My great uncle, Merrill Transtrum, was an engineer on 4014 in the '40s. Its crazy to think he once stood in that exact position, blowing the same whistle.
@@jmeyer3rn I wonder if Ed could have ever imagined when he was a young child, playing with his new Lionel train set around the Christmas tree, he'd be sitting in the drivers seat of a real, and fully operational Big Boy locomotive when he became an adult?
This incredible machine represents the very peak of the mechanical age! It can generate over 7000 horsepower without any electric equipment whatsoever -- at least back when it was burning coal in the 1940's. (It's been converted to fuel oil now and that may require an electric pump.) In 1986 I had the privilege of crawling into the firebox of this monster when it was on static display at Pomona, never dreaming it would once again be fired up as the crown of the UP heritage fleet. B-E-A-U-T-FUL!!
The coal-fired Big Boys produced 6290 hp, not 7000+. 4014 produces right around 7000 hp because the cylinders were bored out 1/4 in. No electric pumps for the fuel oil are involved. The fuel oil is mixed with droplets of steam in the atomizer, which sprays the fuel into firebox to burn it.
@@roadwolf2 UP does things a bit differently than that. I’m not sure if the equipment they use in the shop classifies as a steam generator or a boiler, but in any case, they have ways to make steam. This steam is slowly and carefully fed into the locomotive, usually over the course of about three days. Doing it this way minimizes stress on the boiler because metal expands when heated. I don’t know what pressure the shop steam is produced at, but I imagine there’s enough pressure in the locomotive’s boiler to run the blower by the time a fire is lit. After that, the locomotive would become entirely self-sufficient. The blower uses steam to create an artificial draft on the fire in order to sustain it, and help burn hotter to produce more steam. When the throttle is closed, there really isn’t a draft in the firebox, so the blower comes in really handy.
If you’re talking about the long, long, short, long whistle sequence, that’s what engineers are federally required to blow while approaching a public crossing. Now, with a steam whistle you can put some “finesse” on it and “feather” or “quill” it in a unique way, which pretty much everyone has their own technique. Modern diesel locomotives don’t allow you to do this. The horn is an electronic solenoid. It’s either on or off.
@@silicon212 You are correct. That's why I said "modern" diesel locomotives don't have that ability. PTC has unfortunately all but done away with what was left of the manual valves.
I'm a retired British TV cameraman. One of my jobs was to crawl into the firebox of our "Flying Scotsman" locomotive (the firebox on 4014 is much, much bigger than that one). There was just about enough room to operate a small film camera in there (Aaron) + one battery lamp head. Whilst inside I had the worry that the fire door might slam shut and Trap me. Afterwards, I had to take three baths - one after another - and my jacket had to be thrown into the garbage.
While not as big as the Big Boy, the Flying Scotsman is one beautiful steam locomotive, as were a lot of the old British steamers. One of my favorites is this blue British streamlined steam engine. I forgot the name of it, but it's more like a rolling work of art than a piece of transportation. As a die hard train buff I love both American, and foreign trains. One of my lifelong dreams is to take a trip to Japan, and ride a Shinkansen. Seeing the Japanese countryside going by at over 200 mph, must be pretty cool. Plus the trains themselves are just so damn sexy looking.
That is the cleanest, most sparkling footplate I've ever seen! I can see that a lot of love and care has gone into restoring that giant metal beast. 🚂👍
I'll do you one better than that,look at the" pennsy duplex"for years I've always thought the big boy was the largest steam locomotive ever but it's not it's actually the pennsy duplex"it was 9ft longer than the big boy,it too had 4 cylinders like the big boy but it only had 4 giant drivers on it,the big boy had 8 smaller drivers (drv wheels) on it, it was very huge
@@vinceruss1593 Do you mean the S1? I don't think the Pennsy duplex was very successful. Big Boys did what they were intended to do and ruled the rails for close to 20 years.
Back when I was a child in the 60's, me and my cousins used to play on the 4004 at Holliday Park in Cheyenne Wyoming. To bad there's a fence around it now. But quite understand. It was so cool thinking I was an Engineer on it.
