and see all of the miles of factory equipment, with all of the millions of moving parts. So cool, but so annoying.
What blows my mind is that I can't imagine the forces at play. Surely the main rod weighs at least a ton, and how fast it's going up and down from the wheel rotation?
Perfect example of how a stupendously simple video without cuts and music can be exactly what you want to see. What a beauty. Thanks for this wonderful video which does nothing else but take us on a ride next to a stunning piece of engineering, giving us perfect views. Very well done!
@@malcolmabram2957 I grew up in the late 40's in NE Portland, OR. The main train line ran right through a canyon which was practically in my back yard. Also, the main road crossed a bridge nearby, so I spent a lot of my youth watching these behemoth trains passing by. Times were hard and my mother often sent me with a bucket to climb down into the canyon the trains passed through to pick up coal alongside the tracks which had fallen off these trains. Every house in the area had a five ton coal bin in their front yard, but seems ours was always empty, so anything I found along the tracks was always appreciated and sustained us through the long winters.
It used to live 5 minutes away from me at the Pomona Fairplex. I was able to watch them move it out to begin the restoration process. It makes me happy to see this beast on the rails once again
@@michaelmayler6642 Steam! And the boiler is now oil fired! 4014 here used to be coal fired when it was built back in November 1941 but it was converted to burn oil when it was rebuilt
Just think about how their very essence lives on through these machines. It's like having the creators return from the grave every time this thing is fired up.
Speaking as a retired Master Welder appreciative of good engineering, they probably would have to surgically remove that grin from my face because I would not stop beaming for weeks on end when seeing it take to the tracks.
Just think, that old beast has technically been being restored since the days it was first launched. By that, I mean the constant Maintenace and part replacements over years and years! Cool to think about!
@@StrangeScaryNewEnglandIt only ran in service for almost 15 years. Not a continued restoration. Just continued maintenance, like an old car. Two different things!
Hello. I write from France. We have had, here in Europe, magnificent, fine, sleek steam locomotives, but this one is high above all words. Most impressive of all time. Thank you for having known how to preserve some of them and to make them work for our immense pleasure. What a beautiful machine! Some may find me ridiculous, but I'm really in love with these 540 tons of steel and other metals
You guys built some slick looking trains no doubt but your railroads are geared mostly for passenger services so it makes sence that they are stylized to be more pleasing to look at where the USA railroads are setup for long and heavy freight, trains are men and rough looking with power upon power to move the loads across the continent.
@@TealJosh industry in the US was and still is insane compared to europe even in the 20s By the 40s we could build more planes in a month than the luftwaffe had in their entire arsenal. Shipping materials and men across a continent many times the size of that whole theatre of war. Pumping out ships by the dozens. A B17 every few hours. Tanks. And STILL produce cars for the domestic market. Insanity All that rode on the backs of our massive freight and rail network over 100,000 miles of track in the 40s. It never compared. This is just the biggest one left. We had bigger engines and at one time 50 of these roamed the earth. To think germany ever had a snowballs chance in hell is hilarious. They were on horses and we use gas vehicles and shipped all the fuel for them a whole ocean away. Industry. Our industry has been unrivaled until China. The USSR never had a chance either. Politics and technology aside we could simply outproduce and outship every nation on this earth until China took over.
I'm not a train enthusiast but this isn't just some train engine, it's a masterpiece of engineering , a testament to an era and the people who lived in ot!
@@Maniacguy2777Yep. It's pretty neat what we can do when we actually have to THINK about solving a problem! Rather than letting a computer do the thinking for us.
Looks like she's running really efficiently, not much smoke or steam waste. Very light haze. Hats off to the maintenance crew and operators as well as UP for keeping this old girl alive. Would love to see her and 844 at the same time
@madyhighend So sailors on the John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight D. Eisenhower are all forced to call their ships “he”? People have termed equipment “she and her” for years. If truth be told, Big Boy is simply a nickname penned by a builder. The 4000s were originally termed the “Wasatch Class”. So what then?
As a Brit knowing the steam era in the UK with the Mallard, Flying Scotsman and all the rest, this Big Boy beast is a testament to those days of steam and the ingenuity of the many people who manufactured, maintained and drove these magnificent machines, long live steam
Utmost respect for the crews that manned these locomotives. I am still absorbing the fact that the locomotives were so different. The bigger curved radius of the track ment that could be that long . As a Brit who’s uncle was a locomotive driver (through steam to diesel to electric,) . To comprehend that these machines traveled across the continent of America. Thousands of miles . In Britain it was hundreds . The making of America and its expansion to the most powerful nation on earth lies with the movement of industry on the back of these behemoths. Carrying thousands of tons , thousands of miles .
