How A Steam Locomotive Operates

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Originally Posted by JHZR2
150 miles max before regreasing!

Out here in the desert they had to put on water every 10 miles or so. Used to be a towns with water for the train long before R66 came through.
 
I've been watching railroad videos on YT for the past few weeks, and watched one exclusively about the history of UP 844. Its story is epic. UP has used it for public relations purposes on steam excursion train service for much longer than it was in revenue service. A few times it has been used as a helper or to rescue diesels that broke down on the main line. It has been rebuilt at least twice, and for a while went by number 8444.
 
Originally Posted by Blaze
I'm always amazed at the size of those drive wheels when workers stand next to them.

I watched a show on the Southern Pacific Daylight. One of the most beautiful of the fully restored steam locomotives. The engineer said that every steam locomotive has what is termed reciprocating mass.

That is the part of the running gear that goes back and forth, not round and round. The reciprocating mass on the Southern Pacific Daylight weighed 6,000 pounds on each side. He said when the train is going down the track at 80 MPH, that running gear is changing direction 11 times a second.

He said it was a bit unnerving to look down at it out the cab. The mere thought of anything coming loose at that speed made your hair stand on end.
 
Originally Posted by A_Harman
I've been watching railroad videos on YT for the past few weeks, and watched one exclusively about the history of UP 844. Its story is epic. UP has used it for public relations purposes on steam excursion train service for much longer than it was in revenue service. A few times it has been used as a helper or to rescue diesels that broke down on the main line. It has been rebuilt at least twice, and for a while went by number 8444.

They now have 2 Big Boy's fully restored and operating. (3985 & 4014). The largest steam locomotive ever manufactured. The locomotive and tender have a combined weight of 1,250,000 pounds. Only 25 were ever built. These trains are so popular, crowds gather wherever they appear.

Cab

[Linked Image]
 
3985 is a Challenger series locomotive, a cousin to Big Boy.

Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by A_Harman
I've been watching railroad videos on YT for the past few weeks, and watched one exclusively about the history of UP 844. Its story is epic. UP has used it for public relations purposes on steam excursion train service for much longer than it was in revenue service. A few times it has been used as a helper or to rescue diesels that broke down on the main line. It has been rebuilt at least twice, and for a while went by number 8444.

They now have 2 Big Boy's fully restored and operating. (3985 & 4014). The largest steam locomotive ever manufactured. The locomotive and tender have a combined weight of 1,250,000 pounds. Only 25 were ever built. These trains are so popular, crowds gather wherever they appear.

Cab

[Linked Image]
 
Thanks for posting
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I've watched several videos of UP 844 at speed in the past couple of years, but had never seen this one. I turn the volume up on the stereo when I'm watching those videos, my wife rolls her eyes and my daughter shakes her head, but I'm having a good time!
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UPRR 844 is a high stepping dandy while 4014 is all about brawn. Saw 4014 come through our city this summer and have see 844 many times along the transcontinental route. UP spends the big $$ on the steam heritage program. Publicity and good-will must be worth the high dollars spent every year. The many furloughed UP employees probably have a lot of *&^%$#$% to say about that idea. We used to have three of four trains an hour through our city, the turn down in car loadings has reduced traffic to maybe sixty trains a day. But we can still hear the UP blowing through town 24/7.
 
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