That is really nice to be able to see inside the engine of the locomotive I love the 4014 my favorite locomotive thank you so much for showing me this video take care God bless
I love it. Just can't get enough of those old steamers. I've worked for two railways. I just love riding in the power units. Just standing you can feel the power while it's moving. I just never get tired of it after all these years. My best memories. My favorite job. 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I have a vague recollection of having seen Big Boy 4014 in Pomona California when I was 15 years old. It was parked out in the sunshine and wasn't going anywhere. I do remember being very impressed but never dreamed it would roll again. Now I want to go see it again.
I remember a story of a freight train in the mountains that got stuck. A 4-8-4 came up from behind and gave the diesel train a push. 🙂 The engineer didn't know it was a steamer.
I’ve actually sat in 4014’s cab last year during a private tour of UP’s steam shop and roundhouse in Cheyenne, WY. It was pretty warm in there. Ed Dickens blew the whistle for us as well. It was fun being up close with it. 844 is still doing well despite not having been run since 2019.
It’s very impressive in person, on another level than a static Big Boy. The flames visible in the firebox from the outside were huge and angry. The sheer heat that comes off 4014 is truly terrifying.
My granddaughter and I had the honor of sitting in the cab of a Big Boy, in St Louis, MO. This video has special meaning to me 😊. God Bless You, Be Safe, and Have Fun!
Abel G - PTC is in the process of being required for steamers on the major railroads. Most of the recent fan trips of Milwaukee Road 261 have been ran on the Twin Cities & Western. The Twin Cities & Western is a short-line railroad that operates part of the former Milwaukee Road' transcontinental line.
@@Petemonster62 I really thought steamers would be left out but wow, I'm sure glad to see them being modernized with the newest safety equipment. Hopefully with that we see them more often! Thanks for the info!!!
@@RandolphMcguttersmelf 🤣😂🤣 I can hear the beeps from the reversing sensors when they back it up too! A camera up forward would be a useful retrofit, though. There's enough room in that cab to display the image on a 75 inch 4k TV.
Yea, no kidding. I was at the stretch between Poplar Bluff and Scott City Mo. huge crowd at one crossing, amazing spot to get it. there was more than likely a lot of people getting pictures at the Nestle Purinas kitty litter plant a few miles up from us. But once Big Boy came by, everyone hopped in their vehicles and their tires spun on the gravel to chance after.
I cannot imagine the engineer and fireman leaning out of the cab windows to see ahead in rain, snow, sleet. I also cannot imagine the heat in the cab during summer even with windows open and a roof hatch open. Gotta give a tip of the hat.
That cab sure has been modernized from what it was originally but everyone's so happy a big Boy is up and running. Big Boys always had 4 man crews. Was that backup for the engineer and fireman?
@@rudycarlson8245 The other side of that console has controls for running the backup Diesel - Throttle, etc. If - Heaven Forfend! - The Big Boy runs into a problem, the Diesel behind can be controlled from the 4014 Engineer's seat.
@@rudycarlson8245 The main drawback is they wear out and never get fixed on freight engines. BN and BNSF used to have them on a lot of units but they’re slowly removing the jacks. On a steam locomotive they prevent you from hearing a lot of things you need to hear and react to. They’re just overall cumbersome to use on a locomotive.
I seen a video someone made of the train at top speed they followed along the road paralleing the tracks and it was funny watching them all just sit there with their heads out the wind intheir faces and sitting there all relaxed as the train practically was driving itself. pretty cool it was my favorite video of this train at full speed, and they are just enjoying the ride.
I paid $900 for my girlfriend and I to fly in B17 909, and I can tell you it was the best $900 I ever spent. It was so fun, I felt like a little kid doing the funnest thing everrr. And in six months 909 was gone forever. RIP crew and passengers.
Wow this must be the only Steam Locomotive in the world that has Positive Train Control installed on it. It must have taken quite a bit of engineering work and modification to install modern Positive Train Control on a Steam Locomotive that is about 80 years old. Usually it is difficult to install modern microprocessor controlled devices on old equipment that was never designed for it.
@@bdub215 actually, its a remote dashboard, with full capacities, using all the sensors and info thru a cable from the diesel 4015, this should be called "4014 PTC 1.0".
Most of the people who get to ride the cab are either steam crew, VIPs with UP or pilot engineers. It sure would be an amazing experience for a normal train fan
I forgot it's oil-fired and was wondering why the "fireman" wasn't kicking the plate and stoking the boiler. So clean in the cab! As there's no fireman, is that crewman monitoring boiler temp and the fuel flow? New title. Or does the conductor assume both roles? Excellent vid!
