I am off this thread. Getting spammed.
Hear The Whistle, from inside the cab......
Today, the whistle that Union Pacific placed on No. 4014 in 1961 was installed back on the Big Boy. Now everyone can enjoy it once again, now powered by 300 psi of steam.
The UP Steam Team wasn't quite sure what the whistle was going to sound like, but it's quite pleasant. As Ed Dickens said "We can live with that!"
The Facebook shared process is better in the OGR Video Player below. Better picture quality but the sound is still an issue, because the steam team shot this video with a phone camera, but sound is a little better. Take a look, there is a lot going on in the cab. Can you find all the new stuff? This video player is a great feature to have on the OGR Forum, no other Train Forum has its own video player. Well done OGR Forum. Congrats.
From the Official Union Pacific Steam Club, shared via Facebook procedures.
Gary: Rail-fan & Model Railroader
Attachments
In the steam era, how was a recently heavily shopped engine "broken in"? A few locals close to the shop?
AFT1/2101 played it close. But by today's rules she would more likely than not missed her first run.
Manure happens. But not having the BB on a test run before placing it on one of the major US mainlines, is, to me, not a good idea. How will know how BB will run? Will it stay on the track? How will the oil fuel work in its firebox? And a bunch of other questions.
In some industries, when one is presented with a situation, the first question asked is: IS THE SCENE (OR SITUATION) SAFE? This question is so ingrained into a person's mind that it is almost impossible to turn off. A variation of SAFETY FIRST.
Not only will there be a lot of people there, but the media...
No room for preventable error.
Over my 18 years on this forum, I have, and still do have, great respect for Rich Melvin both as an engineer and a man of true integrity! Also, Jack, known to many of us here as HOT WATER, has proven himself to be equally knowledgeable and experienced as Rich in all aspects of steam and diesel operations. I must seriously consider and accept Rich's sincere comments, as well as his explanation of those events with the 844 and the diesel. Rich, THANK YOU sir for your expert input on this issue, and your many years of guidance that have made this OGR Forum the GREATEST train forum on the internet!
Erik C Lindgren posted:
TRAINMASTER04, Doing some hand drawn water color art this week in my excitement too see this amazing machine.
...
Pencil, gouache water color on Bristol board
Eric, I don't know which impresses me more -- your fantastic modeling or your art work. Even as a WIP, this watercolor is a fantastic tribute. Thanks for posting. Your excitement is palpable!
Tomlinson Run Railroad
That whistle blowing on the 4014 made my day! I sincerely hope, as Rich also did, that all goes well with this complex and exciting project! Most important of all, my twenty-year old aerospace engineering major grandson, Matthew, texted me about the whistle blowing and wanted to be sure I also heard it! That put a big smile on my face! ☺
I second the praise on that AWESOME watercolor of the Big Boy! WOW!
Kelly Anderson posted:Rich Melvin posted:Kelly, I hope Ed never stops suddenly. If he does, you may need some minor surgery...Really?
Gentlemen can agree to disagree, but resorting to personal attacks is a sign that you know you have lost the argument.
If you were still the moderator of this board, would you let a post like that stand?
LOL, I thought it was a good jab personally.
Good natured fun is one thing. Personal attacks are quite another. I thought these types of attacks were specifically prohibited in this forum, evidently not. I cannot help but think that had I been the original author of these personal attacks (and make no mistake, that’s exactly what it is) I would’ve been either reprimanded or dismissed from the forum altogether.
Hopefully later this week we'll be able to see video of 4014 on a mainline shakedown run prior to teaming with 844 on the run to Ogden. Feel the vibe - the excitement is building.
Forgot to say a big atta-boy to Erick - your work never fails to impress 
The original Big Boy no. 4000 undergoing testing at the ALCo Schenectady Plant. If you look closely, you can see "Big Boy" written on the smokebox.
(Photo removed to comply with TOS.)
I too am blown away with the photographs Eric does with his paintbrush.
Kelley, You owe Rich one . Had me crackin up though. I'm sure the return jab will also.
