Engine 29 on the Big Bang Theory (SPOILERS)

I Will have to look for that episode, I'm not much of a "Big Bang " fan, but I Did do the Nevada Northern's Engineer for a day program in 2007. I Ran the Ten Wheeler # 40, and SD9# 204, it was a Great Experience.

Doug

 

Here ya go!

-Pete

Hmm, the sequence was so short, I didn't notice a lot of things, like the lack of windows, the vanderbuilt tender--I did notice it was an oil burner though. I also noticed that Sheldon "pumped" the throttle--that bit bothered me. So, what railroad did 29 come from?

Not completely certain ... but the loc that Sheldon is driving is probably from the Los Angeles Griffith Park Travel Town.  The "big Bang Theory" is filmed not far from Travel Town.  

The loc.

.could certainly be this one:

http://www.laparks.org/travelt...locomotive/union4439

Background of course is all "green screen".

He looks like PeeWee Herman on another adventure.

Yes, if you look at the whole episode; the locomotive scene is what, 5 minutes? So I can see the producers looking at things: 5 minute segment, Trip to Nevada Northern, hundreds of miles away, per diem for crew for two-to-three days, Travel Town, in the "hood." Number of people watching who would know the difference. . . Yep, easy decision, call travel town, arrange an afternoon shoot! And Carl, I agree--he doesn't look like Sherman in the dream sequence, but then it IS Amy's dream, so that must be how she sees him---which might explain a few things in their relationship! Now if they could have just not had him pump the throttle like it was a grease gun. . . .

traindavid posted:

Now if they could have just not had him pump the throttle like it was a grease gun. . . .

Remember, Hollywood thinks all trains have steam whistles.

traindavid posted:

I did notice it was an oil burner though. I also noticed that Sheldon "pumped" the throttle--that bit bothered me. o, what railroad did 29 come from?

How did you notice it was an oil burner?

Having not seen the episode...sometimes you do need to push the throttle in and out to get what you need from the engine...Not sure if that's what you mean by "pumping" the throttle.

smd4 posted:

traindavid posted:

I did notice it was an oil burner though. I also noticed that Sheldon "pumped" the throttle--that bit bothered me. o, what railroad did 29 come from?

How did you notice it was an oil burner?

Having not seen the episode...sometimes you do need to push the throttle in and out to get what you need from the engine...Not sure if that's what you mean by "pumping" the throttle.

He was pumping it like a pump handle. Not at all the way an engineman would work a real throttle. In another scene he was "welding" on what appeared to be a big block V-8 automobile motor and calling it "the engine from a diesel locomotive".

I don't know why anyone would expect any degree of accuracy about railroading on a show which uses the character's interest in trains as a means of showing that he's a dufus and a social misfit.

On another episode, while discussing the Napa Valley Wine Train's motive power, it was stated that the locomotive was built by Alcoa [sic]. I won't quibble that the FPA4s aren't pure ALCos but rather an ALCo design built under license by the Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada. But they certainly weren't built by the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa).

I watch the show for laughs (and because Kaley Cuoco and Melissa Rauch, Penny and Bernadette, are very easy on the eyes) but most of the train references are dumb and borderline insulting to railfans.

 

But remember it is a sitcom (not a documentary) AND it was Amy's DAYDREAM of her boyfriend.  I like the show and thought it was a good episode. 

Jim

Well, now that we are finally home (we live above lake Oroville and had to go about 100 miles out of our way to get around the evacuation traffic mess) I can get online and respond! Steve, amazingly enough some of the shots from Amy's side of the engine showed the oil burner valve. There are also some other backhead details, I forget just what that suggested an oil burner. BUT, as has been said many times here; it's just a TV show and the writers apparently don't have a "Railroad consultant" on staff. I've noticed other mistakes when Sheldon is given a train set, etc. Not knowing the math, I'll bet the whiteboard calculations are driving scientists crazy! Hmm, Amy's got quite an imagination--that's not usually seen in her usual personality. Tomorrow, when daylight comes, it will be interesting to see what's it's like to live on the edge of a ghost town. If the great flood hits, I will likely lose telephone (and my only internet connection). It is looking better for now, but still evacuated.

The "locomotive engine" Sheldon welds on in the apartment was  a 6V71 or 8V71 Detroit Diesel truck engine.   For what it's worth, if you can work on a two stroke Detroit, working on a two stroke EMD isn't much of a stretch.   I'm kind of curious where the show even found the engine.  They have been out of production for quite some time.