Amazing how these beautiful machines were made without the use of computers, modern machinery, robotics, etc... just pure brain power, old fashion skill and muscle. No real man can look at this and not appreciate the pride that those who built this had in their work.
Rails and Ties Productions now that was when steam was King of the railroad now folks that's what I call high-steppin when a locomotive is doing over 70 miles an hour or is the Americans would say hi balling now that's what I call American piece of machinery at its finest!
Power is always awesome, whether in steam, pushing astronauts into orbit, hurtling across the salt flats at 600 mph or in formation with after burners going.
If some people don't think that's awesome, maybe it's because the only operating big boy doesn't burn coal anymore because there's no coaling towers. Bring back the modern coal burning steam locomotive please, president Trump!!!!! And rebuild coaling towers!!!!!
That. Is. Mesmerizing. Those driver arms are flying, it's amazing that they just don't come apart. That must have been getting pretty close to max speed (?)
It's incredible to see footage of Challenger 3985 in operation moving at 60+ mph, the 3985 is now receiving a rebuild/ overhaul at the Silvis, Illinois rr maintenance shop. I miss seeing the 3985 operate but now big boy 4014 is back in service again, hopefully UP 3985 will be rebuilt and returned to service within the next 10-15 years.
I got a few hot rods, but none hold a candle to a steamer (especially a large one!). Just look at the engineer chilling with a hand on 5,000+hp and probably a cigar in the other hand. Lunch time no problem just ask who brought the eggs, ham, and bacon. That fire will cook your meal faster then any microwave!
To add further, the way it's speeding through the air, almost penetrating. Penetrating through this feminist/PC orientated society of ours. A well oiled machine, with just one purpose in life and there's no stopping him. Like a man who's has his focus only on his goals, penetrating through all the nay sayers.
You really get an appreciation for the size of this beast, when you see how small the man is compared to the rest of this giant configuration of Steel, heat and water
Steve and his crew understood these engines and had confidence in them. The new group does not so they squeak along at 40 mph or whatever instead of letting the machine get out and run.
Too bad they had to retire the old girl - but steam locomotives are just too damn expensive to run for revenue (never mind getting parts! lol) these days. An era, gone.......
@@ironhorsehistorian9871Silvis Illinois at the old rock island shops and yard. Railroad Heritage of Midwest America is performing the restoration work, and they will also be returning 5511 to operating condition as well.
The 844, 3985, and 4014 share the same type of parts for the brake stands, Westinghouse still has parts, and what is necessary to make new ones. I know the 3985 has been placed on hold till the 4014 is completed. Wonderful beasts, the activity of the parts in view is mesmerizing, and the sounds, no diesel will ever evoke the romantic sounds of a steam locomotive.
j swain I really don't know if dieseltraction is better as steam. May one wonder if modern technics would be used to design and build a steam loco if it wouldn't be cleaner and hopefully cheaper to run as a brace of diesels?
70 to 0 mph in 5 miles. LOL. Man that's a beast! The big boy was estimated at 6000 HP.....and probably at least Double the torque. Also weighed in at some 1 million pounds. Now That is Real American iron.
Not to be that r/wooosh guy but the joke doesnt even make sense. Steam isn't modern, but at the time it is. Diesels were modern but were replaced by electric trains.
The fact how edward said that just makes this line hits harder (Like how in one episode edward said "just because theyre old doesnt mean theyre useless
3985's drivers were actually big for a freight engine at 69 inches but yea officially 3985's top speed was 70 mph but she could go up to 90 mph if the engineer wanted though I don't know how stable she would be at 90 mph.
The N&W A's are a very similar loco to the Challengers and they have 70"drivers. In the N&w steam people video a retired fireman talks about running 92mph so it would not surprise me for the 3985 to be 90mph capable as well. The A's are roller bearing though so that no doubt helps in the speed department.
bobby jekins Don't the A's have timken roller bearings on the side rods as well where I think the Challenger has bushings maybe? What are the DVD's comparing these locos? I would personally love to see both 1218 and 3985 back on the rails again! Now that UP is bringing back a Big Boy Someone back east needs to do an Allagheny. or better yet the last N&W Y6!!! Could you imagine the Y6 and the Big Boy at the Golden spike! Just WOW!!!!