@@georgeallen7101 The Big Boy type locomotive were the backbone of continental US heavy haulage during the WWII war effort. Speaking as an ex-Brit. , these engines are historically significant not only for America. Respect for Union Pacific for restoring them.
@@trespireQuite true. Diesel/electric drive tech was relatively new for the U.S., and that motive form went straight into submarines; steam rolling stock was still plentiful and became the main transport method.
@@georgeallen7101 And now, the crazy thing is we can say that truck drivers are the modern equivalent. Steam locos built America and truckers keep it running.
As kids that are into train you just love the horns/ whistles and shape. As an adult you couldn’t have thought in your dreams how much work went into building and mechanics of such a monster of the Railway. Absolutely stunning.❤
Extremely impressive display of massive power restored and running perfectly. Thank you, Union Pacific, for loving and preserving that piece of history!!
@@jonathanjr9505 I stupendous agree with you sir. So that next gen kids know the power of this classic masterpiece beast that will keep pulling and never die later years.
That whistle is the sound of a by gone era, can you imagine living during that era of the steam engine. This is by far one of the most beautiful piece of American history I've ever seen.
Watching these Big Boys is a sight to behold especially when it starts to gain speed. The whistle blows a very mournful deep sound which is very loud indeed. It’s great seeing them on our rails once again because the Big Boys were the pride of America.
Watching how fast the driving rods move at speed and realizing just how massive they actually are, gives you a sense of just how large and powerful this locomotive is
Truly remarkable engineering, and yet just medium speed for steam locos. Case in point, the Milwaukee Road had a section in Wisconsin where to meet the schedule the train had to average 100 mph for the run. Their 4-4-2 Atlantics were built to cruise at 100 and run up to 120 mph, and did so from 1935 t0 1951.
@@piccalillipit9211 I’ve stood next to the C & O 1601 at the Henry Ford Museum, and that thing is a little bit intimidating by how absolutely massive it is. I wish they had one of those running, because that would be an awesome sight
What an honor and how it must feel for the engineers on this amazing piece of equipment to not only drive this huge hulk of a beast; but to see all the fans coming out to honor it's continuing journey on the rails.
I used to think these machines were crude, then I began to research them. They are complex affairs with amazing engineering in their design. The creativity and engineering prowess of man never ceases to amaze me, even from over one hundred years ago.
Well, they are somewhat crude by todays standards. As well as very inefficient! While there are a lot of moving parts, there's not really much to it. Just some basic principles and parts. But there's a lot of thought that went in to the design.
NASA has future plans of transporting this beautiful steam engine to the Moon, where is will be then employed as a future inter-base transporter...but first, a considerably bigger space shuttle will have to be designed, tested and constructed.
The best of steam, I imagine that both sections must be in connection between each other other wise if one set slipped it would cause a horrific harmonic imbalance
What a magnificent beast….poetry in motion. My grandfather was an engineer for the B&O. When I was young, I got to ride in a couple steam engines, helped the fireman throw coal and run the throttle. When I was early teens I rode in a diesel/electric with him. He was a great man. He retired in ‘72 and I have the gold spike they gave him.I also have all of his time books, a glass water guage, many lateens and lock etc that will be passed down to my grandkids.
Beautiful 4-8-8-4 loved the whistle reminds me of my grandma’s home back 65 years ago. Miss them far off whistles could hear them for miles echoing through the hills coming into Elmira from the coal fields of PA.
@greg j. gotham - If you want to hear the BEST version of this whistle, check out RU-vid - "UP Big Boy 4014 leaving Gurdon" Sounds like an ocean liner coming through the woods!
These beautiful machines moved the world forward with such presence and character. It’s really special to see this. My hats off to the amazing camera crew who matched pace flawlessly too. Bravo!
Always brings a smile to my face to see all that metal get up to speed. I know it's a short train because they make stops because it is certainly an attraction, but I would love to see it haul a legit freight load.
I saw this loco up close and personal in 2019. The manufacturers plate was clearly visible. American Locomotive Co Schenectady NY 1941. WW II. That's what gets me, a rolling operating piece of history. Thank you UP for keeping history alive.
My mother was born 1941 She is still with us Great loco Moms great life She worked hard on the farm She still thinks she can climb a ladder without fear 😮
@@BigMeechEJ25 Well, they used their brains, drawing boards, and metals. They were no different intelligence wise than we are 200 years later. ANcient people were also just as smart as modern people. Actually, our brains have not changed in tens of thousands of years, or longer.
Such a magnificent machine. And, hard to believe it was designed over 80 years ago. Absolutely nothing else can compare. You must stand next to it to realize just how enormous and powerful it really is.
