is there an advantage with having more drive wheels per cylinder pair? the challengers had 6 wheels in a pair, where the bigboys had 8 wheels in a pair.
i wonder what a 0-4-4-4-4-0 arrangement would go like using 4 sets of cylinders. it would be a very long locomotive though.
@thegreenearthemeaner i thought the allegheneys did too, but was not sure...i was really into trains when i was younger...but military vehicles kinda took over my interests. at one point i was probably one of the only 10 year old kids that could tell you the tonnage, wheel arrangement, tractive effort, and production run of just about every major steam locomotive lol...always had a big interest in machines....just pulled back and forth from one type to another lol.
@QuadCore120 it would probably cost alot more than that...not to mention probably close to 200 grand for a decent length excursion in coal costs lol. still an impressive machine though. @Crintingnut i've always wondered that as well.
The Big Boy may have been the biggest steam locomotive ever built, but the Yellowstone class locomotives operated by the Duluth,Missabe, & Iron Range RR could pull heavier trains. i think Great Northern had one or two locos that could as well, not sure though.
@wildchild77x Don't forget the Allegheneys that weighed slightly less but had more tractive effort than the Big Boys. The Big Boy has it's rep from being the first at a critical time in U.S. history.
People said it will range from $700,000 to $1,000,000 to get a Big Boy train up and running again. I wonder...since Bill Gates is a Multi-Billionare...can we ask him to help us?
I really feel its only a matter of time before one or more of them is restored to running order do to they're massive fan base and legend that they are. I tell you boys one thing, if I ever had the money I would restore one. I dont care if buying the locl it self was 3 million and restoring it was 10 million, I would still do it becuase I know it would make million of people happy.
For those that ask why steam is more powerful, over the Diesel, The steam engine can produce peak torque at or near stall for 1000s of hrs without failure, so you can make em lug hard electric motors can only for short periods in this condition, too long and they burn out,(electric traction motors out perform other types in this test by design, but still fall short of steam) Check out the diameter of driving wheels on a steamer compared to diesel electric, the bigger the more tractive effort.
Actually the Big Boys are not the strongest, the Alleghenies have more horse power and possibly even more tractive effort than the 4000 class BigBoy. The actual true weight of the Alleghenies was covered up by the Lima Locomotive Works because they were all built over weight. The C&O eventually found out and sued Lima. If the actual formula for tractive effort was calculated with the actual full weight of an H8, it is most likely that the H8 would out perform the BigBoy in most categories.
One thing that often goes unnoticed is the skill required of the engineer- have a look at the distance from the cab to the front pilot!- it took a lot of judgement.
I saw in the '90's on Descovery Channel a documentary about them. I heared they have 2 meters (about 6ft) high wheels. That was an really giant locomotive. In Europe we never had anything like that (maybe in the U.S.S.R. they had some big locomotives, but not as big as the Big Boy).
I remember watching a Video about the Big Boy Locomotives , and it mentioned 2 men shoveling coal as fast as they could , woulod NOT muster enough steam to blow its whistle . does anyone recall this Video ? . Ray in PA
@helperout Yes this was true it used a screw in the tender called an archemedes screw and this would shoot coal deep in the fire box this engine was a beast with an appetite to prove it but anyway yes no man could quench this engines hunger with a shovel im a proud owner of three models in different scales
@UNIONPACIFIC1 I heard about one time that a Big Boy's tender screw broke when the locomotive was pulling a freight uphill. It was NOT a fun experience for the crew who had to shovel the coal in until the next stop.
One of the majestic articulated steam engines that ran on our railroads. The awesome power of the Big Boy would actually burry the rails in a yard when starting out on a run with a full consist.
Damn shame how just when the most achievements in steam rail were happening, it came to an abrupt end. Some advances: turbines, Mallet and Beyer Garratt. Better go to sleep so I can get up to meet up with the steam punk group tomorrow.
If I had a time machine to go back in the past only ONCE. I would use it to go back to this time to film the Big Boys, each on from #4000-#4025. This would be the greatest moment in my life... :]
A diesel engine- with its electromotive traction systems- is far more complicated than any steam engine ever built. However- its a time/cost efficentcy calcuation.
Diesels carry 1200 gallons of fuel, easily refueled in a few minutes- coal has to be loaded, unloaded, transported, reloaded,,,,,theres nothing more efficent to transport mass than using pipe.
@ZCSqueaks Are you fucking retarded or what!! He did say "When at rest at a stop the steamer would just rest peacefully while a deisel would annoy everyone with its loud noises".
For those who have at least seen a Big Boy, and read its operating specs, they would have to say, that these were very impressive pieces of machinery. It would be the most effective of ways to showcase as living history, the pinnacle of steam, by restoring one to full operational status, and it almost happened to 4018 in Texas, but the Movie deal fell through.
Diesels are cheaper to operate than Steam, but Steam did have some pluses on its side, immediate torque from a dead stop, ability to ford flooded trackage, without traction motors shorting out, and a generally longer service life. Unfortunately though, ability to travel longer distances between refueling stops, fewer moving parts, therefore lower maintenance costs, and being easier on trackage, made the Diesel the motive power of choice once it had proved itself.
@bencar1976 I don't think a diesel really has fewer moving parts. A steam engine mainly relies on pressure and a big fire and things like that, with some relatively simple valving. That is, aside from the armature which doesn't have too many moving parts, but the parts are extremely big and heavy and get thrown about quite violently. A diesel probably has more moving parts, but because they're so incredibly much smaller, and only spinning at a marginally faster RPM, the advantage is there.
