Added: 2 years ago
From: SkipW
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  • The smoke just covered that farm building o.o

  • i heard that her boiler tried to go boom which was why she hasn't been running for a while

  • nothing like a steam whistle sound. so good

  • B-E-A-UTIFUL.... this is how the west was won

  • What a magnificent beast!

  • Great pacing video. Thanks.

  • Alleghny or Big boy?!?!??!

  • That sucker is awesome! I'm glad one is still running! I can only imagine what it would be like to operate one of these behemoths! The closest I've gotten is to sit in the cabin of a Big BOy, which was awesome, but of course it wasn't running.

  • lol at some of the comments talking about the smoke being photogenic. TO MAKE STEAM YOU NEED TO BOIL LIQUID, TO BOIL LIQUID YOU NEED TO BURN COAL. Steam engines are pollutants.

  • @n3rdbear It burns oil - not coal.

  • @TennRJF it burns cats

  • It still kinda annoys me that the only reason they stopped really using steam locos is because they're not as fast as electric and diesel and not as quick to get going. (It takes a few hours to start a steam locomotive). They completely ignore the fact they're more eco-freindly and much better to look at. If instead of taking a British Class 377 to work every day it as replaced with a BR Black 5 with Mk 1's I would be happier to see it pull in late.

  • Nothing like clean, country air.

  • You know, steam locomotives actually run really clean exhaust. The engineer just makes it black for photogenics.

  • it's like a factory on wheels ( speed factory ! )

  • steam engine are about as bad as a couple of bonfires, and there arent nearly as many as there are cars on the road

  • The Big Boy?

  • cars or busses produce as much......this is more steam

  • While it's very photogenic, even in steam's heyday railroad execs would not be happy to see that much smoke. Several of O. Winston Link's photos were rejected by N&W because a well fired engine did not produce that much smoke.

  • Nice machine

  • I got to see its big brotherAKA BIg Boy 4018 because I live in Dallas it's in really bad condition I heard it would take 1 million dollars just to remove the asbestos from it I wish it would be restored like the challenger it would be a dream to see these giants move once again.

  • i have the weirdest bonner right now

  • What's the speed? It looks fast.

  • @GLL1912 The top speed of No.3985 is about 70 miles an hour. Her cruising speed is between 45 or 60 miles per hour.

  • Now that's a Train, raw power from steam, not from one of the those pussy ass diesel trains you see everyday. I choose steam trains over diesel trains any day. The EPA can kiss my ass.

  • what a peice of beauty

  • An environut once said he wanted to force people out of their cars and onto trains. bet if he looked at this he'd have a heart attack.

  • I LOVE THIS THING! After the EPA past the new clean air standards that will cost all of us millions in increased power bill I hope they run this thing wide ass open all day on Earth Day. People will look at this one day and say, " that was when the USA was a great nation and giants walked the earth." Beautiful, just beautiful.

  • Congratulations on high quality!

  • The Up In Smoke Tour

  • don't stand on its way!

  • Wow. ....... great footage .... spoiled by the drivers hand freezing on the whistle!!

  • Beautiful machine!

  • Now that is a thing of engineering beauty 

  • Love it!

    

  • I have this baby for n Scale

  • so a 4-12-4 challenger....... not bad

  • @jnthnrl798 technically its a 4-6-6-4 challenger, the UP had a 4-12-2 locomotive that they used on long freights but they were retired in the early 50's I think. (reason for 4-6-6-4 is because 3985 is an articulation type locomotive with two sets of 6 driving wheels, so while your statement is true, it is not accurate for an articulation type locomotive.) Not meaning to be mean, I just in a corrective mood today

  • @modeltrainman12345 well my suck computer makes it impossible to give an accurate wheel count but the reason i mentioned the bigboy is because i started alot of roomers some time ago that a bigboy is being ressurected for commercial reasons

  • @jnthnrl798 I have heard them too (even got a pm about it), but it will take 30 or so years and right the place that has the bigboy (4018 I think) is only doing a cosmetic restoration until a complete one can be planned

  • fukn sexxy

  • beatiful machine is magic

    

  • magic clip mate true power at its best, hope Al Gore and the enviromentallist don't go to youtube british steam, lickey incline, after watching that clip their hair will turn white and fall out

  • Great video!