WHERE ELSE can one catch such CLEAR and CLEAN footage of the mighty Challenger letting loose on the high iron like this?! Excellent video Skip. Especially for those who have the Challenger Blues. This will be going on the info page. And as for the Big Boy, it is now safe to say that you can count on Nick Valdez Railroad Photography to provide maximum track-side coverage for the move to Colton! Happy Thanksgiving! Keep it steamin'.
Well the good news for that is is 13985‘s overhaul and rebuild is done in Silvis you’ll have to take a trip to the Midwest to find her roaring down the line again
Fell in love with trains the first time I saw one. I grew up near the train tracks and would watch in awe as they went by and wave to the conductor and the caboose. Still remember hearing them in the distance from my bedroom window. What a great way to fall asleep! Thank you for the video.
Certainly a magnificent engine and a great pacing shot. However, I'm betting she will be nowhere near full throttle. Running at high speed on flat terrain like this would not use a lot of steam. You can see from her valve settings that she is well "nicked up" with the radius bar well up towards the centre of the expansion link so her admission valves would not be letting much steam into her cylinders before cut off occurs. This is one of the interesting things about the properties of steam expansion and steam loco valve gear design. Full speed perhaps but not full throttle. Put a full load behind her then climb a 1 in 50 grade then that would be (close to) full throttle.
A thing of BEAUTY! WE HAD THESE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES RUNNING DOWN THE TRACKS BEHIND OUR HOUSE WHEN I WAS A KID. SO SAD WHEN THEY STARTED TO FASE THEM OUT. LONG LIVE THE LOCOMOTIVE. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO.
Amazing to see those rods and connections, working at speed, the forces and the wear in them. All this made and designed with no computers of any kind, just simple pen and paper, with hard seat and tears to construct it to last a life time. Well almost a life time. A work of pure industrial art.
@@AtkataffTheAlpha when have lamborghini people ever said theyve got the strongest vehicles, honestly be real. A lamborghini gets to like 200mph before this thing gets to 30mph lol
@@wharris302 can a Lamborghini pull 20 trailers behind it and be safe? A space shuttle is the fastest vehicle on Earth. Plus I was continuing Nicolas Boswell's comment
@@MadGreek2900 3985's weight is actually part of why it is capable of going so fast. Basic physics says that the heavier an object is, the more momentum it gains when it moves. So, at this speed, 3985 is probably not working very hard at all because its own momentum is pushing it forward. This is also why it takes so long for trains to stop in an emergency.
Like others, I thought this was a very realistic model train. And I was about to be super impressed with the realism!! Until you zoomed in on the cab and I saw the Engineer moving!!! OMG!!!!!! That is live footage?!?! Just totally AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I've never seen such a massive steam locomotive moving at such a speed!!! Had to watch it several times. Great video!!!!!
More than a Saturn rocket; more than an Iowa class battleship; more than a B-1 bomber at full throttle five hundred feet off the ground, this is just about the finest symbol of American engineering and genius in motion I have ever seen.
That is impressive. I just commented on a video of Sante Fe 3751. Do you realize how much power is being generated and the weight of those drive rods being flung around like they weigh nothing on the drivers. If that ever let go, there would be carnage. But all in all, very impressive. Glad you put it up here for us to enjoy.
....I just HAD to subscribe to your channel after watching this video!!!!! Now I think I'm about to watch some more great videos of yours. Thanks for these great gems!
@@aaronwilliams6989 Sorry Aaron,I forget how old I am. I am losing track of time.Brilliant bit of filming and an amazing man and machine.Not forgetting the team and company that keeps her alive.
I got to take an excursion train on her with my family back in the 1990’s. Houston to Bay City Texas and back. What a magnificent day it was! They got out in the middle of nowhere, put us off the train and did a high speed photo run....said she was doing 70-80. The ground shook!!!! What a treat! The Drive Wheels are 10-feet tall! What a machine !! Will never forget that day
This is the most impressive steam locomotive I have ever seen. What an incredible machine. In Germany we also have some very good and beautifully preserved steam locomotives, but this one here.....Wow, I mean what a massive powerhouse :) Just beautiful :)
How good is that, UP knew their stuff when they had them built. USA engineering at its besty best, slide rules, pencils and paper and mathematics and manual drawing boards. the best part is the guy behind the video camera, Skip, lots of good closeups of the running gear.
There's so many rumors, about 3985 some people are saying that there going replace it for the 4014 some people are saying there going to use 3985 as spare parts for the 4014. Hopefully by 2016 3985 will be running
bobby jekins 3985 will not be a parts source for 4014. Ed has already said that the machine shop at Cheyenne can make any replacement parts they may need. Also the other 4000's at Cheyenne and Omaha will be the first source for parts if they can't make something that is needed. The UP still owns those two.