Even back in the day when it was coal fired it was still automated via mechanical stoaker A human being cannot physically shovel enough coal into the boiler to make it run
Nobody blows a Steam Whistle better Than Engineer Ed Dickens. By the Way I LOVE Hancock Longbell 3 chime steam whistles. keep it up Engineer Ed Dickens 😉😉
I wish I could ride in the cab of Big Boy. I'll never forgive my father for not working on the RR. He would have been the 6th generation on the L&N and I could have been the 7th.
It was always my dream to see a bigboy live. I am happy that I was able to experience the restored 4014 as a German tourist on its first run. That the UP 844 pulled the train together with the 4014 the first train was the absolute increase of the experience.
Haha. Notice everyone wears overalls. Tradition, l guess. No coveralls. Aboard ship, in the engineroom, l'd always cut the long sleeves off my coveralls. Marginally cooler. l'd frequently go up into the control room to cool off and for a long swig of cool water. 130 deg. + in the lo latitudes. Higher latitudes were better. Cooler.
Not nearly a rough ride like a 2-8-2, 2-8-0 or similar locomotive. Of course, they are on welded rail which is much smoother than jointed rail. Great video.
From a semi well versed industrial technicians standpoint, this is terrifying. I would not ride or drive that thing. But, MOJOR thanks to those who do!
just a quick question, that things that is attached to where the Coal goes into, is that there so that the coal or whatever can be automaticly put into the burner somehow without it having to be shoveled in like how its normally done, or what is that actually for>>>
This locomotive does not burn coal, it burns oil. Back when it was in regular service and it did burn coal. There was a device known as a “automatic Stoker“ that would feed the coal into the firebox without having to shovel it.
I don't know what PTC stands for, or what information/function it serves, but I did see it. Awesome video. I got to climb up into the cab of the Big Boy at Steamtown, but nothing like seeing an operating cab.
Positive train control. Feeds live track info to the cab and in certain cases can even stop the train if there’s an issue (that part is still being worked on for the steam locomotives but from what I understand they’ve made great headway.) you will continue to see them installed on all these locomotives if they want to run mainline excursions.
@@kellingc System is accurate to about 25ft. Knows everything about your train ie length tonnage number of cars engines ect. Knows the route your taking. The speeds the grades, curvature, signals, work areas and if it dosent like what your doing it will stop your train. Maybe not the Big Boy but any other train equipped with PTC.
Acknowledgement needs to be given to Steve Lee and the team he worked with 40 years ago getting Challenger 3985 restored. Without their hard work & thousands of volunteer man-hours, 4014 would’ve never had a parts source to get operating.
@@rudycarlson8245 A handful, and I mean a handful of parts were removed from 3985 to be used as cores and overhauled. Things like the dynamo and air pumps which are completely interchangeable between classes and inconsequential to the overall design.
To me.this cab looks huge. Does it seem huge while you’re running. And Mr Dicken is in such command of this beauty. It’s got to be an intense and possibly stressful job even on a good day. May I be nosy? Where do you guys sleep? Do you have crew facilities, bunks etc. I’m coming to St Louis MO. Then.
This was taken with the iPhone’s wide angle video camera. It makes the cab look bigger than it really is. It was still big enough. There were 6 of us in there at the time
Truly one of the very hottest things I’ve ever willingly done. Outside air temp was in the high 80s at 8 am when we left KC. 96 by the time I got off at Paola. And that’s the firebox in the middle of the front of the cab.
The cab on UP engines were notoriously larger than most steam locomotives, so they are quite roomy by comparison to others. They usually sleep on the train.
My great uncle, Merrill Transtrum, was an engineer on 4014 in the '40s. Its crazy to think he once stood in that exact position, blowing the same whistle.
So cool. I can only imagine. Thanks for sharing 👌
And if true think of how hot that would be with coal instead of oil
It's the same temperature, coal or oil... still heating the water to steam...
@@ryanbrink2755 Or how much coal 4014 and other Big Boys carried.
When the 4014 was on display in Pomona could go in the cab where he stood.
Ed is literally the worlds largest kid getting to drive the worlds largest toy
I absolutely agree!! 😆
I’m so totally addicted to this historic loco stuff. I’m sure Ed is living his dream. I’m so incredibly amazed at what he and UP Steam have done.