  • air pollution you must hate are earth we need clean air

  • I remember these Alco Steamers were a power house, and Baldwin had a 4-10-10-2, both of them can handle 120 loaded railcars up grades. I enjoyed working with these old steamers during my younger years with Santa Fe Railway. Awesome memories.

  • god those things are fast!!!

  • what do they do to make more or less smoke? must be gas powered?

  • @sbeer6er They "sand the flues". They hold a shovel of sand, near the open firebox door. The draft pulls the sand in, and it scours the fire tubes as the flames go through, and out the stack.

  • that's what i call "dual core"

    

  • The thing with black smoke like that it's made up of heavy particles and once it cools off it will sink to the ground and stay there.

  • Ok I'm a little depressed she's not burning coal, but it's still beautiful seeing all that black smoke.

  • That's just sexy.

    

  • a wonderfull steam engine, nice weekend and greez from Germany

  • that's power!!!!!!

  • Take that EPA!

  • crazy bad ass train i wish i was there for the ride just amazing!!!!!!!!!!

  • The liberal nanny state tree hugger whacko`s would have a stroke if they saw this thing...more sir,may I have more?...heh heh

  • Skip, you make great railroad film. Thanks.

  • I'll bet the EPA wasnt happy to see this rolling coal the way it was!!!!

  • Al Gore's Worst Nightmare!! What a beautiful piece of engineering!

  • @socialistcontainment

    Lol, Trains are the MOST fuel efficient mode of transportation in the world. Furthermore the black smoke is mostly particulate matter of carbon, not much harm is done with it anyway.

    Its the Green House gases per capita that is his problem.

  • @socialistcontainment After watching a great video like this, I'll pay carbon credits to see it again.

  • @Jagg2305 After you see the carbon tax Julia Gillard the Australian PM lied about saying that'll never happen under her leadership, I doubt you'd want to pay for carbon credits set to roll out in june 2012, I'll be paying $770 extra a year just for carbon on household electricity excluding the cost inplemented in Petrol So as a single on say $25,000 a year thats a lot of cash for a tax that was said will never be introduced in her pre election promise by a back stabbing bitch of a Prime minister

  • @socialistcontainment Watch out now! It's Al Gore at the throttle of the Truck Tire Fire special!!

  • hi man would you mind if a used this video for a song writers project a few of us have going on you tube, great footage can see were the fasination lies, marvelous beautifull machines, cheers,

  • Whats up motherfuckers

  • Que fierro hermoso!

    

  • Its all about the sound they make!

  • there's something about steam trains just watching them is hypnotic IMO i think is the awesome movement of the rods connecting the wheels also steamers just feel like their alive perhaps because they have a heart beat a voice that screams they can sneeze, cough,shudder and generally misbehave just like humans and that is why we love them.

  • 3985 smashed into 5 environmentalist's Priuses.

  • Very Cool! When these steam locos are running at 80mph plus in these pacings vids they sinc up just great with German Tecno. dance tunes 

  • I am just curious - I thought a GOOD HOT fire gave very little to almost no smoke - or unburnt coal gases, particulates and semi ash;

    And I know from regulating fires and furnaces - that smoke essentially is a state of burning too much fuel or not enough air - or "going heavy on the throttle".

    I am curious as to why are the engineers driving them, so frequently running them rich, and wasting fuel / power and polluting like mad?

    Better tuning - less air to the bed, more air to the firebox?

  • @callmeshane303 the description says its now running on number 5 fuel oil. they may not have as much control over the air fuel mix now, especially when the engineers are going for full throttle. lots of fuel burning = lots of heat = lots of steam power, and a lot of smoke. that holds true for coal or oil.

  • @cumminsfan

    Naaa bullshit - rich mixtures burn cold AND the soot acts as an insulator as the gases run up the boiler tubes.

    They have total control over the mixture.