Why can't we just be happy we have 3985? Do you know how much effort UP goes through to keep that thing running? It only has 2 less driving wheels per set.
During WW2, German spies reported that America used "super trains" that could carry massive loads of cargo at high speeds. The German superiors dismissed it as impossible. Yet the Big Boy made it possible.
@simhopp A camera will not convince them of the capabilities of the engine being pictured. On top of that, any pictures of American equipment being sent overseas would raise a red flag with authorities.
a photo will show the size and design of the locomotive, and German's are not idiots, after all, they were first to launch rockets out of atmosphere. once the locomotive experts examine the photo of big boy, they will be able to estimate its capability.
and photo of locomotive is easy enough to optain by regular folks, after all they operate on open field for all to see, not hidden in military base. It would not be so difficult to smuggle out photos back into germany.
@simhopp Its not easy to determine a machines capabilities just by a photo. You can learn this through simple research.
Getting the photo is easy getting it overseas is the difficult part. You'd be suprised what was confiscated by authorities. Everything from senic photos to automobile advertisements was kept from heading overseas.
I find that hard to believe, German engineers designed the Dora railway artillery cannon in WWII.
The Dora runs on 2 parallel tracks of rails.....its got almost the weight of 4 BigBoys and a massive 80cm Cannon, thats almost 3 feet. And while it was a waste of resources it actually worked quite well in the one instance it saw action.
I guess that nobody needed any super locos in Germany, with a country thats about 1000km in its greatest expanse,,,,,,,,what for...
@Mrpsychotehpyro A railway gun and a locomotive are two totally different things. Large railway cannons were around for a long time and used in many countries other than germany. However, no country had a locomotive that could haul such large loads as quickly as we did.
But they still have to have found the most stupid german engineer availible to get told that such a loco ist impossible.
Hitler wanted big Locos. But as he was a madman, he wanted it REALLY BIG. Industry started to draw up a 3 m railway system, thats the rails being twice as big and far spaced as normal. Locos for that system would have dwarfed the BigBoy. It was all on paper. But without world dominion and a lost world war instead, nobody felt the need to build it.
@MadMilitiaMen Yes. The Big Boys were designed for a maximum speed of 80 mph and could pull 5-mile-long trains. The spies' term "super trains" doesn't even do them justice.
Which locomotive was longer the big boy or the allegheny? I know a big boy was 132 feet long but what about the allegheny? Everyone said the allegheny locomotive was only 113 feet but when you look at a big boy it doesnt look all that big in terms of length.
the big boy got it's name frome some guy in the round house...... he wrote on the smoke box door with a piece of caulk the name BIG BOY and it stuck I saw one at Steamtown on Scranton , Pa and can only dream of seeing one in operation... living, steam breathing , monsters of the rails. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i know 2 loco's that are bigger & longer then this big boy... The AD60 Garratt & Matt H. Shay. My favourite locomotive is the 2-8-8-8-2 locomotive. =)
Someone actually started a project to make the 4018 railworthy again a few years ago, but I believe it went nowhere--modern railroads won't even allow such vintage hardware on their tracks any more (too unreliable and hard on the tracks, not to mention liability concerns.)
I'd kill to see them restore the remaining few that are left to working order, they really do make everyone happy. And they are such good peaces of American History.
are there any videos of the Alleghenny.... might be mistaken but I think they were even more powerful than the Big Boys. They weighed in at 1.9 million pounds....great video from the past..thanks for posting....
There has to be someone out there with the will and the money to get one running again. I'm in the U.K., but it'd be great to know one of these ultimate loco's was at least still in steam. The main problem with steam, when it was dropped in Britain, was the reduced efficiency of external combustion. This made the fuel bill big, and the fuel load heavy compared to deisel. Allied to the tractability of electric motors, deisel electric was a brilliant solution, as U.S. loco engineers discovered
I think the best way to do this is to go down the list of the American billionaires
and contact each of them and try to convince them to set up a fund to finance restoration and operation for years to come (so that loco can be operated forever from interest earned from the fund without generating any profit from actual operation).
there must be at least one billionaire who is a rail fan who loved steam loco as a child
and have and willing to spend cash on such venture.
This Film Sample is fantastic, However i wish we could have something like this for the J1 Hudson Locomotives, We can only Dream. Thankyou for your video
The acme,the very pinnacle of railway development!As the Americans are wont to say;"If it ain't got cubic inches,it ain't got it"!A most enjoyable clip.
Deisels are lame. The steam locomotive is a fire and steam living beast that will whistle at you every time you wave as she goes by! Once the big boys were gone it would take 8 deisels to even try to match her POWER !!!!!!!!!! When at rest at a stop the steamer would just rest peacefully while a deisel would annoy everyone with its loud noises.
@breathholdchamp its so true the power of them is so much greater then the even the latest deisels. the newest deisels now are 6000 hp. thats the same as the big boys. but, they steam power was so much stronger then the deisels, it must of been mersured defferently or something.
@breathholdchamp This particular engine has an estimated HP of around 7500. Current top of the line deisels run 5000HP. So that about 1.5 deisels per engine. That being said steam engines are still and always will be much cooler.
@MrTurboparker Yes! I give you the reason for that. Big boys are very strong! But I wasn't making fun of it. I was saying that in tone of joke like "I'd like to see a Ford Fiesta overtaking a Ferrari. I'd laugh a lot of that." There is no doubt the Big Boy is one of the most fascinating work of engineering.