What a mighty beast! Everything in the US is bigger and more badass! Also here in the UK all our railways are fence off to stop people wandering onto the tracks. In the US it seems if you are silly enough to wander on to the tracks then it's your own fault!
Steam engines make 100% of their maximum torque at 0 rpm. So the drivers being able to keep the wheels from just spinning in place upon acceleration, especially with thousands upon thousands of tons of load behind the train, is a feat upon itself. You know those drivers are absolutely at the top of their game when not a single wheel slip occurred during accel.
That is only true for 4 positions of the driving wheel. The power output is actually sinusoidal as a measurement of crank pin angle to the axle, with max torque being at 12 and 6 position on opposite sides. It tapers off as the crank pin gets closer to the axle centerline.
In actual service, I’m sure the big boys regularly had wheelslip. This is a very light load so an easy throttle up is more than sufficient. Put a 1/2 mile long coal train behind her and it would be a different story.
EPIC Audio when accelerating at the beginning! The entire video is stunning! The videographer did an awesome job of holding the camera steady and keeping the Big Boy perfectly framed!
@@FanRailer What is what looks like water dumping out just behind the first set of drive wheels as it's accelerating up to speed?? Great video!! Love that old steam locomotive sound and the gargantuan size of this big beauty is AWESOME!!! Would love to see it in person but they never seem to send it out west.
it’s an honor for someone to be in a cab blowing a horn.. it’s another story blowing the the horn of a steam train.. it’s a whole different universe getting the opportunity to blow the horn of a THE legendary big boy. I can not imagine the feeling and pride
Seeing 4014 running brings me nostalgia for a time in history I missed, even though the golden age of not only American but global railroading died when the last American Big Boy made its last run that legacy lives on through these machines that are maintained and run by mechanics teams who’s skill boarders on art.
railways only really died off in america, much of the rest of the world has made great strides and the US is starting to wake up to that and hopefully without our lifetimes will be able to make the big boy of electric traction.
What an incredable machine. The rhythm and smoothness of it! Absolutely awesome. Getting closer to the end, at speed, she was ROCKIN"! And, may I say, your videography was outstanding!
Uhhh more like restored recently after some hefty flue referbs and replacements of the wore out parts it had since it was decomissioned a long time ago.
That is without a doubt the best train photography I've ever seen. The sound and sight of those big wheels at 60 plus was mesmerizing. Thanks for your professionism.
I've seen dozens and dozens of BigBoy videos and still can't get enough. To see this train running again is still unbelievable. Those sounds, visuals, are stunning!
I’m a software and security infrastructure engineer in tech and what I do is PEANUTS compared to this monstrous masterpiece of machinery. I grew up with train wallpaper and train sets and this video gave me chills . Thank you!
Hatsoff to you bruv❤❤❤ for taking d pains to drive along with a legend so that train enthusiasts like me from halfway around the world could see this BEAST of a train an engineering marvel in action.. I have seen many 4-8-4 here in 🇮🇳 India but this one 4-8-8-4 config is a real BIG BOY.. its fascinating that all those sets of wheels in the config can pivot independently.. amazing... Love the whistle note Love from India Bruv ❤❤❤
There’s something about trains… Especially those older ones Must be somewhat thrilling to operate them It’s a marvel to behold Never gets old!!! Thank you 🙏
This machine cannot be compared with the locomotives nowadays. Big Boy is a great piece of art which is extremely rare. May god give this machine an eternal life
@@charlescourtwright2229 Can you imagine if 4014 was still running on coal? The smoke that she would’ve been putting out? It would have been awesome! Once you get the smell of coal smoke you will never forget it!
My father was a fireman for the Duluth, Messabi and Iron Range Railroad. He said steam locomotives became living beings when their fireboxs were white hot. He told me it was an honor to feel their power.
There’s a part of me that understands and appreciates the improved efficiency, cost reduction, and overall improvement of most modern technology. Progress is necessary and good after all; if we never improved past a certain point, we’d be a stagnant race. But there’s also a part of me that genuinely misses the days when marvels like this were the norm. There is a beauty in the old things of the world that will never be forgotten or replicated by modernity. And I am sure the generations centuries from now will say the same about my era, provided we continue to move forward and up.
I think the reason why we feel this way is the old stuff was pretty much all hand made. Pretty much everything on the engine was built by hand, unlike today where a lot of it is made by machines then assembled. So you just know that thing was crafted with a lot more love and care then a modern engine. Also, retro stuff is always cool. It’s a view into the past. To people in the past this was just as normal as a modern Diesel engine, so it loses the magic. Just like how a modern Honda civic is nothing special, but bring out one of the older generations and people love it.
No adds, no B.S. Well Done! What an utterly awesome and incredible machine! Beauty and Brute Force combined! The horsepower and tractive force this Monster produces are second to None.