Playing trains with the world’s largest trainset
@@mengers06 , LOL! 😂
Guess I'm odd man out here, but who's Ed?
I bet Ed feels like the king of the world sitting on his lofty throne in his mighty mobile castle of vintage Alco steel.
with the red scarf flying in the wind
@@theoutsiderartists1231 really hard working folk with an amazing privilege.
2 big boys in the Big Boy 🤗
And who wouldn’t 😎
@@jmeyer3rn I wonder if Ed could have ever imagined when he was a young child, playing with his new Lionel train set around the Christmas tree, he'd be sitting in the drivers seat of a real, and fully operational Big Boy locomotive when he became an adult?
This incredible machine represents the very peak of the mechanical age! It can generate over 7000 horsepower without any electric equipment whatsoever -- at least back when it was burning coal in the 1940's. (It's been converted to fuel oil now and that may require an electric pump.) In 1986 I had the privilege of crawling into the firebox of this monster when it was on static display at Pomona, never dreaming it would once again be fired up as the crown of the UP heritage fleet.
B-E-A-U-T-FUL!!
The coal-fired Big Boys produced 6290 hp, not 7000+. 4014 produces right around 7000 hp because the cylinders were bored out 1/4 in.
No electric pumps for the fuel oil are involved. The fuel oil is mixed with droplets of steam in the atomizer, which sprays the fuel into firebox to burn it.
If I’m right they may of used a pump or even shop air on initial light up till steam pressure is raised but I’m not sure
@@roadwolf2 UP does things a bit differently than that. I’m not sure if the equipment they use in the shop classifies as a steam generator or a boiler, but in any case, they have ways to make steam. This steam is slowly and carefully fed into the locomotive, usually over the course of about three days. Doing it this way minimizes stress on the boiler because metal expands when heated.
I don’t know what pressure the shop steam is produced at, but I imagine there’s enough pressure in the locomotive’s boiler to run the blower by the time a fire is lit. After that, the locomotive would become entirely self-sufficient. The blower uses steam to create an artificial draft on the fire in order to sustain it, and help burn hotter to produce more steam. When the throttle is closed, there really isn’t a draft in the firebox, so the blower comes in really handy.
@@blackbirdgaming8147 I was only surmising. I wasn’t sure how it was actually done with a cold engine
Black bird gaming is a know it all!
The engineer with the red bandana blowing around his neck has got to be the ultimate human Snoopy, that is so cool looking.
He looks like a clown.
@@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975 Wow! Some rail fan you are.
Nobody's allowed to insult Engineer Ed Dickens And You're just stupid troll wanting attention
@@alvit123 That is not my comment and I will be reporting it.
I agree with you
There’s literally a cadence to how he blows that whistle. So cool!
If you’re talking about the long, long, short, long whistle sequence, that’s what engineers are federally required to blow while approaching a public crossing. Now, with a steam whistle you can put some “finesse” on it and “feather” or “quill” it in a unique way, which pretty much everyone has their own technique. Modern diesel locomotives don’t allow you to do this. The horn is an electronic solenoid. It’s either on or off.
@@splitreduction Yes! The “finesse” is what I am talking about. There is a skill to it I believe.
@@splitreduction Some of the older diesels have / had a valve which could also be feathered for the air horn.
@@silicon212 You are correct. That's why I said "modern" diesel locomotives don't have that ability. PTC has unfortunately all but done away with what was left of the manual valves.
I'm a retired British TV cameraman. One of my jobs was to crawl into the firebox of our "Flying Scotsman" locomotive (the firebox on 4014 is much, much bigger than that one). There was just about enough room to operate a small film camera in there (Aaron) + one battery lamp head. Whilst inside I had the worry that the fire door might slam shut and Trap me. Afterwards, I had to take three baths - one after another - and my jacket had to be thrown into the garbage.
Sounds pretty claustrophobic. I forgot the door clicks shut automatically! Why the baths, was she oil fired?
@@Nathriel
The Big Boys were coal fired back in the days of revenue steam.
While not as big as the Big Boy, the Flying Scotsman is one beautiful steam locomotive, as were a lot of the old British steamers. One of my favorites is this blue British streamlined steam engine. I forgot the name of it, but it's more like a rolling work of art than a piece of transportation.