@shenkieoh Like most steam engines, they were ultimately too expensive to maintain, too damaging to the tracks, and too inefficient when compared to diesels. In addition, the Big Boys were too specialized and restricted to certain sections of the UP mainline.
@shenkieoh i think they were too expensive to run because of the rising price of coal and the new diesel trains which replaced them were more efficient
@steamingpoopfart No that is not, My great grandfather worked on Bigboy and that one is in the a musem in green bay. But I asked the owner because I know him and we took a road trip to see it running.
@dirtbiker4lfe Where is it ? When does it run? Who operates it? I know for a fact that Union Pacific's steam program does not include a 4-8-8-4. Both of their steam locomotives are based in Wyoming, not far from I live, The 3985 Challenger and the 844 Mountain are the only steam power UP still maintains. If you know of a private owner or a restoration group working on a Big Boy I'm sure many thousands of steam fans world wide would love to know more. This is your big chence at fame.
wow amazing locos, its sad to think that while a big boy could be restored because some numbers still exist, it is the infrastructure that means that they will never run, big boys are aprox 14 feet longer than 3985 which means that larger turntables need to be available, sadly i dont think they are pls feel free to correct me if im wrong, to be economically viable these turntables would have to be avialable on the routes which 3985 currently runs, but i really would like to see one run again,
Im a Brit and only yesterday I saw Bittern, a member of the same class as Mallard, the worlds fastest steam locomotive. But if Britain built the fastest, the US built the biggest and most powerful and the Big Boy class were just superb. Great video - thanks for sharing. Woodscritter - you're right, but you have no soul - life is more than a matter of dollars and cents!
@wingco214 Nonsense. I'm not going to let some romantic fascination with visions of the past distort simple reality. The best buggy whip is not in demand.
Transportation machinery must be as efficient as possible to remain competitive. It must also be a good neighbor- not choking people, and not a health threat to crews.
I've enjoyed exploring all manner of old machinery, to see their influence in getting us to where we are. It's certainly NOT all pounds and shillings.
Actually, their low thermal efficiency, less than a third of a diesel, was a problem. They burned lots of fuel, discharging you-know-what.
They were stressful on crews- dirt, noise, heat, extremely bright light of fire.
Santa Fe found out really quickly how much better diesels pulled a load, and didn't have to stop every 100 mi. for water. A problem in desert or mountains.
Modern diesels, with one crew, haul much longer and heavier trains than Big Boy.
@woodscritter "Modern diesels, with one crew, haul much longer and heavier trains than Big Boy." I can't imagine that... The EMD DDA40X - one of the most powerful diesels ever build - has 400hp more but 6kN less tractive effort... The last days i searched for loco with more tractive effort than 602kN (big boy) but i didn't find any.
@Debauchery89 Seems your assuming single engine only (though Big Boy actually has two), Then consider GE AC6000CW, with rated peak TE of 200,000 lb, and continuous TE of 166,000 @ 10 mph, vice Big Boy's 135,000 max TE.
Then, note how you can MU diesels until the limiting TE factor is coupling force limit. Then add radio links to distributed power. Thus my statement.
Check out the enormous ore trains on the Pilbara (Aus.) with 6 AC6000CW.
@Debauchery89: FOR-PROFIT-BUSINESSES don't care a flying nothing about "tractive effort" they ONLY care about what it COSTS to run their business..... when they found out that diesels cost WAY less to haul the same amount of traffic as steam the death of steam was guaranteed.
@woodscritter: Everybody here runs their brains on emotions. I've posted over and over again that railroads are FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES that are looking for LOWER costs - meaning diesel loco over steam loco but the emotional-driven posters will have none of it.
Also, WWII actually slowed the diesel conversion. If not for the war, railroads would've been dieselized by the mid-1940s rather than late 40s/early 50s.
is there an advantage with having more drive wheels per cylinder pair? the challengers had 6 wheels in a pair, where the bigboys had 8 wheels in a pair.
i wonder what a 0-4-4-4-4-0 arrangement would go like using 4 sets of cylinders. it would be a very long locomotive though.
thumpervids 2 weeks ago
1.2million pounds.... That's more then an Airbus A380 carries....
fube432 3 weeks ago
@thegreenearthemeaner i thought the allegheneys did too, but was not sure...i was really into trains when i was younger...but military vehicles kinda took over my interests. at one point i was probably one of the only 10 year old kids that could tell you the tonnage, wheel arrangement, tractive effort, and production run of just about every major steam locomotive lol...always had a big interest in machines....just pulled back and forth from one type to another lol.
wildchild77x 1 month ago
@QuadCore120 it would probably cost alot more than that...not to mention probably close to 200 grand for a decent length excursion in coal costs lol. still an impressive machine though. @Crintingnut i've always wondered that as well.
The Big Boy may have been the biggest steam locomotive ever built, but the Yellowstone class locomotives operated by the Duluth,Missabe, & Iron Range RR could pull heavier trains. i think Great Northern had one or two locos that could as well, not sure though.
wildchild77x 1 month ago
@wildchild77x Don't forget the Allegheneys that weighed slightly less but had more tractive effort than the Big Boys. The Big Boy has it's rep from being the first at a critical time in U.S. history.
thegreenerthemeaner 1 month ago
I always wonder how the couplings hold the load. The longer the train, thr greater the weight, sort of thing.
Crintingnut 1 month ago
@Crintingnut oh they just have locks o the couplings, but thats a good question. I work for Union Pacific and we needed to lern everything.