I think a few of the 4004 and 4023's parts have been used of the 3985 already. And I don't think U.P. owns those two Big Boys anymore. They did still own the 4023 when it was in Cheyenne but now it belongs to Lauritzen Gardens
I don’t know that much at all but steam trains have always fascinated and amazed me since I was a kid, all the moving parts and the steam coming out of the top is mesmerizing.
Yes, works for Wasatch Railroad Contractors rebuilding locomotives. Great, knowledgeable person. UP really lost a ton of knowledge and all around good guy when he retired.
@@marklintwo yeah I heard he's helping rebuild a former western Pacific steam locomotive that's somewhere in California at a museum t etc name I forgot.
Some great engineering and manufacturing skills. With such heavy steel wheels, connecting rods, and valve rods, traveling at such high speed and revolutions, balance, and pin tolerances would be all important. Beautiful locomotive.
The Steam program is so much better off without Steve Lee. People complain often that the 3985 has been shopped ever since the new manager took over, which is true but that isn't the fault of the new crew. It was also shopped for several years by Steve Lee. It underwent modifications performed by Wastach while under Steve's reign. Those modifications to Alco's original design were expensive and time consuming. They also created issues in the operation of the 3985 which led to it being shopped again so the modifications could be undone and scrapped. That machine is still, too this day, suffering because of improper technique and poor maintenance under the realm of Lee. Meanwhile, Rimmach laughed all the way to the bank and is still benefiting from that payoff, with the added bonus of having the legend Steve Lee as an employee (since UP finally became wise to his schemes and forced his retirement.)
I'm sure you wish at least a portion of that was true. Too bad for you none of it is. The experimental mod took about a week to do, and one day to undo. Cost? Less than $1,000. Shopped for years? Yeah, right. I'd like to know how that cost compares to the new boiler jacket, 2 new cab floors, the stainless bolts and dog dishes 844 got. None of which was necessary, except to allow a narccisist to proclaim "Look at ME! I'm so much better than anyone else." Or the cost of the flat drivers, caused by idiocy and incompetence in the cab. I have no use for phoneys who have accomplished nothing of substance but are so insecure that they have a need to tear down those who have in order to try to elevate themselves.
Bozo Texino Really? $1000 and just a couple of days in the shop for the lempor exhaust and a whole new front end design? Do you have any realistic concept of the price of things? You can't even get a plastic bumper for a Subaru in a couple of days or $1000. No. Those modifications cost much much more than that and the work took quite a while. Undoing the ill conceived modifications took quite a while too. The 3985 even missed a few scheduled and highly publicized trips while they were waiting for a spring to arrive so they could switch back to the original front end design. That spring alone cost more than $1000. The 3985 was in the shop much more than out of it from 2006-late 2009 and again in the beginning of 2010. It still has unresolved firebox issues from that era. The only phonys out and about are those who insist that the new crew is incompetent. The new crew is doing a fantastic job. They're achieving a feat that for years the old guard claimed was impossible and would never happen. They have integrity and skill despite their age. They're great guys. Exactly what a corporate entity needs for its major PR program. Not a bunch of cranky, sloppy embezzlers and pedophiles.
Ed Dickens cant even drive 844. 3985 sits in the shop because Ed wets himself at the thought of having to drive it! I think he will drag out the restoration of 4014 until he's up for retirement and let someone else figure out how to actually use it. Has Ed every even really driven 844? Always has a diesel pushing it. Flattened the drivers when he panicked last year. Forgot to turn off the diesel.. Ed Dickens is a moron!
Zal Yanovski Dang, Ed. I thought you were smarter than that. Front ends don't have springs. And 844 didn't have flat wheels until you came along. Now you take 6 months to move a dead hulk a few miles? I'm impressed. Post again in about 20 years if you have accomplished anything at all. If you aren't in jail someplace due to those lawsuits against UP about you and your methods.
Amazing how these beautiful machines were made without the use of computers, modern machinery, robotics, etc... just pure brain power, old fashion skill and muscle. No real man can look at this and not appreciate the pride that those who built this had in their work.
Im fascinated by the 1900's vehicle design
But they had slide rules!
Im sure there was some level of mechanized industry that went into the making of these things, but I get what you are saying.