Growing up in Altoona Pennsylvania, actually 5 blocks from the PRR (back in the day). I see Norfolk Southern locomotives day in and day out. The heavy repair shop for the entire east coast. We have a lot of railroad history here from the beginning of the age of these gorgeous behemoths to now. I adore the sheer size, sound and power of this bygone era. Thank you so much for a glimpse of the past.
Thank you for this amazing video of a marvel of engineering. As the comments have said, just a pure visual/audio experience with nothing added. By far the best video I have seen of a Big Boy in action. Great job 👍
Thx a lot for sharing the pacing of the Big Boy. I find the most intriguing aspect of this loco is how quiet it is while rolling. No clip clops just a murmur of mechanical noise. My hat is off to the extremely talented folks at Cheyenne for an incredible rebuild. That loco looks like it just rolled into service for the first time in its life not decades of service later. If memory serves me this loco is it; there isn't any other that has as much or more tractive power than Big Boy on the planet. You can tell that Big Boy has a lot more pulling capacity than is being used here. Only haze coming out of the stack and the steam valve gear is barely off center. Again what a great job of videography. Thx for sharing.
There are quite a few steam locomotives that have higher starting tractive effort or horsepower at speed than Big Boy (135,000 lb TE, 6,200 HP), but none that really combine both as well as I'd argue Big Boy does. The closest competitors (locomotives with similar driver diameters) would be the N&W Class A (2-6-6-4) and the C&O H-8 Allegheny (2-6-6-6). The N&W locomotive has about 10,000 lb less starting TE and 1,000 less drawbar HP, while the C&O locomotive had about 15,000 lb less TE but over 1,000 more HP. This means that the C&O engine might not have been able to start as heavy of a train, but it would run what it could start faster than Big Boy would with the same train. The DMIR Yellowstones (2-8-8-4) had 5,000 lb more starting TE than Big Boy, but had a much lower top speed (45 mph vs 80 mph) owing to their smaller diameter drivers.
Fan Railer all impressive locomotives, N&W 1218 is a very impressive locomotive as well that will hopefully be in running condition again someday. It’s hooter whistle I think is the best steam whistle.
I love everything about this locomotive. The size, the articulating section at the front, the history, and (of course) the whistle! Thank you for posting such awesome shots!
Superb! Some of the best pacing footage I've ever seen of any locomotive, and certainly the best for 4014. I saw it just north of North Little Rock earlier the same day.
Wow I'm not usually a fan of trains but this popped up on my feed and I'm so glad!! It was mesmerising! Perfect capture and the sound of it is immense too 👍🏻
I recall fondly, when I was a child, spending a week in the small hamlet of Ramsey, Ontario. My grandfather was station master. The life of the community revolved around the Eddy Wood Company. Great memories of the CP and CN steam locomotives roaring through the hamlet. Nice to see some of those great locomotives still running.
The shear size of this beast is in crediable. Feeling the power of idle in the ground. I'm so glad union Pacific are restoring these beautiful machines. Big boy and challenger in Wyoming was a site to see.
Wow!!!! The Big Boy is so majestic and sounds like mechanical heaven!! Love the chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka. It's a beat you can dance to. Also, the driving and tie rod and all the other rotating stuff is heaven for the eyes. This is not something you can see everyday.
incredibly beautiful machine. what an achievement of old generations to be able to build these machines like this, perfectly balanced, powerful and elegant
One engine I wished they saved from scrap was the New York Central S1b "Niagara". It was so well balanced and had such good bearings on it that as a promotion stunt not long after it was built they stopped it on the line, tied a few thick ropes to the front, and gave those ropes to some skinny supermodels to pull this behemoth of an engine and they did, flawlessly
I had the pleasure of seeing this thing in person. It was like a giant iron god going by, a titan of a bygone age. You heard it before you saw it, and you felt it before you heard it. The term “Rolling Thunder” would be more than applicable. Sorry for going all poetic, but these locomotives are truly marvels of engineering, and I’m glad this one has been preserved.
Seeing these majestic engines being used is a testament to the Union Pacific for restoring and using them on revenue generating routes. These Steam Engines were put together like Swiss watches and run accordingly so. There is truly no wasted movement by any of the parts. Kudos to you for helping keep the history of steam engines alive. Perhaps some day I will get a chance to ride a passenger train pulled by one of these Majestic Egines.
A truly remarkable feat of engineering. Can’t help but feel a great sense of pride when I see the magnificent result of such ambition, talent and work. Sums up the “reach for the sky” vision of a young America.
This is an excellent video. Smooth motion footage. Clear audio of the train. Good edits. Can actually clearly see and hear the train at different speeds. Well done.