Philahall5 6 days ago
nice video
DomoWeb 1 month ago
People said it will range from $700,000 to $1,000,000 to get a Big Boy train up and running again. I wonder...since Bill Gates is a Multi-Billionare...can we ask him to help us?
QuadCore120 1 month ago
70 YEARS SINCE PEARL HARBOR!
aperturemicah 1 month ago
This is from the time where "UP" didn't only stand for "Union Pacific" but also for "Unlimited Power" :-)
ovemunk 1 month ago
the dislikers are people who....people that.....i just can't imagine how you can dislike this
Paljassus77 1 month ago
@Paljassus77 The dislikers deserve to get hit by a Big Boy locomotive.
Vorahk3985 1 month ago 6
I really feel its only a matter of time before one or more of them is restored to running order do to they're massive fan base and legend that they are. I tell you boys one thing, if I ever had the money I would restore one. I dont care if buying the locl it self was 3 million and restoring it was 10 million, I would still do it becuase I know it would make million of people happy.
IIIJFRIII 2 months ago 3
For those that ask why steam is more powerful, over the Diesel, The steam engine can produce peak torque at or near stall for 1000s of hrs without failure, so you can make em lug hard electric motors can only for short periods in this condition, too long and they burn out,(electric traction motors out perform other types in this test by design, but still fall short of steam) Check out the diameter of driving wheels on a steamer compared to diesel electric, the bigger the more tractive effort.
coalfirediesel 2 months ago
Actually the Big Boys are not the strongest, the Alleghenies have more horse power and possibly even more tractive effort than the 4000 class BigBoy. The actual true weight of the Alleghenies was covered up by the Lima Locomotive Works because they were all built over weight. The C&O eventually found out and sued Lima. If the actual formula for tractive effort was calculated with the actual full weight of an H8, it is most likely that the H8 would out perform the BigBoy in most categories.
996TwinTurbo911 2 months ago
i love you big boj !!!!!!!!!!
StvanjaI 2 months ago
One thing that often goes unnoticed is the skill required of the engineer- have a look at the distance from the cab to the front pilot!- it took a lot of judgement.
You have to admire them.
Electrotract 2 months ago
I saw in the '90's on Descovery Channel a documentary about them. I heared they have 2 meters (about 6ft) high wheels. That was an really giant locomotive. In Europe we never had anything like that (maybe in the U.S.S.R. they had some big locomotives, but not as big as the Big Boy).
fbw71u 2 months ago
This video made me love my Rivarossi Big Boy even more!!!
maxusgyaos 3 months ago
this is my favourite steam locomotive in the world
mangatorus 3 months ago
I remember watching a Video about the Big Boy Locomotives , and it mentioned 2 men shoveling coal as fast as they could , woulod NOT muster enough steam to blow its whistle . does anyone recall this Video ? . Ray in PA
helperout 3 months ago
@helperout Yes this was true it used a screw in the tender called an archemedes screw and this would shoot coal deep in the fire box this engine was a beast with an appetite to prove it but anyway yes no man could quench this engines hunger with a shovel im a proud owner of three models in different scales
Happy Railroading Sir
---UNIONPACIFIC1
UNIONPACIFIC1 2 months ago
@UNIONPACIFIC1 I heard about one time that a Big Boy's tender screw broke when the locomotive was pulling a freight uphill. It was NOT a fun experience for the crew who had to shovel the coal in until the next stop.
thediremoose 1 month ago
1:03 He says 25, now at 1:10 its only 24...wtf!?
BTCRAIL101FILMS 3 months ago
Comment removed
Peppurr1 3 months ago
@BTCRAIL101FILMS Numbers 4000-4024 if you count STARTING from number 4000 - 4024 that is 25 locomotives. Basic math here
Peppurr1 3 months ago
@Peppurr1 yea...I noticed that after I posted the comment...sorry about that ;\
BTCRAIL101FILMS 3 months ago
I saw 4005 in Denver last week. My first encounter with a Big Boy. It was bordering on a religious experience
bigkiwimike 3 months ago
One of the majestic articulated steam engines that ran on our railroads. The awesome power of the Big Boy would actually burry the rails in a yard when starting out on a run with a full consist.
ShortHillWestern 3 months ago
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This REMINDs ME of No.17 CRAB ORCHARD & EGYPTIAN till they sold it to: Boone Iowa ! I wish they still HAD the 17 ! RAIL FAN of: MARION ILL
8899896 3 months ago
awesome!
tchnofile 4 months ago
Damn shame how just when the most achievements in steam rail were happening, it came to an abrupt end. Some advances: turbines, Mallet and Beyer Garratt. Better go to sleep so I can get up to meet up with the steam punk group tomorrow.
Zappyguy111 4 months ago
deisels suck!!! fire up the old brutes!!!
southern4501isawesom 4 months ago
Comment removed
southern4501isawesom 4 months ago
2:47 Hear that beast chuffing down the line!
6709ify 4 months ago
Grrrrreat Vid...
fjbutch 5 months ago
Glory to USA
vinnitca1990 5 months ago
WHich loccomotive was sdtronger, the big boy or the C&O Allegeny?
LS6Z28 5 months ago
If I had a time machine to go back in the past only ONCE. I would use it to go back to this time to film the Big Boys, each on from #4000-#4025. This would be the greatest moment in my life... :]
CSXAC6000CWFAN 5 months ago
A diesel engine- with its electromotive traction systems- is far more complicated than any steam engine ever built. However- its a time/cost efficentcy calcuation.