As a die hard train buff I love both American, and foreign trains. One of my lifelong dreams is to take a trip to Japan, and ride a Shinkansen. Seeing the Japanese countryside going by at over 200 mph, must be pretty cool. Plus the trains themselves are just so damn sexy looking.
@@Nathriel It's pretty.dirty in there.
THE Flying Scotsman?! :O
That is the cleanest, most sparkling footplate I've ever seen! I can see that a lot of love and care has gone into restoring that giant metal beast. 🚂👍
I think that same way. So clean, it's amazing!
Man what a machine! No diesel has that kind of personality! Great video!
MAN,I would be in HEAVEN to be in there with them enjoying the sights, sounds and the feel of it charging down the tracks.😎❤
Ed looks like he’s having the time of his life! :D
Imagine how awesome that would be controlling that giant locomotive!
Imagine controlling it back in the say with a 2-mile freight behind you and no diesel backup!
Agree, a sublime experience like no other - controlling that awesome machine with every superbly engineered component working in unison.
I'll do you one better than that,look at the" pennsy duplex"for years I've always thought the big boy was the largest steam locomotive ever but it's not it's actually the pennsy duplex"it was 9ft longer than the big boy,it too had 4 cylinders like the big boy but it only had 4 giant drivers on it,the big boy had 8 smaller drivers (drv wheels) on it, it was very huge
@@vinceruss1593 Do you mean the S1? I don't think the Pennsy duplex was very successful. Big Boys did what they were intended to do and ruled the rails for close to 20 years.
Best job in the world!
Back when I was a child in the 60's, me and my cousins used to play on the 4004 at Holliday Park in Cheyenne Wyoming. To bad there's a fence around it now. But quite understand. It was so cool thinking I was an Engineer on it.
Glad those designers at alco made such a large cab---that PTC console and riders use a lot of space!!
An amazing man-made creation. It's alive!
That is really nice to be able to see inside the engine of the locomotive I love the 4014 my favorite locomotive thank you so much for showing me this video take care God bless
I love it. Just can't get enough of those old steamers. I've worked for two railways. I just love riding in the power units. Just standing you can feel the power while it's moving. I just never get tired of it after all these years. My best memories.
My favorite job. 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
You can tell by the way he acts. Running the 4014, firing it, working on it or talking to any railfan, that he loves his job.
I have a vague recollection of having seen Big Boy 4014 in Pomona California when I was 15 years old. It was parked out in the sunshine and wasn't going anywhere. I do remember being very impressed but never dreamed it would roll again. Now I want to go see it again.
Love Ed's Red Baron scarf!! Lol.
I remember a story of a freight train in the mountains that got stuck. A 4-8-4 came up from behind and gave the diesel train a push. 🙂 The engineer didn't know it was a steamer.
Was it 4014?
@@Redwagon2012 it was not a big boy. It was a 4-8-4 I didn't get the number on it. :-(
@@sissypoettler5945 844
Probably the closet I’ll ever get to riding in the cab of a steam locomotive. Nice video!
The whistle work is sexy. The valves… it looks like there are a lot fewer than in the old 4006 we visited.
A few that regulated functions while the engine was coal fired were removed with the oil conversion.
@@splitreduction makes sense to me. Redundancies are just… redundant.
my dream is to ride in the cab of this amazing marvel and be able to pull that whistle, omg. This is my favorite locomotive.
My arm would get tired from blowing the whistle soooo much. Love the steam whistle.
That has got to be the best job in the world!
I’ve actually sat in 4014’s cab last year during a private tour of UP’s steam shop and roundhouse in Cheyenne, WY. It was pretty warm in there. Ed Dickens blew the whistle for us as well. It was fun being up close with it. 844 is still doing well despite not having been run since 2019.
That is awesome! That must have been a pleasure!
Ed plays that whistle like a fine musical instrument.
Real American know-how.
I would love to see 4014 in person
Saw her yesterday morning, still just dumbfounded at the scale
It’s very impressive in person, on another level than a static Big Boy. The flames visible in the firebox from the outside were huge and angry.
The sheer heat that comes off 4014 is truly terrifying.
