We will see if scaletrains makes a 4-8-8-4. They haven’t done any steam locos yet…
YIKES!! $16,000!! I’ll wait for the price of brass to go down some more first.[:D]
A whole different generation of locomotive buyers. I was in second heaven when I could buy my first Athearn BB GP35. [(-D] Decoder? Sound?
And then I learned how to get rid of the metal strip, It didn’t get any better than that!
The yellowstones seem “closer to home” to me, used on the DM&IR. I’d have to build a lay out to fit an HO scale yellowstone. [(-D] I don’t think it would work on my 24" radius! [(-D]
To me the big boy and the yellowstone were just big steam locomotives. I really know nothing about’em, as with steam, in general.
Mike.
B-e-e-g steam (e.g. articulateds) always seems to turn heads…and rightfully so. Give me a long line of freight cars though double-headed by a couple of long-lived, heavy Mikes or Mountains to turn my crank. [:P]
Tom
I must agree that smaller steam has a lot more charm that a big boy, or even a yellowstone or Z8. I must say I was much more excited about the restoration of Skookum (a 2-4-4-2 logger) than the big boy. If I had a steam model railroad, I would run geared locos and a few small, older steamers like a mogul or a modern american, but nothing larger than a consolidation. Big steam just doesn’t excite me as much.
SPSOT, tell me a story, since your in your late teens, have you spent your young life immersed in a railroad university? or are you just one huge sponge and can soak up everything you read? Or both? [(-D]
You haven’t lived long enough to experience everything you seem to know about. Amazing. [:O]
We have another young man in here, your age, and when he landed in here a couple or 3 years ago, he came in with both guns a’blazin’ [(-D] He pretty much hangs in the diner now, as he’s busy with work, and such.
Mike.
Uhhh, well I guess I don’t have a life outside of school and train things…
In truth it’s because I read about trains a lot (last year I checked pretty much every train book at my local library) and also know some retired railroaders who tell me a lot of stuff.
It helps that I don’t work…
The first time I went to Steam Town, I arrived early, and wandered around looking at the outdoor displays. I was, of course, drawn to the Big Boy, which was impressive.
However, I was even more impressed by the T-1 on the other side of the parking lot, making me regret not having seen any of them run when they were in excursion service, not all that far from my home in southern Ontario.
I do intend to see the 4014 running, though, sometime later this summer.
Wayne
We’ll make an honorary Reading man out of you yet, Wayne!
[:D]
With any luck, there may be TWO of them running. R&N is slowly but surely working on getting 2102 back in shape. Since they actually set up a passenger station on the outskirts of Reading (mostly RDCs for now - but ex-Reading RDCs), I’m hoping in a few years they will run trains headed by 2102 from there.
–Randy
I’m taking the boy out of school on WED and we’re getting up early and driving west to see 4014 make it’s run from Evanston, Wy into Utah…
After seeing C&O Allegheny and N&W Y6Bs in action in the mid 50s as a child. I will agree with you for one reason…Those engines and PRR J1s scared the living daylights out of me!! [:O]
N&W 4-8-0 #444 became “my” engine after the crew allowed me in the cab and let me blow the whistle and took me for a short cab ride while switching Krogers bakery in Columbus,Oh. I cried when I went to watch “my” engine switch the bakery only to find it was replaced by a shiny new GP9 and the 444 was taken away never to be seen again.[:'(]
Heart broken at such a tender age.
Why only have 2 sets of drivers when you can have 3, The Triplex [(-D]
The 3 Erie ones could barely make 10mph, and the Virginian one was barely good for 5mph. Utter failures. Too slow even for the helper service hey were designed for.
–Randy
Fox Business just had a short live bit on 4014 and said they would be following it live, all day. It’s not going to be like George Bush’s train, but they did have a decent close up of the engine. If you don’t like Fox, turn the sound down.
I don’t see anything right now on Youtube that is live.
Well, I have to admit to not being a big fan of the Union Pacific and especially the Big Boy but I have to be amazed at the sight of the 4014 actually running in 2019! My admiration for the UP Steam Program and just what you can do with money and determination. Just a shame the Challenger isn’t with them and 4449 wasn’t there to represent the other part of the Golden Spike team. I’m glad the 844 is along to share the glory. The FEF’s are my one class of UP steam I love to see.
Thank you, UP, for making so many folks world wide happy!
oldline1
What do the numbers mean below 4041 and to the right of 4-8-8-4 ?
driver wheel diameter of 68", cylinder sizes ~24x32", adhesive weight of 540 tons (see Big Boy)
It’s definitely nice to see a big steam engine restored and operational.
But what kills it for me is there seems to always be a diesel “baby sitter” when you see steam run anymore. This just ruins it for me. It’s like they don’t trust steam or the lawyers or something.
How about a comparision with the C&O Allegheny?
One of the things much talked about among the railfans I talked to is/was UP should have used the sole remaining operational Centennial (6936) to escort the Big Boy and 844 to Utah. The Big Boy and Centennial running together would have been a sight to see.
To best understand such comparisons, start by reading this:
http://steam.wesbarris.com/misc/largest.php
Amoung “successful” large steam designs, the BIG BOY is one of the leaders, but by no means the “best” or most powerful in any way.
The N&W Y6b had considerablely more tractive effort, 170,000 vs the BigBoy’s 135,000.
The N&W Class A and the C&O H8 have 125,000 and 110,000 respectively.
Both the Class A and the H8 were more “nimble”, that is they could maintain higher speeds on sharper curves, and “loose” less TE to the curve than a Big Boy - that is