Steam & Excursion > This New Steam Locomotive On It's Impressive First Run!

It's December, 1941 and the cold winter air of North Platte, Nebraska is punctuated by the steam exhaust of a giant locomotive just fresh from the ALCO factory.

In this clear morning we see Union Pacific's newest Big Boy on her way to join the roster of the other 4000-Class 4-8-8-4's of the UP roster.  This is her first run and she has a dynomometer car cut in between her and a long string of freight cars to test her capabilities.

She comes none too soon.  With WW-2 just starting, she will be immediately pressed into service to help in this 4-year long war effort.  Still on this winter morning, she is quite a sight to behold.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/20 05:08 by LoggerHogger.

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4-8-8-2-4?
?It had a two-wheel lead-axle for the trailer truck.?.. ( well hidden)

Musta been a one-off from Alco...

😃

Posted from iPhone

That is a great photo Martin.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Martin made my day yesterday when he sent me the photos of UP 4013 as he knows that I have the shield from this locomotive.  I have seen very few photos of this locomotive over the years.  My Dad gave me this shield for Christmas in 1969 and will be passed on to my son.

Ron

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“....and a long string of
> freight cars to test her capabilities.....).”

The longer the string of cars, the greater the draft up the stack and through the grates... a principle seemingly lost in today’s realities.

No matter how hard you try with adding fuel... you can’t make a draft without a train... & you can’t get a 3,000 deg fire, with only a breeze through the firebox.

Those reefers on that train will the
secret to how far the ‘needles’
on the test scales of the dynamometer will be deflected..

You can’t move the needles, without a big train..

W.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/20 12:02 by wcamp1472.

From all I have read, and the few other big articulateds I have seen and heard, when they are at "full voice" (working hard) they TOTALLY DOMINATE a wide area.
It is only a small step up from that experience to a full afterburner take-off of an SR-71 or a big rocket launch.
My ears are ringing from some fine memories, thanks for sharing.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> From all I have read, and the few other big
> articulateds I have seen and heard, when they are
> at "full voice" (working hard) they TOTALLY
> DOMINATE a wide area.
> It is only a small step up from that experience to
> a full afterburner take-off of an SR-71 or a big
> rocket launch.
> My ears are ringing from some fine memories,
> thanks for sharing.

Challenger 3985 sounded the same way!

I worked on the SR-71 in the early Flight Test days and again later on and have stood alongside the runway as those full afterburner takeoffs took place.  You could actually feel the acoustic pressure beating on your chest.  I have never been alongside track when a Big Boy was working hard, so just curious, could you feel that in your chest?  No other of the many jets I have worked on caused that.

nycman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I worked on the SR-71 in the early Flight Test
> days and again later on and have stood alongside
> the runway as those full afterburner takeoffs took
> place.  You could actually feel the acoustic
> pressure beating on your chest.  I have never
> been alongside track when a Big Boy was working
> hard, so just curious, could you feel that in your
> chest?

Yes, the big steam locomotives, at full throttle, like 4449, 844 and 3985, move a terrific amount of air through the firebox and out the stack, so at fairly slow speeds, you sure as hell can feel it in your chest.

  No other of the many jets I have worked
> on caused that.

Some years ago, Pat Tracy invited a few of us from the UP Steam Crew, to visit and take a tour of the U.S.Air Force facility at the Portland airport. The culmination of the "tour" was to go into the "quiet room", where they had one of those twin-engine jet fighters (F15 or F14?) tied down by the tail-hook, for engine performance testing. When at full throttle, the man in the cockpit, hit the afterburners! Even with earmuffs with ear-plugs inside, the noise and power were VERY impressive. I have NEVER experienced anything like that, even after serving in the Artillery of the 2nd Armored Division in Fort Hood, TX. That fighter jet made the 8" Howitzer sound like a firecracker!

nycman,
Does A-12 mean anthying to you?

Wes

 

Wes, it certainly does.  Lyndon Johnson made it the A-11.

BINGO!

There were apparently two planes designated by 'A-12' ...
I was referring to the earlier aircraft.... xxxART...

Wes...

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/20 13:13 by wcamp1472.

Great pic!!