Big Boys and Challengers on RFD-TV Today (Monday, February 27th)

Bill, I watch both "I Love Toy Trains" and "Trains and Locomotives" episodes whenever possible. Hopefully, will be able to view today's episode you mentioned. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks for the heads up Bill. I will tune in tonight!

Are any of these broadcast available on DVDs?

My only regret about switching to Google fiber last year, they don't carry RFD-TV. RFD had some really good train shows, plus I liked all the old farm equipment shows, draft horse shows and they had others of interest too. Good channel!! 

JDaddy, I think some are available on DVD, pretty sure I Love Toy Trains from TM Books is still available. I believe I have seen some of the real train programs they have had on RFD also available on DVD.

My cable company, does not have this channel. "xfinity"  If you wait it will be on You Tube.

https://www.youtube.com/user/RFDTVnetwork/videos

or     https://www.youtube.com/user/RFDTVnetwork/featured

Thanks, I didn't know RFD had a youtube channel, nor did I even think to look. Good find!

Its on right now! Makes me want a Bull Moose or even a 2-10-2 to double head with my Big Boy!

Nice video. Did ya'll catch what sounded a lot like a Nathan Five Chime on the 2-10-2's?

Ed

I can't believe I missed this...

Ed Mullan posted:

Nice video. Did ya'll catch what sounded a lot like a Nathan Five Chime on the 2-10-2's?

Ed

 

 

I did... very cool. Also like the Man getting the photo of the family in front of 4023 and driving away in his gold (I think 57) Cadillac... just made me think back when I was a kid...

Now my wife drives on our vacation, and if we go by a photo opportunity like that... the Kids cry NOOO!!! and the wife hits the accelerator pedal.

J Daddy posted:

BTW Hermosa Tunnel must have been a cough zone bringing a Big Boy through those tunnels! I wonder if the guys were given a oxygen mask? 

Nope. No "oxygen masks" were needed. The all-weather cabe was simply closed up, and you breathed through a wet/moistened cotton rag. I've been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, many, many times on either 3985 or 844, and that's how we do it, i.e. same as the "good old days of steam". 

Is this the Greg scholl program that aired?

Yes it was.  They mention Scholl as the videographer.  I record both series.  Don't have to remember that way.

Hot Water posted:

J Daddy posted:

BTW Hermosa Tunnel must have been a cough zone bringing a Big Boy through those tunnels! I wonder if the guys were given a oxygen mask? 

Nope. No "oxygen masks" were needed. The all-weather cabe was simply closed up, and you breathed through a wet/moistened cotton rag. I've been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, many, many times on either 3985 or 844, and that's how we do it, i.e. same as the "good old days of steam". 

Go back and look at it again, the show said that the crew had respirators to breath through. 
Putting that hood up over the stack and blowing the smoke back toward the cab couldn't have been good. Some long tunnels here in the east were ventilated and used blowers to blow the smoke ahead of the loco.

Big Jim posted:

Hot Water posted:

J Daddy posted:

BTW Hermosa Tunnel must have been a cough zone bringing a Big Boy through those tunnels! I wonder if the guys were given a oxygen mask? 

Nope. No "oxygen masks" were needed. The all-weather cabe was simply closed up, and you breathed through a wet/moistened cotton rag. I've been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, many, many times on either 3985 or 844, and that's how we do it, i.e. same as the "good old days of steam". 

Go back and look at it again, the show said that the crew had respirators to breath through. 

Their term for "respirators" may have been a bit of a stretch. Fresh air (NOT oxygen) was supplied by a flexible rubber hose connected through a small globe vale to the compressed air supply off number two main reservoir. There was a funnel at the end of the hose for the crewmen to place the moistened cotton waste/rag into the funnel and then breath cleaner air through THAT. 

Putting that hood up over the stack and blowing the smoke back toward the cab couldn't have been good.

Having been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, i.e. up grade, on 3985 when she still burned coal, it really wasn't all that bad since the all-weather cab is all closed up, and you are breathing through wet cotton rags.

Some long tunnels here in the east were ventilated and used blowers to blow the smoke ahead of the loco.

Hermosa Tunnel is NOT all that long, with a fairly high "ceiling", so even on a slower moving freight train back in the regular steam days, it was not all THAT bad (according to the 'old heads'). Now, the longer tunnels out in western Wyoming and eastern Utah, where the 4000s were originally designed to operate, that would have been when the used the air from the number two main reservoir.

I didn't think really think that they would actually use "oxygen", just some kind of fresh air. Heck, just think of the safety aspects not to mention that the RR's were too darn cheap to pay for something like that.

I was looking for the video. “Big Boys and Challengers” and it is not yet posted on their You Tube Channel. I did find these two interesting video.

I Love Toy Trains - General Motors GT7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Ik2glrW-E

The story about: Tinplate Trains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ttW9rnG3g

I am also going to look into signing up for: RFD - TV Country Club. The cable company that I use does not have this channel.  xfinity, but we do have a Voice Command Remotes.

Gary: Rail-fan

I enjoyed the Monday show on the UP Big Boys and Challengers a lot!  I catch all the shows on Monday when I can, as well as the Thursday shows on model rail roads.  I have a ton of videos about both, real and model rail roads, and watch them as much as I can.  Some nights there is just not anything worth watching on broadcast TV, so the videos I have are very nice to have.  Yes, Mondays at 16:30 hrs and Thursday at 15:00 hrs are designated as essential viewing times.  Wish the Thursday showings were longer than the 30 minute slot, however.

Jesse    TCA

Hot Water posted:

Big Jim posted:

Hot Water posted:

J Daddy posted:

BTW Hermosa Tunnel must have been a cough zone bringing a Big Boy through those tunnels! I wonder if the guys were given a oxygen mask? 

Nope. No "oxygen masks" were needed. The all-weather cabe was simply closed up, and you breathed through a wet/moistened cotton rag. I've been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, many, many times on either 3985 or 844, and that's how we do it, i.e. same as the "good old days of steam". 

Go back and look at it again, the show said that the crew had respirators to breath through. 

Their term for "respirators" may have been a bit of a stretch. Fresh air (NOT oxygen) was supplied by a flexible rubber hose connected through a small globe vale to the compressed air supply off number two main reservoir. There was a funnel at the end of the hose for the crewmen to place the moistened cotton waste/rag into the funnel and then breath cleaner air through THAT. 

Putting that hood up over the stack and blowing the smoke back toward the cab couldn't have been good.

Having been through Hermosa Tunnel, eastbound, i.e. up grade, on 3985 when she still burned coal, it really wasn't all that bad since the all-weather cab is all closed up, and you are breathing through wet cotton rags.

Some long tunnels here in the east were ventilated and used blowers to blow the smoke ahead of the loco.

Hermosa Tunnel is NOT all that long, with a fairly high "ceiling", so even on a slower moving freight train back in the regular steam days, it was not all THAT bad (according to the 'old heads'). Now, the longer tunnels out in western Wyoming and eastern Utah, where the 4000s were originally designed to operate, that would have been when the used the air from the number two main reservoir.

 

My great Grandpa Walked the tunnels near Fort Bridger for security purposes during the war years.
When a train would come through while on his walk he would try and make it to a dug out (every 1/4 mile) and cover his face with a rag.
He never did mention if it was wet. 
Occasionally he didn't make it to a dug out, he would just hug the tunnel wall and suck it in. He said the 4000's didn't leave him very much room for error.

-Zach