Rich Melvin posted:Tinplate Art posted:KELLY: THANK YOU for that cogent and informative summary of that diesel/steam incident. Apparently, train software has issues like the Boeing problems, but without the tragic results!
Yessir...cogent, informative and incorrect.
Kelly has forgotten that several of the original steam crew members were there and witnessed the event. He may also have forgotten that the Pilot Engineer, along with the other observers, all stated exactly what happened, i.e. Ted (the engineer running the 844) simply forgot to throttle off the MU’ed diesels. When the train did not slow down as expected, Ed went over to the engineer's side, panicked and threw the engine into reverse while it was still moving forward! This locked up the drivers and they slid to a stop, flattening the wheels. There was no information logged in the diesel units’ computers that indicated any bug in the software. On the contrary, the logged computer information showed that the diesels did exactly what they were told to do. They did not idle down because the MU box was still set in the Run 5 throttle position.
Mr. Dickens then blamed the EMD MU box. The UP Mechanical Department ran with that story and took it to the EMD Engineering Department. When the supervisor of the Electrical Control Group at EMD saw Hot Water's name on the correspondence and the original drawings, he called Jack to assist in the investigation. EMD found that nothing was wrong inside the MU Control Box, and that information was provided to the UP mechanical department. At that point, Mr. Dickens changed to a different story. This is not how a man of integrity handles such a situation.
Kelly, I hope Ed never stops suddenly. If he does, you may need some minor surgery...
Regarding my personal position on this, let me be absolutely clear on several points.
- I hope the 844/4014 excursions are successful in every way.
- I hope none of the chasing hordes of railfans gets hurt.
- I hope the people who have paid to ride the trains have a spectacular time.
- I hope the boiler blow-downs work the way they were originally designed to work.
- I hope that Mr. Dickens has a change of heart.
He has chosen to be a lone wolf in the steam community. Steve Lee, the former head of the UP steam program, was always concerned that ALL of us in the steam locomotive fraternity did well. He was deeply involved with the re-write of the FRA rules regarding inspection of steam locomotive boilers, for example.- I hope that some of you will take off your rose-colored glasses and realize that no matter how well these trips might go, no matter how excited you might be to see the Big Boy get shoved around by 844 and a diesel, all is not well with this steam program.
Thank you Rich, I’m just a novice and have no clue in these matters. I don’t know Ed but I do respect you and hot waters opinion in these matters. Yes there’s two sides to the story but the story on the other side sounds very flaky.
Like you and others, I hope everything goes well, I want to see the big boy out there under steam but all sides must admit right or wrong Ed is a very polarizing figure.
As I stated earlier above, I must stand with Rich's explanation of the damage to the wheels on the 844 in that incident. Mr. Anderson does seem to be a knowledgeable steam man as well, but the evidence provided by EMD supports a different conclusion than the one he states.
Anyone know if Lionel and/or MTH's audio engineers are going to be out there?
My tribute to 4014,
A week from today 4014 will be heading westbound to Promontory for the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad that literally built America . This railroad made us who we are; gave us the industrial might to conquer World War Two and keeps our economy on the move to this day. Congratulations! Union Pacific on this incredible achievement and a special round of applause to the crews and teams of the Union Pacific Steam Program in Cheyenne, Wyoming. .
.
Gouache and Pencil on Bristol board April 2019 by Erik C Lindgren .
I plan to do another painting after gathering reference next weekend of 4014 near Sherman Hill in a finished landscape.
Thank you for the nice comments
Attachments
Images (1)
Awesome!
BEAUTIFUL art work; a MASTERPIECE!
As a fitting tribute to the leadership as well as to the actual building of the transcontinental railroad, a Chinese woman descendent of one of the many Chinese laborers, and a descendant of Charles Durant will participate in the ceremony. It should also be remembered that many Irish laborers also worked hard to achieve this amazing historical feat. Without this immigrant labor force, building this great transportation link would have been exceedingly more difficult!
I'm gonna break radio silence on this thread to congratulate Erik on his 4014 painting - it really is quite spectacular. If you get to the point where you consider making prints of it, I'll bet there's a lot of us here that would be instantaneous customers. You can buy a lot of new box cars for your layout! Maybe UP would be interested (seriously...). It is quite fantastic.
