I hope all goes well with the UP 4014, and 844. Also, everyone fortunate enough to be able to attend the historic event, has a safe and wonderful time! I look forward to seeing photographs and video here in the following days! And a BIG thank you to Union Pacific for having a steam program!
Rusty
The last video I saw yesterday, when they were blowing the steam passages out, everything was in place except pistons, valves, and the cylinder heads/valve caps. All the rods, radius rods, crank rods, main rods, valve gear... everything but pistons/valves.
They could also grease up a section of yard rail and run it on a "slip track" for a little bit to test the motion out.
What the heck is a "crank rod??"
smd4 posted:What the heck is a "crank rod??"
I think he may have combined eccentric crank and eccentric rod into one (incorrect) word.
Brody B. posted:Seeing new and shiny jacketing on that thing brings back horrifying (but fun) memories of when we replaced 765's jacketing last summer!
It was only horrifying for you.
The rest of us didn't feel a thing.
Next time load up on pasta for a couple of weeks and they won't be able to squeeze you in there. 
Nick Chillianis posted:Brody B. posted:Seeing new and shiny jacketing on that thing brings back horrifying (but fun) memories of when we replaced 765's jacketing last summer!
It was only horrifying for you.
The rest of us didn't feel a thing.
Next time load up on pasta for a couple of weeks and they won't be able to squeeze you in there.
It wasn’t that bad. I won the title of being the smallest and most flexible during that project. We went through a lot of ratchet straps and bandsaw blades that summer.
Kelly Anderson posted:Dominic Mazoch posted:In the steam era, how was a recently heavily shopped engine "broken in"? A few locals close to the shop?
Often, one day on A local freight was enough to uncover any problems stemming from an overhaul. Often engines received no break in. Piston rings or rod bushings were replaced so routinely that there was no time to hold an engine out of service for any break in every time, because it was needed in its regular service.
I recall reading that when the first Big Boy was delivered to Omaha, it was set up, fired up, and sent west on a train that otherwise would have been double headed, beating the usual running time to North Platt (?) by an hour. No gentle break in there.
In the Kratville book he wrote that first westbound train was 100 empty Pacific Fruit Express cars. Not much of a train for a 4000 esp. considering Nebraska is fairly flat from Omaha to Ogallala.
Kelly Anderson posted:OK, let's talk. Have you read the "EMD Report" about the incident in Texas with your own eyes? If not, what is the source of your information?
Kelly, you know there was no written report on this. It was all handled via conference calls with Hot Water, EMD Engineering, the EMD District Sales Manager in Omaha, and the UP Mechanical Dept. folks in Omaha. During those calls, one of the UP Mechanical guys realized what had really happened after hearing the de-briefing from the Pilot Engineer who was also on board at the time of the incident. It was a simple mistake by an inexperienced engineer that was not handled well by the guy in charge of the steam locomotive crew.
No defects were found in the MU Box. It's not a complicated a device...just a box with a few wires and switches in it. This is the MU box used on NKP 765 that was built by Hot Water when he was at EMD. The UP MU box that was in service at the time of the 844 incident was virtually identical. They have since added more features to their MU box.
In order to move the focus of this thread back to the upcoming Big Boy operations, this is my final post here on this off-topic discussion.
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What I wonder about is when they were finished, did they have the same problem shade tree mechanics often do when they rebuild car engines, ie did they have parts left over and wonder where they went? *lol*. Click and Clack had a classic episode where a guy calling in asked if that happened a lot, and their response was something like 'sure, happens to GM all the time when they are assembling cars"....
(Somehow I suspect with the complexity of these beasts and the way they carefully take them apart, catalog everything, take pictures of everything, and then carefully put them back together that isn't a problem....
RICH: THANKS.
I'm looking at the calendar and I can’t believe how close the people in Cheyenne are cutting it on 4014. It’s supposed to leave in three days for Ogden, and I don’t think they have the pistons and rods in place and connected yet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the very first movement it makes under its own power will be to head over to the front of the train for its departure for Utah.
Don't take this as a condemnation of the project, I just recognize a "nail biter" when I see it, that's all. If I was on the steam team at UP, I wouldn't have been sleeping well at night lately...
These guys are pros and know more about it than we "observers from afar". I trust they have a time table for these final assemblies, and are likely working round the clock! UP has a COMPLETE steam shop with all the tools and resources, plus decades of experience maintaining these machines. If anybody can get this accomplished, I strongly suspect it is THEM!
Tinplate Art posted:Theae guys are pros and know more about it than we "observers from afar". I trust they have a time table for these final assemblies, and are likely working round the clock! UP has a COMPLETE steam shop with all the tools and resources, plus decades of experience maintaining these machines. If anybody can get this accomplished, I strongly suspect it is THEM!
I agree that 4014 is not in the hands of a 'bubba' operation, but I was just saying I'd be sweating a lot now that they're in the last couple days before 4014 needs to run and hasn't turned a wheel yet, that's all.