    They need to adjust the air and the fuel - the driver and stoker are just fucking lazy.

  • These shots always work well with German Techno as the sound track.

    Rolling Power yea!

  • frightening power thats behind these thing!!! 

  • FANTASTIC.

    Beautiful machine. Great video.

    Thank you for uploading this. I didn`t know there were any still in working order.

  • two smoke stacks..awesome !!! just something magical about these big fellas ...

  • BADASS. He gives it to her at 0:42. Roalin coal.

  • @Fiberglasser03 She was conveted back in 1990 to oil.

  • sadly that just the chalenger is still operating i wanted to see a bigboy in action but poorly i will never ever have a chance too :(

  • I want it, not only to smash a Toyota Prius, I want it to smash a Toyota Prius with Al Gore locked in it!!!!!

  • The Engineer's "whistle technique" brought back a memory. I used to hear the SP and Santa Fe locomotives at night in the 1950's here in Atwater in the San Joaquin Valley of California

    .

    Those Engineer's also had musician-like touches on the whistle. Very Nice.

  • Just Amazing !

    

  • Wow, that is beyond impressive. I've always loved steam trains. There is just nothing quite like them and that one is an absolute monster (in a good way of coarse)

  • And wyotechers think their trucks roll smoke lol.

  • The sound of the steam whistle is so much cooler than a modern air horn on a diesel.

  • who ever is running 3985 must be one proud engineer!

  • I gather we will never see a Big Boy brought back to life, but this comes real close.

  • fn ace manh

  • im sad its not big boy =(

  • Great video!*********

    Olga/

  • Bad Ass!

  • 2:05 to 2:30 = The Sound That Built America

  • @PapaVic9758 that smoke build America and global warning...have a nice day and fresh air in your longs.

  • 5 idiots are tree huggers.

  • Casey Jones you better watch that speed !............

  • Five Train Robbers didnt like this video

  • A mans engine, i wish i was the boilerman

  • coal waste....

  • to hd74xlhs

    last i checked they (the workers at the Steam Shop) have been working on it for the past few years. If i remember correctly they re-tired her wheels (as in put new tires on them). Took them of three at a time and shipped them down south to a UP facility to to do it.

  • Cole burners wer not the only thing that touched off grass fires,i was on a vollentieer fire dep in mich back in the 70;s quite often the disels that came through would set off the tall dead grass from winter.If they let a diesel idle, in the yard for a long, got out on the road, and opened her up to get up a grade, It could blow out big enough chunks of hot carbon to start a grass fire.

  • Skip, very nice job- would like to see the drivers up close again. Saw 3985 and 8444 (4-8-4) in 1990 and both were impressive then too. Would like to see UPRR do more PR with these bad boys! My kids, like their old man, love the steamers..

  • a dream to drive it

  • We need to bring back these old Iron Horses

  • The Clear Blue Sky behind it is what really makes it stand out

  • What an awesome piece of machinery.

  • Best train alive :D like if you agree

  • @1XxArlongxX1 this is challenger because it has 4-6-6-4 wheelbase, the big boy has 4-8-8-4 :D

  • I am not even a train guy and WOW, what an incredible machine.

  • When this thing ran on coal the smoke was way darker because of all the soot. The oil doesn't burn as dark, but it still looks cool when the engineer uses extra fuel. The more smoke the better! Looks awsome.

  • very very very good!!

  • Beautiful pacing video, very well done! Love it!

  • No excuse for excessive smoke (As Steve Lee found out when City of Fort Worth fined the UP for pollution a few years ago), guess that's why UP doesn't push trips to Texas large cities, as most are in "non-attainment" status with the EPA over smoke & ozone..

  • @MultiJiles Why...???You can always use solar too...if there was power enough to pull the train.Who knows...perhaps into future.

  • They should have left it as a coal burner. Grass fires would make it more realistic :-)

  • there are many railfans down there.

  • i love trains like these

  • Wonderfull beast. Thanks a lot for the video.

  • Hey Skip, brother, I live in New Zealand. We have some steam trains but they are not regular passenger service. Most are for tourist and enthusiasts.