In the videos, most of the "make it go" equipment still hasn't been installed!
You know, main rods, crossheads, valve gear...
Nasty weather forecast for out there thru Wednesday. Wonder how that will affect a test run?
Kelly Anderson posted:smd4 posted:In the videos, most of the "make it go" equipment still hasn't been installed!
You know, main rods, crossheads, valve gear...
The pistons and valves are often left off until after the first steam up, so the steam supply lines can be blown out. I would think that those parts will be going together shortly.
Thanks Kelly. I'm assuming the valve gear will need to be timed? What's that process like, and how quickly can it be accomplished with four sets of valves?
Can’t you also tell if there is slack in the knuckles or if they are close together? I always thought if there was slack, something was being pulled and if they were close together, it was being pushed?
It's almost too bad the double D couldn't be made ready to be the diesel helper. Wasn't that the locomotive EMD rushed to finish to be ready by the May 1969 celebration? Fifty years ago. The worlds largest steam locomotive and the worlds largest diesel.
The Big Boy out in the Yard
A final steam blow on Saturday evening to clear out the throttle header and the associated high pressure steam lines. While the UP Steam Team carefully cleaned all aspects of the system thoroughly during the rebuild, nothing works quite like a 300 psi steam pressure washer.
From the Union Pacific Steam Club, shared via Facebook procedures. Video shot by the Union Pacific Railroad, with quality video & sound.
Remember: 844 & 4014 will have Christening Ceremony & Depart Cheyenne Depot on Sat. May 4th.• 9:30 AM MT - This will be live on the Union Pacific Steam Club on Facebook • You do not have to be a member or have a Facebook page. Stayed tuned for details…..
Gary: Rail-fan & Model Railroader
Attachments
THANKS, Gary!
Kelly Anderson posted:Gentlemen can agree to disagree, but resorting to personal attacks is a sign that you know you have lost the argument.
Argument? What argument? I'm not having an argument with you. I simply stated a few facts about the 844 flattened wheels incident that you either didn't know or chose to ignore.
Either way, there is no winner or loser here. We're just talkin'...
And after that flattened driver incident the EMD MU box went from being a small box with rotary selector and a few switches to a big honkin' box with idiot lights to show what it's doing....amazing huh??!!
At a train show recently, I saw a train of enclosed auto racks being pulled by a Big Boy. At first I was dubious, but then I realized, it COULD happen!
Will the weather out there this week have an impact on testing the 4014?
Guys....just so you know, the mods have gotten "several" alerts to this thread. As all of you probably have noticed, we generally have a lighter moderation policy in the real trains forum not the least of which is because emotions seem to run high about certain topics and many of those emotions do also seem sincere....so we leave you guys and gals alone most of the time. BUT....when we start to get multiples of alerts about a thread, we have to take a look. So...my advice to you is to try to discuss your differences without malice toward one another. Opinions are just that.....opinions! Be nice!
John Mills posted:Will the weather out there this week have an impact on testing the 4014?
Steam locomotives are *ahem* "big boys..." They can handle the weather.
Rusty
LOL! 😂
And rest assure, Facebook, U-Tube, et al, will be covering these moves as well as various news media. The world WILL be watching, warts and all! 😊
Now that they've blown out the steam lines to the cylinders - Kelly, what would you think are the remaining tasks to be completed prior to making a test run?.
This is a little off topic, but it illustrates how the crew can manipulate the steam engine output independent of draw bar load. This was the last trip of Joliet Express last September.
Kelly Anderson posted:Speculation only. I expect that they are doing final assembly today. I'll bet $0.05 that a test run will be Wednesday.
As would I, otherwise what else are they waiting for? That said, they're supposed to get some winter conditions there, starting any moment, for a few days.
That said, I don't recall seeing a nail-biter of a finish like other than Ross's RDG 2101 on the Freedom Train (and they had run it before then): http://freedomtrain.org/americ...1-30-day-miracle.htm
Seeing new and shiny jacketing on that thing brings back horrifying (but fun) memories of when we replaced 765's jacketing last summer!
