Steam & Excursion > Big Boy, it's alive?!

If it was posted here already I somehow missed it. But over on that Facebook site so many here seem to dislike, a short video clip was posted on the official Union Pacific page indicating steam testing is under way on 4014. You can't see much in the clip, but you can see steam.

Posted from Android

Its Alive when The Federal Railway Admin  (FRA) says its alive, That hasnt happend yet with 4014? Nothing rolls on the High Iron without the FRA's Legal Blessing first. whether its a restored passenger car or a steam or diesel locomotive.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/19 00:35 by RailRat.

A-1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If it was posted here already I somehow missed it.
> But over on that Facebook site so many here seem
> to dislike, a short video clip was posted on the
> official Union Pacific page indicating steam
> testing is under way on 4014. You can't see much
> in the clip, but you can see steam.

It is a steam test by their in-house steam plant, i.e. she is on "house steam", at maybe 140 psi, in order to check & look for leaks.

It wont be moving this week. UP posted a photo of the side rods sitting on pallets on the shop floor on Facebook yesterday. 

BKLJ611 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It wont be moving this week. UP posted a photo of
> the side rods sitting on pallets on the shop floor
> on Facebook yesterday. 

Not only that, they still must finish installing all the firebrick in the firebox.

At the least its moving forward every day and its nice to see posts keeping up on that. Thanks for the update and thanks Jack for the note on what was going on being in the know on these things many miss. Boyd in Chiloquin

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> It is a steam test by their in-house steam plant,
> i.e. she is on "house steam", at maybe 140 psi, in
> order to check & look for leaks.

HW,

I assume during this type of test, the boiler is not full of water, but is just pressurized with steam at the chosen test pressure?

Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY

sgriggs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > It is a steam test by their in-house steam
> plant,
> > i.e. she is on "house steam", at maybe 140 psi,
> in
> > order to check & look for leaks.
>
> HW,
>
> I assume during this type of test, the boiler is
> not full of water, but is just pressurized with
> steam at the chosen test pressure?
>
> Scott Griggs
> Louisville, KY

Not sure how the current team does things but, previously just house steam was used for such a "test". When preparing to fire-up for a trip, the house steam plant was used to fill the boiler to a predetermined level, with water and steam, and when the pressure was about 100 psi, the fire was lit, outside of course, and pressure raised to desired working pressure.

A similar procedure is used on 4449, when preparing for a trip. Water is mixed with steam, from the heater car, Little Boy, and when the water appears in the bottom of the gauge glass, the water is shut off and just steam is used to bring the pressure up to about 50 psi.. Then the fire is lit.

RailRat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its Alive when The Federal Railway Admin  (FRA)
> says its alive, That hasnt happend yet with 4014?
> Nothing rolls on the High Iron without the FRA's
> Legal Blessing first. whether its a restored
> passenger car or a steam or diesel locomotive.

Not really. In the case of an operating steam locomotive, the operator only needs to notify the FRA the date the hydro test will be done. At that point it’s up to the FRA to be there that day. Otherwise, the operator must maintain and keep all the inspection records to present an FRA inspector whenever they decide to show up.

Same goes for practically all equipment operating today. The railroads are required to maintain records of daily and 90 inspections on locomotives. The FRA can’t possibly inspect every piece of equipment on the railroad.

Hope this clears things up.

Posted from iPhone

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BKLJ611 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It wont be moving this week. UP posted a photo
> of
> > the side rods sitting on pallets on the shop
> floor
> > on Facebook yesterday. 
>
> Not only that, they still must finish installing
> all the firebrick in the firebox.

I'm surprised the brickwork has not yet been completed at this the 11th hour. However, photographs of that progress is something I would love to see. The firebox and oil conversion is the most interesting and challenging part of this restoration imho. Hopefully someone documented it. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/19 12:28 by BKLJ611.

The only thing that sucks is who's gonna be the 2ND Engineer since Terrefic Ted got into that nasty accident a few days ago!

seems to be doing well, maybe he can operate soon

That's good to hear!

Running gear work can take lots of time and can be very demanding.