    The 9835 is amazing. We never had anything that size in this country.

    Thanks for loading it. Really enjoyed it.

    Southernman.

  • These old mechanical machines, will always run, it's amazing how much more durability they have over modern engines, although they consume more fuel, in the end these things are better for the environment, cause they last forever.

  • this is big boy right?

  • @MRoesterreicher1

    no, Challenger. 4-6-6-4

    big boy 4-8-8-4

    there is currently no operational big boy. only static displays.

  • Drivin' that would almost cause an orgasm!

  • 3 people are enviormentalists

  • 6 !

  • what a magnificent iron horse

  • where is Al Gore and his global warming buddies?

  • great locomotive

  • omg so badass

  • You know, there's some kinds of polution we can live with. Christ, I damn neared cried watching this.

  • @554687858

    If they burn methane, butane or propane, it would not produce such thick smoke.

    but fuel cost will be high, and will need to put gas tanker behind the tender,

    and modify the burner too.

    or they could try burning methanol or ethanol too.

  • The Challenger is notated as a 4-6-6-4. There is yet a larger engine designed and ran by the UP. The 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Sadly, none of those are operational, but 8 remain on display scattered about the country.

  • My other question was if she is burning #6 bunker oil, but I just read that she is making the black stuff with #5. I have had a dozen years running boilers with #6 and realize that #5 can also bring darkness upon the earth day when you want it to!

    I bet the #5 has to be pre-heated before pumping it into her firebox. The #6 sure had to be.

  • Holy crap...I just got a massive woody

  • BY the roarin' fu-k..she's a dandy!

    Must be blowing through Bunker #6 or similar?

    What is she...a 4-12-4 ?

  • @wqpeb

    She's considered a 4-6-6-4.

  • @BrainBordom

    Oh yes, I got ahead of myself and added the 2 sets of six together. I always thought the Flying Scotsman was a big brute, but never having seen more than a picture of it, never realized it isn't all that big after all. This baby makes it (and of course, all other European stuff) look tiny.

  • @wqpeb

    there never was 4-12-4, but there was 4-14-4

    you can see static display of Union Pacific 9000 4-12-2 at Pomona Fairground, California.

    along with a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy and a 4-10-2 Southern Pacific 5021

  • Skin her back!

  • The whistle sounds so much better than an air horn!

  • Man that thing is a beast, look at compared to the driver, I mean seriously...I would pay to see that thing ruin a Toyota.

  • CO machine

  • outstanding video of a great american locomotive...hypnotic...and the sound excellent as well. thanks.

  • Thumbs up if you want this thing to smash through a Toyota Prius

  • @bigred42091 me

    

  • @bigred42091 your statement is stupid on so many levels. useless peasant.

  • @bigred42091 The funny thing is that pound for pound, this is MORE environmentally friendly than 10 prius's

  • but its a lot of weight, to match, you could put 10 prius's and still not have the power so I dont think its a fai comparison, though i think its great that they have at least one double driver locomotive running. we have the 765 here she is the biggest east of the mississippi for right now, running the mainline.

  • @manga12 We got the 4449 operating out of just north of my house. Not a double driver, but she's still my favorite :-)

  • @salemcripple Nah, because of the coal it is not.

  • @Zahn That's where you would be wrong. It's called the economics of scale. Meaning the more weight a machine can carry, the less fuel (and money) per pound of product is consumed. Which is why it's cheaper, and "greener" to ship products worldwide using giant cargo ships (because they can hold more at once). That's why i said "pound for pound", because it would take hundreds of prius's to do this kind of work, which would be WAY more polluting than this one loco.

  • @salemcripple But from beginning to end, all the separate processes and industry methods to obtain the coal briquette results in more fossil fuels being used and pollution to our skys than what was the total consumption for achieving a Toyota Prius, donja think?