Diesels carry 1200 gallons of fuel, easily refueled in a few minutes- coal has to be loaded, unloaded, transported, reloaded,,,,,theres nothing more efficent to transport mass than using pipe.
MrTrailltrader 5 months ago
did big boy's ever pull passenger trains?
MrZkr123 5 months ago
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@ZCSqueaks Are you fucking retarded or what!! He did say "When at rest at a stop the steamer would just rest peacefully while a deisel would annoy everyone with its loud noises".
73Datsun180B 5 months ago
why is it todays day so 'special' to see or ride a steam locomotive?
sisisspore 5 months ago
@sisisspore A thing called passion....
teamfab 5 months ago
@teamfab i know, but why don't we use these huge strong machines anymore?
sisisspore 5 months ago
As a young man I had a friend who was a retired steam locomotive
engineer. His name was Ona Knotts, (cousin to Don Knotts), from
Rowlesburg, WV.
He made the conversion to diesels a few years before he retired, but had
this to say on the subject:
"A diesel engine is a flatcar with a motor, but a steam locomotive is an
IRON HORSE."
Ona also said: "You're busier on a steam engine than on a diesel, but
being busy is fine just so you get to lean out the window and watch
those drivers roll!"
GooglFascists 6 months ago
For those who have at least seen a Big Boy, and read its operating specs, they would have to say, that these were very impressive pieces of machinery. It would be the most effective of ways to showcase as living history, the pinnacle of steam, by restoring one to full operational status, and it almost happened to 4018 in Texas, but the Movie deal fell through.
bencar1976 6 months ago
Diesels are cheaper to operate than Steam, but Steam did have some pluses on its side, immediate torque from a dead stop, ability to ford flooded trackage, without traction motors shorting out, and a generally longer service life. Unfortunately though, ability to travel longer distances between refueling stops, fewer moving parts, therefore lower maintenance costs, and being easier on trackage, made the Diesel the motive power of choice once it had proved itself.
bencar1976 6 months ago
@bencar1976 The idea was to get the United States totally dependent
upon foreign oil for all their transportation needs, but with coal steam engines
still operating that couldn't happen.
The plan by World Bankers to RUIN America, close our factories, abandon
our industry and destroy our middle class has been playing out since the
late 1950s. Now we are seeing the culmination of the TREACHERY perpetrated
by foreign banks and the "Federal Reserve", (which isn't federal and has
no reserves).
GooglFascists 6 months ago
@bencar1976 I don't think a diesel really has fewer moving parts. A steam engine mainly relies on pressure and a big fire and things like that, with some relatively simple valving. That is, aside from the armature which doesn't have too many moving parts, but the parts are extremely big and heavy and get thrown about quite violently. A diesel probably has more moving parts, but because they're so incredibly much smaller, and only spinning at a marginally faster RPM, the advantage is there.
JETZcorp 5 months ago
Why do you have to like one and not the other? I like both, steamers and diesels.
keikoasmom 6 months ago
Sacramento railway has a Cab forward on display. if i had the cash to blow id get it running just to see it go down some track.
l3URTON1 7 months ago
Sometimes I wish I was born about 60-70 years ago so I can enjoy the sights and sounds of these awesome machines before they were retired for good.
LNERMallard 7 months ago
what was the name of these video cassette?????
pianomanmaestro 7 months ago
Why can't we just be happy we have 3985? Do you know how much effort UP goes through to keep that thing running? It only has 2 less driving wheels per set.
foroke1 7 months ago
How does it tuen if it's so long.
AsianBoy9thst 7 months ago
@AsianBoy9thst A Wye.
3985gtasa 7 months ago
During WW2, German spies reported that America used "super trains" that could carry massive loads of cargo at high speeds. The German superiors dismissed it as impossible. Yet the Big Boy made it possible.
MadMilitiaMen 8 months ago 34
@MadMilitiaMen
that story is hard for me to believe, it is not like there was no camera back then.
take few photos, send back to Germany, and superiors will be convinced right away.
simhopp 7 months ago
@simhopp A camera will not convince them of the capabilities of the engine being pictured. On top of that, any pictures of American equipment being sent overseas would raise a red flag with authorities.
MadMilitiaMen 7 months ago
@MadMilitiaMen
a photo will show the size and design of the locomotive, and German's are not idiots, after all, they were first to launch rockets out of atmosphere. once the locomotive experts examine the photo of big boy, they will be able to estimate its capability.
and photo of locomotive is easy enough to optain by regular folks, after all they operate on open field for all to see, not hidden in military base. It would not be so difficult to smuggle out photos back into germany.
simhopp 7 months ago
@simhopp Its not easy to determine a machines capabilities just by a photo. You can learn this through simple research.
Getting the photo is easy getting it overseas is the difficult part. You'd be suprised what was confiscated by authorities. Everything from senic photos to automobile advertisements was kept from heading overseas.
MadMilitiaMen 7 months ago
@MadMilitiaMen
I find that hard to believe, German engineers designed the Dora railway artillery cannon in WWII.
The Dora runs on 2 parallel tracks of rails.....its got almost the weight of 4 BigBoys and a massive 80cm Cannon, thats almost 3 feet. And while it was a waste of resources it actually worked quite well in the one instance it saw action.
I guess that nobody needed any super locos in Germany, with a country thats about 1000km in its greatest expanse,,,,,,,,what for...
Mrpsychotehpyro 6 months ago
@Mrpsychotehpyro A railway gun and a locomotive are two totally different things. Large railway cannons were around for a long time and used in many countries other than germany. However, no country had a locomotive that could haul such large loads as quickly as we did.
