Someday very soon I am going to Colorado to witness this and take a ride on this railroad. Great videos by the YouTube poster. Unreal that the coal used to fire this locomotive has beeen in operation for over 100 years also.
How to fire and operate a steam locomotive
- Thread starter 53' Stude
- Start date
My dad, 97 and still gets around a little was a fireman, later locomotive engineer for Seaboard Airline Railroad from the early 1940's til the late 1970's. When he started the vast majority of SAL locomotives were steam. In the early 1950's the tide turned towards diesels. SAL converted some of their coal fired steamers over the years to burn Bunker C, and the later and larger coal fired steam locomotives had mechanical stokers, thankfully. He is one of the very last of the generation who operated steam locomotives in revenue service in the US.
Last edited:
My grandfather ran engines for the Southern from the early '30s into the '70s. Definitely loved it when they converted to diesel-electric! He did however keep running the steam engines until he retired on excursions and special events. For a long while he was the designated engineer for the Southern 4501 when it did excursions, which I rode with him a lot as a kid. Good memories. It's still in excursion use. The 4501 is very similar to the 484 Mikado in that video, both from Baldwin. The 4501 is a little bit known since it was in the Johnny Cash video for "Hurt," Cash was sitting in my grandfather's old seat. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_4501#21st_century_operations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_4501#21st_century_operations
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 2,581
I would literally pay just to have the privilege of shoveling coal into the firebox for a day. A great workout too.
I had a great day at the ZigZag railway, stoking for a day.
An old workmate was the driver, and he was on the board of the historic railway.
The power station I run is coal and steam...similar but different...
My bucket list is to have a steam engine.
An old workmate was the driver, and he was on the board of the historic railway.
The power station I run is coal and steam...similar but different...
My bucket list is to have a steam engine.
That is a massive beast, and gives new definition to the term "intimidating" !
I really like steam. Steam engines have really impressive torque.
I had a small steam engine before I could see onto the table where the adults were playing with it. I still have it.
I should have gotten my steam ticket when I graduated from Mechanical Engineering. I looked over the steam course at the time and I had just studied all that stuff. Probably too hard now.
PS Steam kind of reminds me of electric.
I had a small steam engine before I could see onto the table where the adults were playing with it. I still have it.
I should have gotten my steam ticket when I graduated from Mechanical Engineering. I looked over the steam course at the time and I had just studied all that stuff. Probably too hard now.
PS Steam kind of reminds me of electric.
Cumbres and Toltec across Cumbres Pass? Antonito,CO to Chama,NM.,three foot rail. Remember it when it was in revenue service.
Thanks for posting. Impressive. Please post when you get the chance to do this, it is on my bucket list.
I crossed one item off of my list when I did the trolley operator experience at the CT Trolley Museum. One of the most fun things I've done is learning how to set up, 'pre flight' check, operate and return a ~100 y/o machine.
I crossed one item off of my list when I did the trolley operator experience at the CT Trolley Museum. One of the most fun things I've done is learning how to set up, 'pre flight' check, operate and return a ~100 y/o machine.
Even the most inefficient coal fired generating unit is more efficient than a steam locomotive. That was the reason steam locomotive they were replaced by diesel electric power. You and I both learned that in physic 101. Regards
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2021
- Messages
- 5,387
Very curious to know if this is how they ACTUALLY weld the railroad tracks.
I do like trains.
I do like trains.
A monster.
