Norfolk & Western Y6B Doubleheader

[irasthewarrior]

Two modern diesels can easily do that job, but in a more boring way :)

[NscaleRR]

Steam Giants across America, I have this movie to.

[UnIonPacCheyenne]

That second locomotive is definitely a simple articulated Class A, not a compound Class Y

[FCP501]

no no no that locomotives are my favorites steam locomotives that Norfolk and Western had very good fleets and that Y6B locomotives had only 20kN less then the AC6000CW one of the most powerful engines in the history

[ikefemula]

the most powerful steam locomotive ........ 738.4 kN tractive effort!!

[WorldOfNothin]

wow I wonder how long that train is!!! Since they felt the need to have two massive engines like that lol

[Curious142]

The first engine looks like it's doing most of the work.

[Robkat3751]

@Curious142 The first engine is being fired differently and that is what you see, smoke. They are probably closely balanced in work load.

[1218corey]

that is the blue ridge grade east of roanoke,va. if only to have been there to feel the ground shake. a y series engine was to like an 8.0 on the rictor scale when working on the grade.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Pentrex I think

[etucker5007]

Cool video, not too often you see steam engines running in tandem. It looks like they are hauling coal, so this video must be fairly old right? like 1950's?

[yardlet6]

@etucker5007 They were hauling 150 hoppers full of coal. You didn't see the mallet pushing the train. This was standard on most N&W coal runs.

[kmothersil]

I might be a huge diesel fan, but I have a huge appetite for giant steam locomotives too. These two engines look good pulling this coal train. IDK if anyone heard, but NS is restarting their Steam Program.

[09JDCTrainMan]

Witch year did this happen?

[CSXboy1]

@HaloCE14 It would be too slow to run on a modern mainline. So, unfortuantly, there would be no point in restoring her to operational condition.

[TerminatorFRA]

@CSXboy1 Maybe she's is slower, but she can haul more. So the final result is the same.

Btw, modern diesel locomotives are so boring compared to this and their TE and HP is lower too. lol

There's only the DDA40X which can fight against them and there's only one which is still in operation.

I don't talk about the C&O H-8 which has an incredible HP and which can haul heavy freight trains at sustained speed.

[UnIonPacCheyenne]

@TerminatorFRA Are you really sure about that? Our newest ES44AC locomotives can produce 200,000 pounds continuous TE. Only 1 DD40 to "fight against them"? How about CSX's several hundred AC6000's with the new 6,250 HP GEVO engine? We have used them on power sharing, and they put a lot more power down to the rail than the old DD40's did.

[TerminatorFRA]

@UnIonPacCheyenne You got right, I never knew or heard about those diesels, possibly because they are almost new. ;)

But it's only since now that we are building diesel locomotives that can beat steam ones. If steam had continued some more years, I don't think it would have been the same. With this, the steam ones had a far better coefficient of adheasion because of their weight. 423000 lb of weight seems to be a bit little for 200000 lb of TE.

[shnimmuc]

The class "A" was known as the Mercedes of steam. Together with the

Y6b they were the among the greatest of steam.

[mesenteria]

I also have this video, and I study steam locomotives, The Y Class were about the best there was at what they do, but film footage seems to depict the fireman and hogger (engineer) willing to give a "show", and that is usually accompanied by lots of crowd pleasing smoke, The second engine is being run soberly. The crew could be fined for making too much smoke or otherwise running the engine inefficiently. There were road supervisors who watched!

[JollyRodders]

I notice that alot of US steam locos seem to belch out loads of black smoke. Is that normal or just bad driving..?

[lowtechtimes]

I think it's just the operation. Note the 2nd locomotive has a pretty clean stack in this video.

[zaku32888]

Bad fireman. B&Orr used to fine firemen for making too much smoke if they were caught.

[crwi1983]

Well, in a lot of videos of restoration-era steam the crew knows they're being watched and likes to put on a show. In day-to-day operation there was much less of it. But, as in this case, it happened. The N&W hated black smoke, but sometimes it can't be helped.

[drglinski]

I think it has to do with the amount of power they are producing at the moment. This video they are going up a grade; more HP required.

[shnimmuc]

At the end of the full footage, there is a class"A" 2-6-6-4 pushing. I have the full video. Magnificant.

[Butchuk2007]

shnimmuc...

Can you post it - Pleeeeeze :)

[nsmline335]

steam trains are cool :)

[KOOLDAVE1953]

Ultra cool...thanx for posting..

[TheDepotCat]

Those locomotives look like they're working very hard.

Much more dramatic than those boring diesels.

[ZytxZeeb]

well yeah, cause all the important parts are on the outside :)

[PetersTrainz101]

The VHS that watched was Steam Giants Across America, but I still have it.

[SteffanLlwyd]

This is why the word 'Magnificent' was invented.

[PierreProcter]

Fantastic! There's a 7.25" gauge Y6B in a shed a few hundred yards from where I'm sitting. It's a masterpiece and great fun to drive. Its builder is a talented engineer. Sadly I'm not him. LOL

[Detoyato]

What? Who? A 7.25 Gauge Y6B? Where is that? Does he have a website? OH SORRY MAN I just cant get over myself about steam locomotives

especially this one. IT is the BEST articulated locomotive as it could do well ove 150,000 lb-ft of tractive effort and still speed at 55 mph.

[PierreProcter]

No website I'm afraid, but I point you to my video response above :). This beauty is a one minute walk from my seat, lol - I'll see it in a few hours. I shall endeavour to capture some better footage next time she runs, which will probably be the weekend after next, at our Santa Specials event. Watch this space! :)

[fishin25530]

we need to get back to steam powered trains and switch to the cars that run on natural gas that would put an end to the dependency on foreign oils almost totally i know we have an abundant supply of both here in W.V and with alot of thinking its the only real solution thats available but no politician will do it or it seams someone besides me would have flippin said it by now so pass this idea around hopefully it catches on

[pennsyr1]

I'm a diesel and heavy electric fan myself, but steamers are very interesting to observe in action. All those moving parts and assorted emissions make for cool eye candy.

[mbgphoto79]

That's the coolest thing I've seen all day...

[WhyAyeMann]

Now thats How You move FREIGHT!!!!

[GECP4256]

@WhyAyeMann Yep!

[DarkTower97]

Those steamers. Just plain awesome!

[chappy39]

...and people wonder what's to see in a train being pulled by steam...h'mm. Well this one's a keeper. Thanks.

[ZytxZeeb]

that's easy: All the working & moving parts are on the OUTSIDE of a steam locomotive.....A diesel's just a loud box on wheels X:P

[SouthernRR4501]

Dido, diesels SUCK big time.

[ebt15]

Might the second loco be a Class A (2-6-6-4)? Looks like a deeper firebox than the Y6. That seemed to be a common combination based on some other clips I've seen.

Awesome display!

[ZytxZeeb]

It's very possible. I'll have to look at all the other old old footage I have of the N&W stuffs.

[trondsi]

Correct! The second loco is a class A 2-6-6-4. It does not have large front cylinders like the compound Y class. Both types were extremely powerful locomotives. Great clip! Thanks!

[451dart]

climbing blue ridge with some seriuos power!!!

[cektito87]

OH MY GOD!

[RichardSwayne]

WOW!