This technology, the assembly and maintainence would be a challenge even today; were we forced to use these machines.
Well Said! 👍😎
the engineers who put that drive motion together can feel proud!
They could be proud today if that big boy still burned coal like in the gold old days.
@@2011traincrazy too many grass fires along the rails
I seriously can't understand how some people don't think thats awesome!
Rails and Ties Productions now that was when steam was King of the railroad now folks that's what I call high-steppin when a locomotive is doing over 70 miles an hour or is the Americans would say hi balling now that's what I call American piece of machinery at its finest!
Power is always awesome, whether in steam, pushing astronauts into orbit, hurtling across the salt flats at 600 mph or in formation with after burners going.
If some people don't think that's awesome, maybe it's because the only operating big boy doesn't burn coal anymore because there's no coaling towers.
Bring back the modern coal burning steam locomotive please, president Trump!!!!! And rebuild coaling towers!!!!!
They do not make them like they use to.
Probably the tree hugging green peace libtards
Think of all that weight swinging around on those traction wheels. Absolutely amazing and mesmerizing! What a work of art.
If the wheels and driving arms are PERFECTLY balanced, the stress on the axels is tolerable.
That. Is. Mesmerizing.
Those driver arms are flying, it's amazing that they just don't come apart. That must have been getting pretty close to max speed (?)
I love huge powerful steam engines. Probably some of the most exciting machines.
It's incredible to see footage of Challenger 3985 in operation moving at 60+ mph, the 3985 is now receiving a rebuild/ overhaul at the Silvis, Illinois rr maintenance shop. I miss seeing the 3985 operate but now big boy 4014 is back in service again, hopefully UP 3985 will be rebuilt and returned to service within the next 10-15 years.
The single most badass, manliest, phallic symbol of strength, might, and testosterone ever created.
Gobbersmack so fast so large, pure brute steam power
+ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
best name 10/10
I got a few hot rods, but none hold a candle to a steamer (especially a large one!). Just look at the engineer chilling with a hand on 5,000+hp and probably a cigar in the other hand. Lunch time no problem just ask who brought the eggs, ham, and bacon. That fire will cook your meal faster then any microwave!
To add further, the way it's speeding through the air, almost penetrating. Penetrating through this feminist/PC orientated society of ours. A well oiled machine, with just one purpose in life and there's no stopping him. Like a man who's has his focus only on his goals, penetrating through all the nay sayers.
What.
You really get an appreciation for the size of this beast, when you see how small the man is compared to the rest of this giant configuration of Steel, heat and water
How could you not love the engineering that’s in this huge beauty shear poetry in motion. Excellent video footage
Steve Lee and Lynn Nystrom sure did let her roll, 3985 was well broken in at this point.
@@SkipW what was the speed of the 3985 in this video?
Your driver did an excellent job of maintaining the right speed! This is exceptional.
#3985 hauling freight or hauling ass sure is impressive.
Curious how fast full throttle was. I wish they had taken a quick shot of the car's speedometer.
@@tonkingulfyachtclub8111 tape speed a little high
Rich car guys: I’ve got the fastest thing out there no one can out beat me!
UP 3985 engineer: *Hold My Coal Shovel*
Hold my oil you mean
Railroad,Preserver,2000 yes I know thst 3985 is oil burned but it makes more sense so whatever bc some people don’t know that.
So much yes.
PokeyRailFanning This is 3985 .-.
Probably the same for UP Big Boy #4014
Steve and his crew understood these engines and had confidence in them. The new group does not so they squeak along at 40 mph or whatever instead of letting the machine get out and run.
Sleep well 3985. Rail fans around the world will miss you.
Yes.
Too bad they had to retire the old girl - but steam locomotives are just too damn expensive to run for revenue (never mind getting parts! lol) these days. An era, gone.......
She is being restored to operation somewhere in Illinois
@@ironhorsehistorian9871Silvis Illinois at the old rock island shops and yard. Railroad Heritage of Midwest America is performing the restoration work, and they will also be returning 5511 to operating condition as well.
Wow, awesome video! That loco is such an incredible, beautiful beast of a machine!
True
What about big boy? Huh
@@Alexstrainsandthings Yeah, I hope that someday I will get a chance to see the Big Boy in action. That would be dream come true.
@@raydunakin i did and i also got the chance to hope in the cab and blow the whistle!
And when it blows the ground shakes!
@@Alexstrainsandthings Awesome!