At least one thing is that the initial breakdown runs won't steal the literal thunder of the first time 4014 moves under her own power as opposed to the run to Ogden.
I'd like to know where the "decades" of experience is?? All the former steam hands are gone. The one guy on this crew is a gunsmith. The other young guys I have no idea. Ed's steam experience is from the Georgetown Loop narrow gauge rr.
Ah, Casey, forever the contrarian; you seem to always dwell on the negative.
I don’t think he is focusing on the negative. I think he is being a realist and recognizing a legitimate concern.
I'm a huge fan of UP steam....but not a huge fan of the guy currently running it.
That said, I think this has been a very informative and educational thread.
If you remove human emotion from the equation, there is a lot to be learned by reading these 15 pages. A lot of experience and knowledge has been shared....good and bad.
To me, the information contained in this thread is invaluable. Thank you all for contributing.
Tinplate Art posted:Ah, Casey, forever the contrarian; you seem to always dwell on the negative.
So Art, Earlier today you posted something like "If anybody disagrees with my point of view then post a reply and we can have a civil discussion about it". That was in your topic that was deleted.
So where's your civility..or is it that all you can muster is an attack on my integrity??
I really would have thought that a shakedown run to Greeley would have been made by now. If something mechanical is found to need attention will they even have time to repair it before Saturday's planned departure?
Word is they are going to Speer tonight. Facebook is all a flutter right now.
My bet is... It’s happening.
One of the FB folks just said 4014 backed out of shop and hooked up to its train. More than likely water car and support cars I'm guessing.
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eldodroptop posted:
Oooo where you get this? Or did you take this yourself?
Facebook. Search 4014 Comeback.
eldodroptop posted:Facebook. Search 4014 Comeback.
Got it thanks. Man the comments sections are blowing up right on UP page along with this page you mention.
Videos on Instagram.
eldodroptop posted:Videos on Instagram.
Did you get permission from Wahsatch to post this? See the disclaimer at the bottom of that video
Spoony81 posted:eldodroptop posted:Videos on Instagram.
Did you get permission from Wahsatch to post this? See the disclaimer at the bottom of that video
You notice I posted a link to the page? And not the video? There is a huge difference.
https://instagram.com/wahsatch...igshid=1jolw9o567zth
He is live streaming right now.
Frustrating! As much as I'd like to watch these, Instagram won't let me join, says every username I pick is already in use. Time to go home and go to bed, there will likely be plenty of videos in the morning on other media. WOW, I hope they have success with this testing and the first trip! So many things can go wrong with a fresh rebuild, and this is basically two steam engines in one, so at least twice the chances for an "OOOPS!"
BTW, that cold weather sure makes for some dramatic water vapor! (by the time it becomes visible vapor, it's not really steam at the point--minor technical detail, but if I didn't mention it, someone else would!)
PS if things go well today and tomorrow, maybe the shop crew can get a full night's sleep before Saturday!
YOU GO UP! EVERY steam fan in the world is watching! ☺
Original owners of the live feed last night is Wasatch Union Pacific contractors:
There's a better/longer video floating around FB.
Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 moves under power for the first time in over 50 years.
Shared on YouTube......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...=1&v=YO6aw5GrBVU
Gary: Rail-fan & Model Railroader
So, they never run her last night other than backing up?
I wish them the best of luck and most importantly that it's all incident free and everyone stays safe. As I have always stated and this goes for attendees, you can't put a safe minded person in the most dangerous environment and they can maintain their safety. You cannot however put the opposite of that person in what's considered a safe environment and expect the same to be true.
No picture or view is worth your life. Hope everyone attending has a blast!
p51 posted:So, they never run her last night other than backing up?
Hi Lee
The YT description states:
"Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 moves on April 30, 2019"
Gary: Rail-fan & Model Railroader
eldodroptop posted:Spoony81 posted:eldodroptop posted:Videos on Instagram.
Did you get permission from Wahsatch to post this? See the disclaimer at the bottom of that video
You notice I posted a link to the page? And not the video? There is a huge difference.
Exactly!
For those playing along, that Instagram page is a public page, meaning anyone can "follow" it. As such, you are allowed to direct people to it.
If Eldo had grabbed the video, and posted it himself, then he would have contravened the request of the page owner. In this case all is well, since he just directed people where to go to see it.
We were up in Cheyenne the last few days monitoring our scanner. The steam crew was active on the radio the previous day moving 4014 around inside the shop doing final assembly until 4 pm. A final message by Ed called them all together for a photo. Then nothing except steam being vented for several hours on the west side of the steam shop. After 7pm lots of steam crew radio messages until midnight. It sounded like they were moving cars around outside. Yesterday morning there was no radio activity or people until after lunch. We had to return to Denver. Oh well. We will be driving back up to WY Saturday morning to catch 4014 running by somewhere west of Cheyenne.
