Cool locomotive video

[Papa Bear]

Just a great video.....

I was going to post it in "tires and wheels" under:
I think I have a balance problem in the left front .

 

[robertcope]

That thing was cook'n at the end!

robert

 

[Blaze]

I wonder how many moving parts to grease and oil on that thing?

 

[The_Eric]

My best friend is a huge fan of steam. He's been on a few different trips with the 3985 now and I'm sure he'll go on several more. Those old girls will truck on down the rails at 70+ mph.

 

[Al]

I was waiting for it to blow up or crash.

"Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 was designed by Union Pacific and built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company. It is one of 105 Challengers built for Union Pacific between 1936 and 1943 and is the only operating engine of its class in the world today – the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive."


http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/3985.shtml

 

[JetStar]

Great post papa. My dad tells me about when he was a kid and the steamers would stop at the frieght depot in his small town. They would take on water,coal and the engineer,brakeman would get out and fill the oil cups and grease everything. That was back in the days when you ordered something it would come to the frieght depot in your town.

 

[MNgopher]

She was hauling at the end! I chased it when it was up in Minnesota a few years ago. That was fun! Managed to catch it in three locations on its run out of town.

 

[Stanley Rockafeller]

When I drive my e30 I feel like I'm driving one of those

 

[cbear]

Put her to work. It wasn't breaking a sweat with that short train.

 

[crinkles]

what a grand sight.

 

[rshunter]

Those last steam locomotives were some incredible machines. It was the maintenance requirements that finally sealed their fate. For power, they outclassed their diesel contemporaries by a wide margin. I'm glad that O. Winston Link was able to capture a bit of history as the steam era came to a close.

I can't remember if it was the 3985, or its stablemate the 844, that one day had the chance to prove that steam could still "show 'em how it's done". A Union Pacific multi-locomotive consist had one of its diesels fail, making it impossible for the train to make it over a grade. The big steam locomotive, which was on an exhibition tour nearby, was able to quickly arrive on scene and push that big freight right over the top. Mark one up for the old-fashioned way.