The 844, 3985, and 4014 share the same type of parts for the brake stands, Westinghouse still has parts, and what is necessary to make new ones. I know the 3985 has been placed on hold till the 4014 is completed. Wonderful beasts, the activity of the parts in view is mesmerizing, and the sounds, no diesel will ever evoke the romantic sounds of a steam locomotive.
j swain
I really don't know if dieseltraction is better as steam.
May one wonder if modern technics would be used to design and build a steam loco if it wouldn't be cleaner and hopefully cheaper to run as a brace of diesels?
j swain jm
One of the best video capture of a running train. Long live the King.
70 to 0 mph in 5 miles. LOL. Man that's a beast! The big boy was estimated at 6000 HP.....and probably at least Double the torque. Also weighed in at some 1 million pounds. Now That is Real American iron.
The Big Boy has 6,290 DBHP @ 35 mph.
09trainman Close enough. ;) Thanks.
Military Chevy No problem. :)
Buynot Nope. lol Considering they were the largest made...yeah...they are giants. lol
+Military Chevy bit underpowered isn't it?
Diesel: WE ARE MODREN
Steam: HOLD MA TENDER KID
No hold my water tender kid lol
@@tjprptchable lol
"MODREN", I'm learning new words every day....
Not to be that r/wooosh guy but the joke doesnt even make sense. Steam isn't modern, but at the time it is. Diesels were modern but were replaced by electric trains.
The fact how edward said that just makes this line hits harder
(Like how in one episode edward said "just because theyre old doesnt mean theyre useless
man i love steam. since i was a little boy i fell in love with these steam engines. the lines and the shape nothing can compare
I do believe that locomotive loves running at that speed.
good old girl excited to be back to work mmmm almost brings a tear to my eye :)
For small drivers the 3985 could still make good time! Can't wait to see some vids of the Big Boy on the mainline.
3985's drivers were actually big for a freight engine at 69 inches but yea officially 3985's top speed was 70 mph but she could go up to 90 mph if the engineer wanted though I don't know how stable she would be at 90 mph.
bobby jekins wow that fast that's just wow
The N&W A's are a very similar loco to the Challengers and they have 70"drivers. In the N&w steam people video a retired fireman talks about running 92mph so it would not surprise me for the 3985 to be 90mph capable as well. The A's are roller bearing though so that no doubt helps in the speed department.
The Challengers also had roller bearings on all axles. There are also two DVDs that compare the 3985 and 1218.
bobby jekins Don't the A's have timken roller bearings on the side rods as well where I think the Challenger has bushings maybe? What are the DVD's comparing these locos? I would personally love to see both 1218 and 3985 back on the rails again! Now that UP is bringing back a Big Boy Someone back east needs to do an Allagheny. or better yet the last N&W Y6!!! Could you imagine the Y6 and the Big Boy at the Golden spike! Just WOW!!!!
A really beautiful sight seeing one of these engineering masterpieces running at speed 👍👍👍
I love to see the drivers work flawless flawless, great video👍👍
Modern train has come. But the beauty of Steam train is very beautiful. Hear the whistling sound ...,,
WHERE ELSE can one catch such CLEAR and CLEAN footage of the mighty Challenger letting loose on the high iron like this?! Excellent video Skip. Especially for those who have the Challenger Blues. This will be going on the info page. And as for the Big Boy, it is now safe to say that you can count on Nick Valdez Railroad Photography to provide maximum track-side coverage for the move to Colton! Happy Thanksgiving!
Keep it steamin'.
Well the good news for that is is 13985‘s overhaul and rebuild is done in Silvis you’ll have to take a trip to the Midwest to find her roaring down the line again
Fell in love with trains the first time I saw one. I grew up near the train tracks and would watch in awe as they went by and wave to the conductor and the caboose. Still remember hearing them in the distance from my bedroom window. What a great way to fall asleep! Thank you for the video.
A Love For TRAINS" For OVER, 70" Years. Thanks For Your Videos.👍🏾😎😍
Beautiful chime whistle at 1:30 announcing his approach to to crossing. No baroque filigree nonsense, just getting the job done. Love it!
Certainly a magnificent engine and a great pacing shot. However, I'm betting she will be nowhere near full throttle. Running at high speed on flat terrain like this would not use a lot of steam. You can see from her valve settings that she is well "nicked up" with the radius bar well up towards the centre of the expansion link so her admission valves would not be letting much steam into her cylinders before cut off occurs. This is one of the interesting things about the properties of steam expansion and steam loco valve gear design. Full speed perhaps but not full throttle. Put a full load behind her then climb a 1 in 50 grade then that would be (close to) full throttle.
