1000HP from a steam engine built in 1941. It came thru our little town and I was lucky enough to get a shot of it. Don't think it burns coal anymore. Looked like it was converted to diesel. There was a lot of interest in it. Bunch of really old dudes in engineers caps. It was really neat to see them. Just a remarkable piece of engineering. A 1000HP frigging boiler on wheels!! I see two drive mechanisms so I think it hat two separate boilers. This thing is the bomb!!!!
The Big Boy sat on the track at the Railroad museum on the Pomona Fairgrounds for 50 years. 4014 was selected as the best candidate for total restoration by the Union Pacific heritage shop. Of all the Big Boys that were in museums, or city parks, the docents at the Pomona museum had taken the best care of 4014. They lubed it quarterly, and kept the paint in good shape to avoid rust. In November of 2013, I watched as UP track workers laid panel track across the parking lot parallel to the drag strip. It took 4 days to reach the mainline on the north side of the fairgrounds. They would set 6 sections at a time in front of the locomotive, tow it to the last section of track, then pick up the track at the rear, and lay it in front again. So coordinated and precision it was beautiful to watch. When it reached the mainline, diesels were waiting to tow the Big Boy to the UP steam facility in Wyoming. About half way across the parking lot.
The most remarkable fact about the Big Boy locomotives is that they could pull a mile of cars at 70MPH without a helper locomotive! Think about that. It takes 4 or 5 of todays diesels to do that. They were built in 1941 to move goods and soldiers for the war effort as fast as possible.
Yes, they were in the Mallet class which means basically, two engines sharing a common boiler, on a frame that pivots in the middle. The frame pivot was needed to negotiate curves.
The Union Pacific 4014 makes about 6300 HP at the drawbar @ 41 MPH. It is one of the survivors of the class of the largest steam locomotives ever produced bar none, including the C &O locomotive at the Ford Museum.
No, it's a "simple" articulated. A Mallet was an articulated locomotive that used exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinders on the rear engine to power the low pressure cylinders on the front engine. The engines of the 4014 operate separately from one another.
The Big Boy was too long to negotiate the curves in the East. The Allegheny 2666 and the Penn. Q2 reigned king on this side of the tracks. Edit: The length of the turnstiles also forced the design of shorter locomotives.
The 4014 is on exhibit in West Chicago, IL and even in the heat and humidity it drew a huge crowd today. Here’s a long shot of the locomotive and the crowd, well it was like a freakin’ ant farm.
Although shorter the H8 2-6-6-6 generated over 7,500 at 40 mph. Railroad guys are still arguing which was better but I think they were all remarkable. There is not a better visual for power in my book than to view a working steam locomotive.
...it's coming to Rochelle, Il. on Tuesday morning, then goes west all the way to Wyoming,...celebrating the 150 years of continental railway...Google "Big Boy route," and you;ll get the whole timeframe of the route.
It will go through my town Wednesday. I watched a Challenger pass through about 17 years ago, and saw the Allegheny last summer at The Henry Ford. Love that big iron!
I was a Stationary Engineer by trade . Steam has tons of energy stored to be used . Only issue is you better damn well have way more than calculated gallons of water on hand to feed that monster . I have witnessed a couple boiler explosions . Not a pretty sight and death is always part of the final equation . Water to steam is 1700/1 expansion rate . That is superheated dry steam on a locomotive . I would estimate 500 psi operating pressure and about 475* in temp . Nothing be caught a sleep at the wheel while operating . Google the wreck of the Old 97 . Good reading. Thanks for the post and photos
We will see it Wednesday near Marshalltown Iowa mid day for a short stop. See it stationary for sure and then try to locate yourself were it can be heard under power. Listen closely for the "jingle and the roar" as it gains speed. You won't forget it. Brave were the men who throttled those beasts.
When I was a kid, every night at about 5:20 pm, one of those huge locomotives would make it's way through our town of Royal Oak, Michigan. I will NEVER forget how majestic they were. If I heard it, I knew my Dad would be home from Chrysler Corporation in a few minutes.
Some images to share with you . High Balling is the term for the major ciders , smoke and ash flying out the stack . High Ballin low on water , and the next message is Boss we have a problem !
I was there in West Chicago today as well. The crowd was much larger then I anticipated. She is really something to see, and pictures don't give you a true feeling of scale. I work on and around trains every day and the Big Boy dwarfs todays equipment. The sound the steam whistle let out was nothing like the diesel locomotives of today.
I don’t remember exactly what year it was in the mid fifties and I was in elementary school in the suburbs of Detroit. There was a a very busy railway the ran next to the school through Detroit, Dearborn, Melvindale and Allen Park. I had seen steam locomotives but not for a long time. The trains that ran past the school were all diesels. One day on the playground I heard a different sound and it was a huge steam locomotive with a tender but no other cars. I remember stopping what ever we were playing to watch it go by. The steam, smoke, sound and overall size was incredible. Never saw another steam locomotive on those tracks. Don’t know where it went or was going but it really made an impression.
Their water carrying capacity is 40K + gallons between the two tenders. This locomotive uses Type E superheaters and the boiler carries 300 PSI working pressure.
The Fireman as we thinking shoveling coal in that monster , just doesn’t happen . All done with a stoker . Very interesting stuff , for me . I was 19 years old when I started into working on Boilers and Equipment . It takes hours and hours of yearly maintenance , required by code for safe operations of the boiler and all the needed equipment to keep one operating . Fun job for me , but it is a tough job . It’s a young mans , job I’m broken as everyone of us that did the work for many years . Thanks again for the post
I plan on watching 4014 arrive back in Cheyenne on the 8th then a mad dash to Speed Week. Double cool!! JW
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