Seen on the UPRR in July 1992: 3985 in Laramie, WY

[sgtredbluered]

I saw 3985 on this run at Reunion Station in Dallas August 1992 and chased to Mineola the next day. Thanks for posting.

[cooknsmurf]

when did the last big boy ever run

[speedskiff2]

those water tanks look like the old fuel cars from the turbine engines UP experimented with.

[TVRM610]

They are.

[lilgunzel761]

have you got a copy of the song i can have eg: mp3 because i cant seem to find it anywhere?

[UAL012]

These steamers are amazing. There was a story I caught where a freight train had a diesel locomotive that lost power and one of these steamers was on the same line, hooked up to the freight train, and helped them out while still pulling a full passenger load.

UNBELIEVEABLE power.

[Speedbeetle07]

if steamers have so much more power than diesels, why don't they use them?

[SteffanLlwyd]

Definitely higher HP and TE in large steam locomotives compared with single diesel units; construction costs are lower with steam too. But it's their higher maintainance costs and availability rtaes that killed steam off... sad to say. There was an argument that with the high price of oil and low price of coal, steam was becoming more economic. See the 'ACE' project for a discussion. I have to say that as a Brit, I find US steam to be the greatest.

[Speedbeetle07]

yeah US steam kicks ass. too bad only a handful of them still exist.

[SteffanLlwyd]

We were lucky in the UK because one scrap yard owner bought almost two hundred locomotives and kept them in a yard in South Wales, without cutting them up. They were nearly all were saved and put back into steam. But nothing as ace as a UP mallet...

[camprunamok]

Well, that's just it: ¢o$ts killed the steamers. Figure that 5-10% of your steamer fleet will be disabled at any given moment for boiler de-scaling or similar procedures not required on an ICE. Plus, the dead-weight of water needed for steam generation means that they are far more energy-consuming per HP of hauling (and many later steamers were oil burners so the coal advantage is somewhat moot).

[SteffanLlwyd]

Mmm.... yep. A huge amount of heat energy has to be put into a boiler full of water before it makes even a single a bubble of steam. ....This energy which never contributes anything to pulling the train has the funny name of 'sensible heat'... no kidding! I think only one shovel full of coal in every thirteen did a useful job of work (rather than waste heat straight up the chimney). But steam still rocks!

[cooknsmurf]

maitnance and the cost to run them and cos they could take up 2 seven hours to get redy

[sparks1504]

I'm amazed at what it took to actually service these engines. Boy oh Boy i dont envy those who had to do it.

[AODProds]

What song is that? Who's the artist?

[gothpapa]

Its from William Russo's Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra, Op. 50 (1968), recorded in the early 70's, Duetsch Grammaphone LP 2530 309. Corky Siegel on harmonica and electric piano with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Don't know if its been done since then.

[DEBOBS557]

@AODProds

The tune is "Green Onions" and was made into an R&R version by Booker T and the MG`s

[susajef]

Your right. the train is stopped just North of the Curtis street overpass on the North side of Laramie.

[BigUnitBeef]

What a machine! Now get the BIG BOY out!