Wonderful to imagine whats all happening in the piston in and out so fast. Beautiful
It’s like watching a cartoon, absolutely mind blowing that the rods don’t explode moving that quick. Just imagine the force they’re under.
That old iron is moving. I can only imagine the cost of renovating this classic engine. Gargantuan!
A thing of BEAUTY! WE HAD THESE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES RUNNING DOWN THE TRACKS BEHIND OUR HOUSE WHEN I WAS A KID. SO SAD WHEN THEY STARTED TO FASE THEM OUT. LONG LIVE THE LOCOMOTIVE. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO.
That moment you start the video and think you have your playback speed set to 1.5x. This thing is hauling!
Amazing to see those rods and connections, working at speed, the forces and the wear in them. All this made and designed with no computers of any kind, just simple pen and paper, with hard seat and tears to construct it to last a life time. Well almost a life time. A work of pure industrial art.
Dude in a Lamborghini aventador:
I got the fastest, strongest vehicle out there!
Engineer:
*Hold my beer.*
The Dude in the Lamborghini aventador: "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YOU BEAT MEEEEEEEE!!!!"
@@AtkataffTheAlpha when have lamborghini people ever said theyve got the strongest vehicles, honestly be real. A lamborghini gets to like 200mph before this thing gets to 30mph lol
@@wharris302 can a Lamborghini pull 20 trailers behind it and be safe? A space shuttle is the fastest vehicle on Earth. Plus I was continuing Nicolas Boswell's comment
@@MadGreek2900 3985's weight is actually part of why it is capable of going so fast. Basic physics says that the heavier an object is, the more momentum it gains when it moves. So, at this speed, 3985 is probably not working very hard at all because its own momentum is pushing it forward. This is also why it takes so long for trains to stop in an emergency.
@@cellogirl11rw55 I think I remember reading this one specifically weighs about a half a million pounds
at first i thought they just sped it up, but then that car passes and boom! MIND BLOWN
Like others, I thought this was a very realistic model train. And I was about to be super impressed with the realism!! Until you zoomed in on the cab and I saw the Engineer moving!!! OMG!!!!!! That is live footage?!?! Just totally AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I've never seen such a massive steam locomotive moving at such a speed!!! Had to watch it several times. Great video!!!!!
No wonder little kids fall in love with these trains. They're mesmerizing to look at.
To quote a friend, that’s one giantass locomotive
What a picturisation, beautiful scene. Thank you.
Ah steam locomotives. The greatest symbol of mankind's technological innovation.
More than a Saturn rocket; more than an Iowa class battleship; more than a B-1 bomber at full throttle five hundred feet off the ground, this is just about the finest symbol of American engineering and genius in motion I have ever seen.
Trains lost their soul when steam ended!!
Good god. Look at her go! Imagine being one of the crew. That has to be the best job on earth. Thank you
This is the exact reason I like trains
So very glad I caught this a few weeks earlier on the circus train. Little did I know that would be the next to last run this engine ever made.
This is truly how to turn wheels to the steel
That is impressive. I just commented on a video of Sante Fe 3751. Do you realize how much power is being generated and the weight of those drive rods being flung around like they weigh nothing on the drivers. If that ever let go, there would be carnage. But all in all, very impressive. Glad you put it up here for us to enjoy.
I will hope, that these historical engines will run minimum another 50 years......
Unfortunately this was from 3985's final run. They announced its retirement in 2020 after it sat following its 2010 run.
@@karlrovey For now, at least. The RRHMA acquired 3985 earlier this year and they plan on restoring it.
@@joshjlmgproductions3313 I've seen the announcement.
look at it go! gives me goosebumps.
....I just HAD to subscribe to your channel after watching this video!!!!! Now I think I'm about to watch some more great videos of yours. Thanks for these great gems!
Water +fire = new era of golden world
I’m from the UK, and even I think this is a beautiful machine.
LOL What do you mean "And even you?". As if it's beneath you or something?
@@meintingles4396 It’s true. Americans have no sense of irony.
@@acptelford1307 Little man AMERICA INVENTED IRONY. Now go eat some fish and chips before I KICK YOUR ASS.
@@meintingles4396 What an angry little man you are. Bye.
