UP 3985 pulls 143 freight cars (READ DESCRIPTION) 

Pfft it ain't at max effort. It's cruising. 3985 has more to give. If it was truly running as hard as it could run you'd hear distinct chuff beats from it. You don't. They're muffled and muted...the engineer's got a fair bit of cutoff in play there.

For passenger trains, such as the tours pulled by the 4014, the diesel is long to provide electricity which runs all the services for the passengers.

@@Ferndalien UP does not need the diesel to provide HEP for the passenger consist. They have special HEP cars for that; 844 is famous for pulling one in her steam-only runs last couple of years. IIRC 844 has her own on board HEP generator anyway; it's the freight only 3985 and 4014 that didn't have one. The diesel is there to brute force the train off the main if the steamer has a problem. It's conveniently able to provide HEP but that's not why it's present. The diesel is also useful on down-grades; 844, 3985, 4014 all have full MU controls in their cabs and there isn't anyone actually in the diesel so the resistive brakes on the diesels are available and frequently used on descents.

What was 3985 doing when the top sheet was damaged?

Climbing the hill like that yes but on the flat line 3985 can go faster actually though because I’m pretty sure Steve had her throttle wide-open to attack the climb. Imagine if it was Sherman Hill instead then the challenge would’ve been a little more difficult but she would’ve made it either way

I love it! And you can barely hear it over the roar of the exhaust

Almost like a "Hey there! Just another day at the office..."

It did't need five diesels to haul this train into Cheyenne from the west but they were needed to keep this 7900 ton under control running down hill using their dynamic brakes and air brakes.

The cost to run: everything

4014 doesn't have the route availability

It’s not a bad idea but bigger chances will be all three would triple had a special excursion together on a Union Pacific tour when they’re reunited maybe kind of like how 611 and 1218 did with those other two locomotives on NS a long time ago. Besides Ed doesn’t want to push the big boy too hard like Steve did the challenger,

Not 844. Unless the train was a perishable train.

According to Union Pacific, the Big Boys were able to pull a 645 car train and sustain it.

Fortunately, this clip was taken from an entire DVD of this trip called "Heavy Freight & Union Pacific 3985" originally by WB productions but now part of the Pentrex catalog. It was summer of 1990! I can't recommend the DVD highly enough, there are so many other fantastic clips of 3985 roaring along with this freight, including shots at 70+ mph and all. Plus it's narrated by Howard Fogg. After seeing this clip a decade ago from the original poster, I had to get the DVD myself! So fortunately there is some more action to be watched! :)

@@bigtex144 Huh I wasnt aware 3985's tiny little drivers allowed her to go that fast. I thought she was built to run 55-65 max and optimized instead for tractive effort.

​3985 has 69 inch drivers. Counter balanced properly, they can allow for tremendous speed. Just look at Nickle​ Plate #765. Same size drivers, and she's good for 75+, and the fastest Berks could max at 80. Then there's N&W 611. Sure she's a streamlined 4-8-4, but she only has 70 inch drivers. Very small for an express loco, but N&W's J class was rated for 110 mph. Counter balancing is a beautiful thing@@TestECull

​@@TestECullI'm sorry. Geeked out a bit

@@justarandomf-4gphantom170 Counterbalancing keeps the vibration at bay but you're still slinging a lot of cast iron around when you run one up like that! Upper limit is how much force those crankpins can take before the rodding just shears them off and goes flying. Lubrication also plays in; spin things fast enough the grease just sorta flings out and you're running dry. Didn't know 611's drivers were on the smaller side. I coulda sworn they were at least 80", like 844's.

Same here, but seeing 4014 push that stalled freight train a few wks back was awesome

@@sirbarongaming2138844 did it long before 4014 even began restoration.

it already pushed a diesel up hill

@@user-pn3gg5ou5p while pulling it’s coaches up the grade.

@@sirbarongaming2138 while pulling it excursion as well

The train was originally supposed to be pulled by 4 or t5 diesel‘s and 3985 took it solo

The way it works between the performance of steam vs diesel is this: Steam engines pull poorly at slow speeds but pull really well at fast speeds Diesels pull really well at slow speeds but pull poorly at fast speeds

Same. Spent awhile looking for it

It got deleted by Pentrex

I didn’t know the clip was from Pentrex.

This was actually a Challenger type locomotive.

It’s a bit of a gamble to see if they would ever pull a train like that again but if it’s offered to Midwest America one day maybe it might happen who knows, but even if it does they’ll make sure to monitor 3985 properly and the centennial and won’t overdo it like Steve did

@@aaron-prime117 what would you mean 6936 would overdo it.

@@b.n.c.v5792 Excessive use and pulling too many long trains alone also not being properly maintained. When Steve ran the program he did good coordination but the way he handled things with 3985 was off to an OK start but then he made some bad choices behind union pacific back and made a deal with Wasatch and Wasatch did some shitty things to. And in the end Steve was fired when he got found out but it was too late to do anything for 3985 up till 2010, her system was completely wrecked and worn out because of how Steve ran her and maintained her. As for 6936 we don’t know much what he did with her or the E nines but they ran smoothly at least but Steve focus too much around the Challenger before Ed was put in charge. But one thing I do know is that Steve did run 6936 at a heavy pace whether it was out with 844 or 3985 from time to time before both locomotives ever went solo. But in terms of using those locomotives now by Midwest America they’ll make sure that when they run them whether on freight or excursions they’ll make sure The use of them won’t be excessive otherwise their systems Will face problems again. Right now 6936 needs new trucks and new springs so apparently in the last several times she was used as a replacement helper after the E nines were taken off probably long-distance use and fast running probably wore her trucks and springs out

No it’s not. Real time.

well, but it's exactly what is happening on the video

3985: hold my whistle

I think we just watched a video depicting the impossible

Then what were they doing in 1940?

Then what were they doing in the 1850s till the late 1950s?sun bathing?