  • @Zahn If you count all that, you have to do the same for the Prius. Where as this was 100% built in America, the Prius's parts come from all around the world (China, the US, Japan, Europe, for example), then assembled in Canada (i think), then the car itself is shipped all over the world. This is before you even drive mile one in it. Add to this, the batteries in the Prius (or any electric vehicle) are incredibly toxic. And have a short lifespan.

  • @Zahn pt2: and besides, most of what you're seeing coming out of the stacks on a steamer is just that, steam (and some harmless soot). There is some nasty stuff in there, don't get me wrong, but it's in no way the majority.

  • @salemcripple I doubt it. A Prius (and all other PZEVs) can actually have exhaust that's cleaner than the air in some urban areas. This train does not clean the air at any time during its operation.

  • @idontcare80 We've been through all this before. If you want to see the rest of the debate you're going to have to look for it in the "all comments" section.

  • @salemcripple Well, you're still wrong.

  • @salemcripple Nope, that wasn't me. Even if you stack up the emissions from enough PZEV rated cars to equal the weight of this entire train, the cars would still be cleaner. The cars might use more fuel, but they would still pollute less. Although, you could consider CO2 a pollutant (I don't) and then you might have an argument, but I don't think that's your point here.

  • @idontcare80 It was still funny. You may be right, but electrics, and hybrids will NEVER be anywhere near as cool as this! I guess my comparison would be better suited if the prius was steam powered (apples to oranges)

  • @salemcripple Very few things will be as cool as steam locomotives, or radial powered aircraft, or piston engines in cars. It's kinda sad that advances in transportation technology always seem to mean the loss of the character of that technology.

  • @salemcripple Please explain that hypothesis. I've never seen a Toyota Prius or a Honda Insight drive by belching a cloud of black smoke for miles on end. And your "pound for pound" math is all wrong.

    Indeed these are beautiful machines, and do play an important part in the history of America travel but the fact of the matter still remains....these antiquated relics are noisy, dirty, inefficient and high maintenance.

  • @RellyOhBoy But I must admit...they are a joy to watch......

  • @RellyOhBoy from and earlier post "That's where you would be wrong. It's called the economics of scale. Meaning the more weight a machine can carry, the less fuel (and money) per pound of product is consumed. Which is why it's cheaper, and "greener" to ship products worldwide using giant cargo ships (because they can hold more at once). That's why i said "pound for pound", because it would take hundreds of prius's to do this kind of work, which would be WAY more polluting than this one loco."

  • @RellyOhBoy They are actually cleaner then most cars and cleaner a diesel locomotives. Most of what you see in that smoke is water vapor combined with a little soot and coal ash. Hence the name steam engine. They do take a lot of man hours to keep running but there are only a few mainline steam locomotives still in operation (i.e. UP 3985, 844, SP 4449, SP&S 700, AT&SF 3571, PM 765, and only a few others and they don't run all the time.

  • You know what?! I bet your right! We ought to tell the EPA to suck on that!

  • @salemcripple True, and neither does it have the colossal land fill issues with spent batteries that these so-called enviro-friendly hybrid vehicles present, either. That's something that the Greenies conveniently forget to tell the public. It's all political.

  • @bigred42091 it could smash any car ;)

  • @bigred42091 Just one?

    It should be trailing a banner saying 'Carbon footprint my big fat shiny metal ASS! I'm gonna move a mountain for you!"

  • @bigred42091 hell no that would damage such a nice and amazing piece of machinary.

  • @tavis5500, what a scratch?

  • @bigred42091 yesa 4 million dollar scratch, even though the pruises are made of aluminum and cardboard, i would love to see one destroyed, just, not by this.

  • Question. Which is worst, a bunch of people driving thier cars or a passenger load on a train? I like trains but don't know very much about them. Would it be better if people used trains for long distance travel over air planes or cars? I some how think the train would be better and if not than improve the train instead of the car because trains are so enchanting and they should stay around. I couldn't stop staring at this vid.

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  • WOW 2 sets of steam cylinders on Both Sides. What a sight! And sound!

    Black smoke is Prius Repellant! 

  • this loco puts modern diesels to shame

  • "Dear Santa" indeed.

  • dear santa......

  • SWEET!