MadMilitiaMen 6 months ago
@MadMilitiaMen Yeah, agreed.
But they still have to have found the most stupid german engineer availible to get told that such a loco ist impossible.
Hitler wanted big Locos. But as he was a madman, he wanted it REALLY BIG. Industry started to draw up a 3 m railway system, thats the rails being twice as big and far spaced as normal. Locos for that system would have dwarfed the BigBoy. It was all on paper. But without world dominion and a lost world war instead, nobody felt the need to build it.
Mrpsychotehpyro 6 months ago
@MadMilitiaMen Yes. The Big Boys were designed for a maximum speed of 80 mph and could pull 5-mile-long trains. The spies' term "super trains" doesn't even do them justice.
thediremoose 1 month ago
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This is a good chance for fast date with latina busizz4me.info
lakshaiadevind 8 months ago
Which locomotive was longer the big boy or the allegheny? I know a big boy was 132 feet long but what about the allegheny? Everyone said the allegheny locomotive was only 113 feet but when you look at a big boy it doesnt look all that big in terms of length.
trainmandan05 8 months ago
the big boy got it's name frome some guy in the round house...... he wrote on the smoke box door with a piece of caulk the name BIG BOY and it stuck I saw one at Steamtown on Scranton , Pa and can only dream of seeing one in operation... living, steam breathing , monsters of the rails. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
breathholdchamp 8 months ago
What an amazing loco. Thumbs up! :)
megatwingo 8 months ago
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24 diesel train fans watched this video I guess. How can this video be disliked?
24 idiots were let out for the day from the global warming support group without their meds
kiwicockers 8 months ago
24 diesel train fans watched this video I guess. How can this video be disliked?
drc1981 8 months ago 8
@drc1981 there's only one Big Boy Locomotive around these days, and that's you. = ) xoxoxo Signe
gm7add11 8 months ago
@gm7add11 Haha, wowser, are you always so flirty, or am I just that special?
drc1981 8 months ago
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@drc1981, re: Haha, wowser, are you always so flirty, or am I just that special?
YES. = )
gm7add11 8 months ago
@gm7add11 No no no, you aren't getting off the hook that easily!!!! Now which one is it?
drc1981 8 months ago
@drc1981, YOU are that special, Big Boy. = )
gm7add11 8 months ago
i know 2 loco's that are bigger & longer then this big boy... The AD60 Garratt & Matt H. Shay. My favourite locomotive is the 2-8-8-8-2 locomotive. =)
GayBoyRunning 9 months ago
Just imagine if one of those beasts went to the Island of Sodor.
bobo577 9 months ago
@bobo577 Yeah lol Gordon thinks he's big? He doesn't know what big is until he sees a Big Boy.
LNERMallard 7 months ago 7
I wish I could of been born and lived in the Steam Engine Day's what i would give to have grown up with those things.....
pianomanmaestro 9 months ago
Someone actually started a project to make the 4018 railworthy again a few years ago, but I believe it went nowhere--modern railroads won't even allow such vintage hardware on their tracks any more (too unreliable and hard on the tracks, not to mention liability concerns.)
OlDoinyo 9 months ago
The strongest steam locomotive? I don't think so. Maybe the biggest though. Still one of my favorites :D
SpeedbeetleV2 9 months ago
I'd kill to see them restore the remaining few that are left to working order, they really do make everyone happy. And they are such good peaces of American History.
IIIJFRIII 9 months ago
are there any videos of the Alleghenny.... might be mistaken but I think they were even more powerful than the Big Boys. They weighed in at 1.9 million pounds....great video from the past..thanks for posting....
hermit1249 10 months ago
I never did like any other steam locos apart from English ones until I got to see some immense pictures of these incredible locos!! nice video.
JAC4468 10 months ago
Sadly there less powerful than the Y6b
fodenscania2 10 months ago
There has to be someone out there with the will and the money to get one running again. I'm in the U.K., but it'd be great to know one of these ultimate loco's was at least still in steam. The main problem with steam, when it was dropped in Britain, was the reduced efficiency of external combustion. This made the fuel bill big, and the fuel load heavy compared to deisel. Allied to the tractability of electric motors, deisel electric was a brilliant solution, as U.S. loco engineers discovered
Phocusali 10 months ago
@Phocusali
I think the best way to do this is to go down the list of the American billionaires
and contact each of them and try to convince them to set up a fund to finance restoration and operation for years to come (so that loco can be operated forever from interest earned from the fund without generating any profit from actual operation).
there must be at least one billionaire who is a rail fan who loved steam loco as a child
and have and willing to spend cash on such venture.
simhopp 7 months ago
This Film Sample is fantastic, However i wish we could have something like this for the J1 Hudson Locomotives, We can only Dream. Thankyou for your video
tnks2me 10 months ago
those were the coolest things ever and the good thing is the challenger #3985 still operates!!!!!!
funny1647 11 months ago
One reason steam is better than diesel. the smell!
Appalachian85 11 months ago
A magnificent sight!
STEAMRAILWAYSHOP 11 months ago 15
What a BEAST this makes me want to go get a big boy HO train now
shovel20 11 months ago
i want to see the end of that train.....
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illonaillonacfbgf 11 months ago
Wonderful -- such power !
sr633 11 months ago
Never send the goods by up! Up is a worst deliverer of the world!
zhiz0zhiz 11 months ago
Never send the goods by up to a worst deliverer of the world
zhiz0zhiz 11 months ago
1.2 million pounds of loaded waight - is that the train only??? thats like over 5 thounds tonnes isnt it??
brother776 11 months ago
@brother776 yea that's just the locomotive!
