Does anybody know a website that tells a trains lifespan? Like the ‘Big Boy’ was from what year to what year? Could it be used on a modern line?
thanks, stephen[:)]
I don’t know of a website like that specifically, but there may be one out there. There may also be information like that at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page .
The Big Boys were built around 1945, and were completely replaced by diesels about 1960. You can still run one in modern times if your railroad is fictional.[:D]
Union Pacific is actually still running one of their Challengers (#3985), so that one can be run realisticly on a more realistic railroad.[:D]
I don’t know what happened to my original post; it appears to have taken vacation out in the Ort field somewhere.
What you need there, podna’, is Kalmbach’s Guide to North American Steam Locomotives; with a few exceptions (GN and MKT come readily to mind) this book lists built and retired dates for virtually all (20th Century) steam locomotives tabled by specified railroad and class. Now, if the exact nature of your inquiry is to ascertain the exact date of the demise of XYZ Railroad 2-4-6-8 #1234567890987654321 - looks a bit like a Japanese license plate, doesn’t it - the license plate might be bigger than the car - then you are going to have to go to the XYZ Railroads historic/technical society.
Let me tell you what I did - go ye therefore and do likewise!!!
I googled Onion Specific Big Boy, clicked on the first entry, and wallah, got just the info you were looking for. Moving right along I did likewise for Sufferin Pacific Cab-Forwards, and C&O H-8s. I ran into just a little bit of trouble trying to find retirement dates for Rock Island Class R-67b; but that’s why I have the guide referrenced in paragraph #1 above.
You might try this; w-w-w steamlocomotive.com/ and specify a unique item for search, for instance Mikados; believe me you are going to find out more information on Mikados than you ever really wanted to know. You do have to page down to a particular railroad and if that railroad owned any Mikados you are going to find out about it. The information may be buried within narrative but it will almost always be there someplace.
Hope this is some help.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/
you can make your layout using steam in the modern era if you want, just your line never switched over to diesels…
Steam locomotives are still built today, someone is making small engines for tourist lines.
Face it, the lokies are getting old.
If you need to find out about the age of a locomotive, just ask on this forum.