Just did 30 minutes ago and it was amazing I almost ran off the road looking at her
@@rungcox4823 so cool 😎 did you get a video
@@TrainBoyz999 no I was driving back home from school so unfortunately no
That has to be the most spacious cab I have ever seen.
Wow great video! Got the PTC along for the ride!
My granddaughter and I had the honor of sitting in the cab of a Big Boy, in St Louis, MO. This video has special meaning to me 😊. God Bless You, Be Safe, and Have Fun!
These type of videos bring me tremendous amount of joy. :)
Love that deep whistle!!! Hope UP NEVER changes it!!!
Lol PTC on a steam locomotive!??? Damn we're really going into the future with this 😂
this is more back to the future III it looks like.....
Abel G - PTC is in the process of being required for steamers on the major railroads. Most of the recent fan trips of Milwaukee Road 261 have been ran on the Twin Cities & Western. The Twin Cities & Western is a short-line railroad that operates part of the former Milwaukee Road' transcontinental line.
@@Petemonster62 I really thought steamers would be left out but wow, I'm sure glad to see them being modernized with the newest safety equipment. Hopefully with that we see them more often! Thanks for the info!!!
Now, exactly where did Doc Brown hide his flux capacitor?
@@ltmundy1164 in the silver mine.
The Hog Head must of received a A+ in whistle blowing.
its amazing how bad the forward visability was, it would be a long 12-16 hour day (back then) leaning out the window
Totally!! And no safety glasses; how many engine crews suffered eye impacts from insects, cinders etc?!
I don’t understand why they don’t use cameras on front and rear to get better views. Seems logical to me.
They didn’t have cameras
@@RandolphMcguttersmelf 🤣😂🤣 I can hear the beeps from the reversing sensors when they back it up too! A camera up forward would be a useful retrofit, though. There's enough room in that cab to display the image on a 75 inch 4k TV.
@@RandolphMcguttersmelf It is something we could do with today's technology.
The 4014 passed through my town of Luling,La. Truly a magnificent sight.
Wow!! I just looked at the BB pics that I climbed and walked into the cab. They removed alot of piping from this cab.
And just think our small phone speakers or whatever device speakers you have don’t do this whistle justice with how loud it actually is.
Yea, no kidding.
I was at the stretch between Poplar Bluff and Scott City Mo. huge crowd at one crossing, amazing spot to get it. there was more than likely a lot of people getting pictures at the Nestle Purinas kitty litter plant a few miles up from us. But once Big Boy came by, everyone hopped in their vehicles and their tires spun on the gravel to chance after.
That driver is a maestro with the whistle!
"Engineer" not "Driver" "Engineer" is the correct Term for Someone Who Operates trains in America
I cannot imagine the engineer and fireman leaning out of the cab windows to see ahead in rain, snow, sleet. I also cannot imagine the heat in the cab during summer even with windows open and a roof hatch open. Gotta give a tip of the hat.
God bless you Ed Dickens I love you and your Team
Awesom video, just awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Damn I’m jealous of that engineer!! My late great grandpa was a steam engineer…
I got an adrenaline rush just watching this and hearing that whistle....
Pretty awesome!
That cab sure has been modernized from what it was originally but everyone's so happy a big Boy is up and running. Big Boys always had 4 man crews. Was that backup for the engineer and fireman?
its a little light at the back, those 2 guys balance it out.
@@rearspeaker6364 Yep. They are the Big Boy's Big Boys!
The only way he has been modernized is The positive train control and being converted to burn oil that’s it!
5 months later.....I'll chime in: the backup for the engineer and fireman are cooling down in the diesel loco's cab.
@@rudycarlson8245 The other side of that console has controls for running the backup Diesel - Throttle, etc. If - Heaven Forfend! - The Big Boy runs into a problem, the Diesel behind can be controlled from the 4014 Engineer's seat.
The crew needs Dave Clark headsets on a party line like aircraft crews.
Railroads tried that 30 years ago. Didn’t work.
@@splitreduction why didn’t it work?
Rodger, rodger
@@rudycarlson8245 The main drawback is they wear out and never get fixed on freight engines. BN and BNSF used to have them on a lot of units but they’re slowly removing the jacks. On a steam locomotive they prevent you from hearing a lot of things you need to hear and react to. They’re just overall cumbersome to use on a locomotive.