I’m glad UP makes the effort to preserve these locomotives
The amazing thing is fifty or so years ago this happened all day, every day,no fuss,no bother just getting the job done
Earlier than that, man. These died off in the 1950's
@@aaronwilliams6989 Sorry Aaron,I forget how old I am. I am losing track of time.Brilliant bit of filming and an amazing man and machine.Not forgetting the team and company that keeps her alive.
Another beautiful steam locomotive here.
Awesome video....almost looks like a model train setup to begin with....amazing footage....5* video.....
Cutter
Great video. I hope this video will be kept for future generation to show such American icons of our era. What a steamer!
where do I sign up to drive one of these? I don't care about my location and age, I need to drive this beauty! I'm getting extreme nerdgasms!!!
First of all, you have to learn the basics, like you don't drive a locomotive - you operate it.
It's not as simple as turn a nob. You got to pressurise the boiler, regulate the steam, keep the fire going. I can keep going but I'll make an essay.
KingKramer this type of Machinery is not for those who have nerdism this is a type of Machinery you get your hands real dirty hands on experience!
I would drive this engine but only if they convert her back to coal!
I got to take an excursion train on her with my family back in the 1990’s. Houston to Bay City Texas and back. What a magnificent day it was! They got out in the middle of nowhere, put us off the train and did a high speed photo run....said she was doing 70-80. The ground shook!!!! What a treat! The Drive Wheels are 10-feet tall! What a machine !! Will never forget that day
a sign of the human genius
@Minecraft World building a steam locomotives isn't that easy...
I could watch this all day!
Very cool train video
& Thanks for watching!
This is the most impressive steam locomotive I have ever seen. What an incredible machine. In Germany we also have some very good and beautifully preserved steam locomotives, but this one here.....Wow, I mean what a massive powerhouse :) Just beautiful :)
Or, we can wait 60 years and watch old solar panels? I love the person who thought of that ;-)
to whoever bring the idea for solar panel runned train should be a idiot
How good is that, UP knew their stuff when they had them built. USA engineering at its besty best, slide rules, pencils and paper and mathematics and manual drawing boards. the best part is the guy behind the video camera, Skip, lots of good closeups of the running gear.
fast to bring tanks and soldiers to ports in WW2
UP 844 pulled passenger and light fast freight.
Hope they get 3985 up and running within the next few years.
Get it up and running? I didn't know it was down---what happened?
smitty195
1472 day inspection
There's so many rumors, about 3985 some people are saying that there going replace it for the 4014 some people are saying there going to use 3985 as spare parts for the 4014. Hopefully by 2016 3985 will be running
bobby jekins 3985 will not be a parts source for 4014. Ed has already said that the machine shop at Cheyenne can make any replacement parts they may need. Also the other 4000's at Cheyenne and Omaha will be the first source for parts if they can't make something that is needed. The UP still owns those two.
I think a few of the 4004 and 4023's parts have been used of the 3985 already. And I don't think U.P. owns those two Big Boys anymore. They did still own the 4023 when it was in Cheyenne but now it belongs to Lauritzen Gardens
I don’t know that much at all but steam trains have always fascinated and amazed me since I was a kid, all the moving parts and the steam coming out of the top is mesmerizing.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
I just love trains since i was 7 yrs old. Great video
thanks for watching
I didn’t even think Big Boy could go this fast I thought it was built only for strength.
Big Boy's drive mechanism was overenginered to withstand 80 mph. Imagine 600+ tons of steel, steam, and fire thundering down at 80
buddy this is the challenger
Waqtching all that mechanical action on 3985 is like watching a beautiful ballet.
Imagine, getting up everyday going to work knowing this is the machine you get to operate?
The Challenger is a very beautiful locomotive. I can't wait until she's back on the rails
absolutely perfect! Like!
An absolutely beautiful piece of engineering, love it 🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴🏴
Is Steve lee still alive as of 2019? I know he retired from the Union Pacific a few years ago but is he still alive as of now?
Yes, works for Wasatch Railroad Contractors rebuilding locomotives. Great, knowledgeable person. UP really lost a ton of knowledge and all around good guy when he retired.
@@marklintwo yeah I heard he's helping rebuild a former western Pacific steam locomotive that's somewhere in California at a museum t etc name I forgot.
Such coordination. I love watching it simply
Great job with the camera!
Got see some steam engines a few times in the early 50s,the diesel came quick, no more steam ! Glad I got see in action!