N7075 11 months ago
@brother776 that's the weight of the engine and tender
redneckmoto4life 10 months ago
I love this machines!!! How many exist now??? I have a 4015 model in HO scale.
KGKtransportch 11 months ago
@KGKtransportch I believe there are 8 of them preserved. They sure are beautiful machines
N7075 11 months ago
Fantastic steam loco ! A real living machine !
wlaohu 11 months ago
The acme,the very pinnacle of railway development!As the Americans are wont to say;"If it ain't got cubic inches,it ain't got it"!A most enjoyable clip.
Squarerig 1 year ago
0:54 Looks like the brakeman forgot to oil the wheels on the first car.
trainmandan05 1 year ago
it`s a fact that diesel trains are more efficient but steam locomtives are just much more interesting to look at
gejuje 1 year ago 2
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"Look on my works ye mighty,and despair"!!!
Squarerig 1 year ago
Those trains truely were the mightiest of the mighty !!!
whitewingsrich 1 year ago
this machine is a monster
ateniense7 1 year ago
Thats a big ass train!
ItalianBlackheart123 1 year ago
yeah!
heisserreifen 1 year ago
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nawindsor 1 year ago
FINALLY! a video without stupid pictures!
MrPennyworth007 1 year ago
i agree with IIIJFRIII
voltar1000 1 year ago
Questo inquina sempre meno di tanti TIR...
tonyv50 1 year ago
Deisels are lame. The steam locomotive is a fire and steam living beast that will whistle at you every time you wave as she goes by! Once the big boys were gone it would take 8 deisels to even try to match her POWER !!!!!!!!!! When at rest at a stop the steamer would just rest peacefully while a deisel would annoy everyone with its loud noises.
breathholdchamp 1 year ago 61
@breathholdchamp its so true the power of them is so much greater then the even the latest deisels. the newest deisels now are 6000 hp. thats the same as the big boys. but, they steam power was so much stronger then the deisels, it must of been mersured defferently or something.
IIIJFRIII 11 months ago
@breathholdchamp This particular engine has an estimated HP of around 7500. Current top of the line deisels run 5000HP. So that about 1.5 deisels per engine. That being said steam engines are still and always will be much cooler.
Tuvock1 9 months ago 2
@breathholdchamp desiel trains are no fun. you pull a lever and you go forward. OH ya thats really "fun" steam trains are more fun XD
90Blakey 9 months ago
@breathholdchamp i know right.they should put her back on the rails
coolymanify 9 months ago
@breathholdchamp thats so true man.
jr540123 9 months ago
@breathholdchamp You mean to match "HIS" power and as "HE" goes by because they are BIG BOYS, NOT BIG GIRLS! Sorry for the rage.
-Max
maxm2317 8 months ago
@breathholdchamp i thought big boys are boy
MrSuperPatty5 4 months ago
@MrSuperPatty5 They are.
maxm2317 3 months ago
@breathholdchamp by this do you mean modern diesels or the diesels that replaced them just as they left service?
aracaen 4 months ago
@aracaen regarding the 8 diesel statement
aracaen 4 months ago
I'd like to see one of these Big Boys overtaking the Maglev or the Transrapid.
VolkswagenGolf1400 1 year ago
@VolkswagenGolf1400
Different tools for different tasks. I'd like to see the Maglev or Transrapid pull 4000+ tons up a 1.14% grade.
MrTurboparker 1 year ago
@MrTurboparker Yes! I give you the reason for that. Big boys are very strong! But I wasn't making fun of it. I was saying that in tone of joke like "I'd like to see a Ford Fiesta overtaking a Ferrari. I'd laugh a lot of that." There is no doubt the Big Boy is one of the most fascinating work of engineering.
VolkswagenGolf1400 1 year ago
@shenkieoh Like most steam engines, they were ultimately too expensive to maintain, too damaging to the tracks, and too inefficient when compared to diesels. In addition, the Big Boys were too specialized and restricted to certain sections of the UP mainline.
aep334 1 year ago
@trainzchronicles The Polar Express engine was based on Pere Marquette 1225, which is a 2-8-4 Berkshire
aep334 1 year ago
Please bring the UP BIg Boys back on the mainline now!
falzonbr 1 year ago
I would really, really, really, REALLY want to see this vs. a tank. Time to call Smash Lab!!!
BashirTheTrainMaster 1 year ago
did the movie 'the polar express' use a UP big boy?
5Oblivion 1 year ago
@5Oblivion no it was a hudson :)
trainzchronicles 1 year ago
I know that all the big boys arent operating anymore, but why? did they broke down or where they too expensive to keep running?
shenkieoh 1 year ago
@shenkieoh i think they were too expensive to run because of the rising price of coal and the new diesel trains which replaced them were more efficient
5Oblivion 1 year ago
They spent 24 million or more on a Transformers movie, but they don't pitch in 2.2. million to restore a Big Boy. Pathetic.
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JessaWewe 1 year ago
anyone know if there are still any left alive?
KuKoKaNuKo 1 year ago
@KuKoKaNuKo Yes there are, 1 more is still in use but all of the rest were parted out, or put in a musiem.
dirtbiker4lfe 1 year ago
@dirtbiker4lfe All the Big Boy engines that didn't get scrapped are now stuffed and mounted, none are operational.