@@splitreduction Thanks for the info
Wow awesome footage of inside the cab of the train how spacious it is 😮
Awesome Experience! 👍
I seen a video someone made of the train at top speed they followed along the road paralleing the tracks and it was funny watching them all just sit there with their heads out the wind intheir faces and sitting there all relaxed as the train practically was driving itself. pretty cool it was my favorite video of this train at full speed, and they are just enjoying the ride.
I once paid 400 bucks to fly in a B-17........I'd pay twice that to ride in that engine.
I paid $900 for my girlfriend and I to fly in B17 909, and I can tell you it was the best $900 I ever spent. It was so fun, I felt like a little kid doing the funnest thing everrr. And in six months 909 was gone forever. RIP crew and passengers.
Wow this must be the only Steam Locomotive in the world that has Positive Train Control installed on it. It must have taken quite a bit of engineering work and modification to install modern Positive Train Control on a Steam Locomotive that is about 80 years old. Usually it is difficult to install modern microprocessor controlled devices on old equipment that was never designed for it.
Only one for now. It’ll be more widely adapted soon.
@@bdub215 actually, its a remote dashboard, with full capacities, using all the sensors and info thru a cable from the diesel 4015, this should be called "4014 PTC 1.0".
David, in actuality I believe the Flying Scotsman in Britain was mandated to have PTC when she was restored.
Most of the people who get to ride the cab are either steam crew, VIPs with UP or pilot engineers. It sure would be an amazing experience for a normal train fan
that's what the 2 big fellows are, plus ballast for the missing coal stoker!
Incredible smoothly running and clean! 😍 I think the loudest noise is coming from the oil burner.
I forgot it's oil-fired and was wondering why the "fireman" wasn't kicking the plate and stoking the boiler. So clean in the cab! As there's no fireman, is that crewman monitoring boiler temp and the fuel flow? New title. Or does the conductor assume both roles? Excellent vid!
He’s still the fireman with the same basic functions regardless of type of fuel.
@@splitreduction OK, thanks.
Even back in the day when it was coal fired it was still automated via mechanical stoaker
A human being cannot physically shovel enough coal into the boiler to make it run
@@automan224
I’ve heard stories of that happening but it is extremely exhausting.
It surprises me how big the cab is on the inside. I love hearing the whistle.
Ed… if God had a toy train and was playing with it… it would feel like this
That’s so cool!!
Nobody blows a Steam Whistle better Than Engineer Ed Dickens. By the Way I LOVE Hancock Longbell 3 chime steam whistles. keep it up Engineer Ed Dickens 😉😉
I wish I could ride in the cab of Big Boy. I'll never forgive my father for not working on the RR. He would have been the 6th generation on the L&N and I could have been the 7th.
It was always my dream to see a bigboy live. I am happy that I was able to experience the restored 4014 as a German tourist on its first run. That the UP 844 pulled the train together with the 4014 the first train was the absolute increase of the experience.
Eat your heart out Elon and Jeff!!!!🤣
Funny good stuff. They can’t top this and I don’t care.
@@jmeyer3rn Man, you ain't kidding...
Haha. Notice everyone wears overalls. Tradition, l guess. No coveralls. Aboard ship, in the engineroom, l'd always cut the long sleeves off my coveralls. Marginally cooler. l'd frequently go up into the control room to cool off and for a long swig of cool water. 130 deg. + in the lo latitudes. Higher latitudes were better. Cooler.
its about a workout just to blow the whistle! awesome video!
Makes a fellas hair stand to think some of his ancestors got to hear that ghostly whistle along those tracks.
Neat
Impresióna el conducimiento de el ( Big boy) con sus maquinistas 🚂 hermosa locomotora : Saludos @migos 🇲🇽
Good thing they rebuilt the cab floor. The two backseaters would have fallen through.
bet the floor cost 50k.
Is Ed the only one who gets to operate the 4014, or does he let other people run it as well?
In some cab ride videos in the Big boy's cab You'll sometimes see other Union Pacific Engineers operating the train
Awesome ❤❤❤❤
There is also another cab ride video by aye3jay Jones.
My last name is dickens and im just finding out about ED DICKENS!! are we related!?
The servicemen are also Big Boys.
Those boys need to stop eating all dem chicken wings
woa.. Superb machine.. Thanks for the video !