Great video! Good job!
Thumbs Up
Can you imagine all the stress on those drivers from the power of Steam!
Great Machines built by “Free People”!
o I thought that was a toy
but it got real
Some great engineering and manufacturing skills. With such heavy steel wheels, connecting rods, and valve rods, traveling at such high speed and revolutions, balance, and pin tolerances would be all important. Beautiful locomotive.
These beatuiful machines have a soul, diesels of today are just robots, no mind just a progam
1 steam engine compared to 3 or 4 diesels pushing freight uphill is no match whatsoever
wow, OMG, running very fast. Lovely train. Thanks friend.
Greta Thunberg HATES this
How dare you!!!!
What do you mean
Soar baby, soar. Such a majestic machine.
BAD ASS!!!!!
ballin the jack!
and to think 4014 will be doing the same fairly soon
MidnightmoonRR As a Californian, I can't wait to see it chugging down the line!
Going out to the coast from Pennsylvania on my Ducati this summer. Stopping by the UP shop to see 4014 !😎😎
Little sister to the Big Boy, both beautiful machines, especially when running at full steam!
HIGH BALLIN'!
gary jonson you've got that absolutely right in that term but in Britain they would call that high-stepping.
Precision-built machinery delights the eye.
Holy hell
Excellent camera work! Like a fine watch or antique sewing machine, beautiful.
The Steam program is so much better off without Steve Lee. People complain often that the 3985 has been shopped ever since the new manager took over, which is true but that isn't the fault of the new crew. It was also shopped for several years by Steve Lee. It underwent modifications performed by Wastach while under Steve's reign. Those modifications to Alco's original design were expensive and time consuming. They also created issues in the operation of the 3985 which led to it being shopped again so the modifications could be undone and scrapped. That machine is still, too this day, suffering because of improper technique and poor maintenance under the realm of Lee. Meanwhile, Rimmach laughed all the way to the bank and is still benefiting from that payoff, with the added bonus of having the legend Steve Lee as an employee (since UP finally became wise to his schemes and forced his retirement.)
I'm sure you wish at least a portion of that was true. Too bad for you none of it is. The experimental mod took about a week to do, and one day to undo. Cost? Less than $1,000. Shopped for years? Yeah, right.
I'd like to know how that cost compares to the new boiler jacket, 2 new cab floors, the stainless bolts and dog dishes 844 got. None of which was necessary, except to allow a narccisist to proclaim "Look at ME! I'm so much better than anyone else." Or the cost of the flat drivers, caused by idiocy and incompetence in the cab.
I have no use for phoneys who have accomplished nothing of substance but are so insecure that they have a need to tear down those who have in order to try to elevate themselves.
Bozo Texino
Really? $1000 and just a couple of days in the shop for the lempor exhaust and a whole new front end design? Do you have any realistic concept of the price of things? You can't even get a plastic bumper for a Subaru in a couple of days or $1000. No. Those modifications cost much much more than that and the work took quite a while. Undoing the ill conceived modifications took quite a while too. The 3985 even missed a few scheduled and highly publicized trips while they were waiting for a spring to arrive so they could switch back to the original front end design. That spring alone cost more than $1000. The 3985 was in the shop much more than out of it from 2006-late 2009 and again in the beginning of 2010. It still has unresolved firebox issues from that era.
The only phonys out and about are those who insist that the new crew is incompetent. The new crew is doing a fantastic job. They're achieving a feat that for years the old guard claimed was impossible and would never happen. They have integrity and skill despite their age. They're great guys. Exactly what a corporate entity needs for its major PR program.
Not a bunch of cranky, sloppy embezzlers and pedophiles.
Ed Dickens cant even drive 844. 3985 sits in the shop because Ed wets himself at the thought of having to drive it! I think he will drag out the restoration of 4014 until he's up for retirement and let someone else figure out how to actually use it. Has Ed every even really driven 844? Always has a diesel pushing it. Flattened the drivers when he panicked last year. Forgot to turn off the diesel.. Ed Dickens is a moron!
Zal Yanovski
Dang, Ed. I thought you were smarter than that. Front ends don't have springs.
And 844 didn't have flat wheels until you came along. Now you take 6 months to move a dead hulk a few miles? I'm impressed. Post again in about 20 years if you have accomplished anything at all. If you aren't in jail someplace due to those lawsuits against UP about you and your methods.
@@johnthatcher946 lol yet he is restoring a big boy