DrStrangelove451 1 year ago
@DrStrangelove451 That is incorrect, There is 1 more still running.
dirtbiker4lfe 1 year ago
Thats a challenger type 4-6-6-4 a big boy is a 4-8-8-4
steamingpoopfart 1 year ago
@steamingpoopfart No that is not, My great grandfather worked on Bigboy and that one is in the a musem in green bay. But I asked the owner because I know him and we took a road trip to see it running.
dirtbiker4lfe 1 year ago
There are no operating big boys in the world
steamingpoopfart 1 year ago
@steamingpoopfart That is incorrect, but if that is what you want to think go right ahead.
dirtbiker4lfe 1 year ago
@dirtbiker4lfe Where is it ? When does it run? Who operates it? I know for a fact that Union Pacific's steam program does not include a 4-8-8-4. Both of their steam locomotives are based in Wyoming, not far from I live, The 3985 Challenger and the 844 Mountain are the only steam power UP still maintains. If you know of a private owner or a restoration group working on a Big Boy I'm sure many thousands of steam fans world wide would love to know more. This is your big chence at fame.
DrStrangelove451 1 year ago
@DrStrangelove451 I do not know them personaly but if you go to the train musem in deluth MN and talk to the owner you can find out.
dirtbiker4lfe 1 year ago
Politics and economics aside, this thing is fucking badass!!!!!
willmeyerson 1 year ago
Help Route the STEAM, go to:
x.up(dot)com/3084
Thanks!
wgcrush 1 year ago
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wgcrush 1 year ago
just... awesome ^^
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daphnem568e 1 year ago
you can see the rails flex as it moves over.
TheGarrettDressler 1 year ago
Awesome!
CSXCP55 1 year ago
mt youtube name is that
TheBigboyfan 1 year ago
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lmanjari 1 year ago
Nice
wrmrrm 1 year ago
That was the best era to have lived through some of my friends Dads drove those BigBoys i was to young but myBrother and i used to hop them.
wendell707 1 year ago
I saw one in a museum today, this thing is huge!!!
yasiths 1 year ago
Zoltan Bebto from Hungary,Europe.
bebtozoltan55 1 year ago
wow amazing locos, its sad to think that while a big boy could be restored because some numbers still exist, it is the infrastructure that means that they will never run, big boys are aprox 14 feet longer than 3985 which means that larger turntables need to be available, sadly i dont think they are pls feel free to correct me if im wrong, to be economically viable these turntables would have to be avialable on the routes which 3985 currently runs, but i really would like to see one run again,
mac8323 1 year ago
2:40 to 3:00...a truly beautiful shot
nurfhearder 1 year ago
Im a Brit and only yesterday I saw Bittern, a member of the same class as Mallard, the worlds fastest steam locomotive. But if Britain built the fastest, the US built the biggest and most powerful and the Big Boy class were just superb. Great video - thanks for sharing. Woodscritter - you're right, but you have no soul - life is more than a matter of dollars and cents!
wingco214 1 year ago
@wingco214 Nonsense. I'm not going to let some romantic fascination with visions of the past distort simple reality. The best buggy whip is not in demand.
Transportation machinery must be as efficient as possible to remain competitive. It must also be a good neighbor- not choking people, and not a health threat to crews.
I've enjoyed exploring all manner of old machinery, to see their influence in getting us to where we are. It's certainly NOT all pounds and shillings.
woodscritter 1 year ago
hey there big boy
finalfantasymovies 1 year ago
Steam could pull all the way over the rocky mountains, High altitude din't bother them. Except for the soot they were not hard on the ecology.
redbaroniii 1 year ago
@redbaroniii
Actually, their low thermal efficiency, less than a third of a diesel, was a problem. They burned lots of fuel, discharging you-know-what.
They were stressful on crews- dirt, noise, heat, extremely bright light of fire.
Santa Fe found out really quickly how much better diesels pulled a load, and didn't have to stop every 100 mi. for water. A problem in desert or mountains.
Modern diesels, with one crew, haul much longer and heavier trains than Big Boy.
woodscritter 1 year ago
@woodscritter "Modern diesels, with one crew, haul much longer and heavier trains than Big Boy." I can't imagine that... The EMD DDA40X - one of the most powerful diesels ever build - has 400hp more but 6kN less tractive effort... The last days i searched for loco with more tractive effort than 602kN (big boy) but i didn't find any.
Debauchery89 1 year ago
@Debauchery89 Seems your assuming single engine only (though Big Boy actually has two), Then consider GE AC6000CW, with rated peak TE of 200,000 lb, and continuous TE of 166,000 @ 10 mph, vice Big Boy's 135,000 max TE.
Then, note how you can MU diesels until the limiting TE factor is coupling force limit. Then add radio links to distributed power. Thus my statement.
Check out the enormous ore trains on the Pilbara (Aus.) with 6 AC6000CW.
Steam is waaaaaaay more labor-intensive.
woodscritter 1 year ago
@Debauchery89: FOR-PROFIT-BUSINESSES don't care a flying nothing about "tractive effort" they ONLY care about what it COSTS to run their business..... when they found out that diesels cost WAY less to haul the same amount of traffic as steam the death of steam was guaranteed.
YOU need to look up "economics 101".
lukebccb 1 year ago
@woodscritter: Everybody here runs their brains on emotions. I've posted over and over again that railroads are FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES that are looking for LOWER costs - meaning diesel loco over steam loco but the emotional-driven posters will have none of it.
Also, WWII actually slowed the diesel conversion. If not for the war, railroads would've been dieselized by the mid-1940s rather than late 40s/early 50s.
lukebccb 1 year ago