Not nearly a rough ride like a 2-8-2, 2-8-0 or similar locomotive. Of course, they are on welded rail which is much smoother than jointed rail. Great video.
unlike todays locomotives, the fireman was totaly busy with coal or oil feeding , water level, boiler pressure, and watching
I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play fireman on a Shay for a day many years ago. It is indeed a lot of work and responsibility.
How hot was it when you were inside
Bucket list...👍
Its an entire living room in here. So much wish I could have been there
Have noticed the crew is wearing earplugs it's really that loud riding the big boy?
oh yes it is! open cab, exposed machinery.
Nice cab ride video on union pacific big boy 4014
From a semi well versed industrial technicians standpoint, this is terrifying. I would not ride or drive that thing. But, MOJOR thanks to those who do!
I would have a mile wide smile riding in there. Thats awesome
So frekin cool!
just a quick question, that things that is attached to where the Coal goes into, is that there so that the coal or whatever can be automaticly put into the burner somehow without it having to be shoveled in like how its normally done, or what is that actually for>>>
This locomotive does not burn coal, it burns oil. Back when it was in regular service and it did burn coal. There was a device known as a “automatic Stoker“ that would feed the coal into the firebox without having to shovel it.
@@FFred-us9tw
It used a screw type mechanism to move the coal.
@@kurtvonfricken6829 yes, as I said months ago, it used an automatic stoker. Google what one is and it will show how it works
I like steam train/locomotive but tue coupling rods are so indeed. Thanks for cab ride!
Could I echo Exodriver I agree he must feel like king of the world. That must loads of fun also a lot of work driving Big Boy thanks for this video
I can’t believe how big that cab is!? Is there any significance behind the green paint??
green is more temperature neutral along being soothing to the eyes
This video now has 70,000 views!
Looks like they added an electronic box with the restoration. Must've been fun having to ride in the cab
PTC
Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸
I don't know what PTC stands for, or what information/function it serves, but I did see it. Awesome video. I got to climb up into the cab of the Big Boy at Steamtown, but nothing like seeing an operating cab.
Positive train control. Feeds live track info to the cab and in certain cases can even stop the train if there’s an issue (that part is still being worked on for the steam locomotives but from what I understand they’ve made great headway.) you will continue to see them installed on all these locomotives if they want to run mainline excursions.
@@bdub215 Thank you for the info.
It’s actually Power Takeoff Controls. Keeps the power from breaking the piston sleeve actuators. Used to be a real issue until the PTC.
@@kellingc System is accurate to about 25ft. Knows everything about your train ie length tonnage number of cars engines ect. Knows the route your taking. The speeds the grades, curvature, signals, work areas and if it dosent like what your doing it will stop your train. Maybe not the Big Boy but any other train equipped with PTC.
@@theknickerbocker5808 PTC will definitely bring this to a stop with a penalty brake application if it feels the need.
Love the PTC box on a machine like this.
Acknowledgement needs to be given to Steve Lee and the team he worked with 40 years ago getting Challenger 3985 restored. Without their hard work & thousands of volunteer man-hours, 4014 would’ve never had a parts source to get operating.
Parts source? They got like 4 parts off the Challenger.
@@splitreduction The only part they got off of 3985 was the tender they did not have the time to convert 4014s original tender
@@rudycarlson8245 A handful, and I mean a handful of parts were removed from 3985 to be used as cores and overhauled. Things like the dynamo and air pumps which are completely interchangeable between classes and inconsequential to the overall design.
You lucky son of a gun
To me.this cab looks huge. Does it seem huge while you’re running. And Mr Dicken is in such command of this beauty. It’s got to be an intense and possibly stressful job even on a good day. May I be nosy? Where do you guys sleep? Do you have crew facilities, bunks etc. I’m coming to St Louis MO. Then.
This was taken with the iPhone’s wide angle video camera. It makes the cab look bigger than it really is. It was still big enough. There were 6 of us in there at the time
@@hackerjohnt and HOT!!!
Truly one of the very hottest things I’ve ever willingly done. Outside air temp was in the high 80s at 8 am when we left KC. 96 by the time I got off at Paola. And that’s the firebox in the middle of the front of the cab.
The cab on UP engines were notoriously larger than most steam locomotives, so they are quite roomy by comparison to others.
They usually sleep on the train.
I’ve been in the cab of 4017 and it is huge in that cab!