Passenger Trains > Ride "Big Boy" 4014 UP steam special in 4 weeks!

Tickets are on sale at Railgiants.org for Oct 12 or 13 over the famous Cajon Pass and Mojave Desert between Colton and Barstow on the luxury 1950's steam train! Breakfast, lunch, gifts, and motor coach are included. Proceeds benefit the Railgiants Museum and engine collection at Pomona. Various classes and seating available. Total time on the train est. 5-6 hours. Total round trip is est. 11-12 hours. Must be age 10 yrs or older. This may never happen again, folks! Lowest tickets, $350. Past Big Boy tickets were 700 to 5000.

With a diesel in the consist and no open window availability those prices are sky high. I hope they sell 'em all but find it hard to believe at those prices they will.

   IMHO-Ross Rowland

I thought the diesel was there to provide HEP for the train, but I was told that is not the reason it is there.

Is it strictly for protect power??

Reliable word on the street is that the VP-Ops has issued strict orders that a "protect" diesel will be in all 4014 consists. Eliminates the chance of a road failure.

   Ross Rowland

Roger that.

restricted_speed Wrote:
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> I thought the diesel was there to provide HEP for
> the train,

For what it's worth, NO UP diesel locomotives have the capability to provide HEP at all! That is why the UP has various Power Cars, including the steam crew boiler-dorm "Howard Fogg".

but I was told that is not the reason
> it is there.
>
> Is it strictly for protect power??

Yes, and to make sure that the 4014 is NOT worked too hard, as I have heard they have some issues with maintaining the full 300 psi max working pressure due firing issues.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> restricted_speed Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I thought the diesel was there to provide HEP
> for
> > the train,
>
> For what it's worth, NO UP diesel locomotives have
> the capability to provide HEP at all! That is why
> the UP has various Power Cars, including the steam
> crew boiler-dorm "Howard Fogg".
>
> but I was told that is not the reason
> > it is there.
> >
> > Is it strictly for protect power??
>
> Yes, and to make sure that the 4014 is NOT worked
> too hard, as I have heard they have some issues
> with maintaining the full 300 psi max working
> pressure due firing issues.

The C&NW steam locomotives in commuter service in Chicago provided "HEP" power for their trains.
They had a second very large dynamo to provide power to the cars for lights.

Here is Ed Dickens interview with Greg Robinson, Producer Railroad Showcase explaining why he has a diesel in the consist. The video is property of Railroad Showcase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUgy78-Y3w



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/19 16:06 by kd0086.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > restricted_speed Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I thought the diesel was there to provide HEP
> > for
> > > the train,
> >
> > For what it's worth, NO UP diesel locomotives
> have
> > the capability to provide HEP at all! That is
> why
> > the UP has various Power Cars, including the
> steam
> > crew boiler-dorm "Howard Fogg".
> >
> > but I was told that is not the reason
> > > it is there.
> > >
> > > Is it strictly for protect power??
> >
> > Yes, and to make sure that the 4014 is NOT
> worked
> > too hard, as I have heard they have some issues
> > with maintaining the full 300 psi max working
> > pressure due firing issues.
>
> The C&NW steam locomotives in commuter service in
> Chicago provided "HEP" power for their trains.
> They had a second very large dynamo to provide
> power to the cars for lights.

Well, "power for the cars lights" is hugely different from HEP, which is 480 volt three phase AC, for operation of heating and air conditioning, upwards of 350KW!  Plus, that has NOTHING to do with the question of UP diesels providing HEP.
 

UP invested many millions of dollars in returning the 4014 to service as they made the corporate decision that the positive PR it produced would justify the dollars. I would say that thus far they are probably pleased with the results. Let's hope she continues to produce the good media coverage and makes the company glad they took the risk.

  As to always putting a diesel behind her and restricting the operating speed these measures help insure both no road failures and keeping the wear & tear on the BB to a minimum.

   Sure, for us steam fanatics we won't be satisfied until/unless 4014 pulls a full tonnage train over the continental divide unassisted with no diesel in sight. That ain't gonna happen so enjoy the fact that at least she's back in service vs. collecting dust stuffed & mounted.

   A half loaf is better than no loaf.

   Ross Rowland

the diesel is the full tonnage train, the DB is on more than it isn't

Interesting.

dan Wrote:
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> the diesel is the full tonnage train, the DB is on
> more than it isn't

Then why doesn't 4014 produce MUCH more exhaust noise? In the vast majority of the videos I've viewed, there is obviously very little, if any, dynamic brake being used, as 4014 sure isn't much stack talk. When I watched from trackside in Lombard, IL as they accelerated westbound on the former C&NW three track commuter main line, there sure wasn't much exhaust nor was there ANY dynamic brake sound from the diesel.

well they are providing some resistence at all times , perhaps not 50 or 100 cars of resistence, pretty quiet compared to a train descending sherman hill

Thanks for posting that video.

dan Wrote:
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> well they are providing some resistence at all
> times , perhaps not 50 or 100 cars of resistence,
> pretty quiet compared to a train descending
> sherman hill

Still, the unmistakable sound of that big dynamic brake grid blower, even when running slowly, simply isn't there on most of the various videos that have been posted. You keep claiming that they are always using the DB, and I will continue to disagree.

restricted_speed wrote:
----------------------------------------
> Thanks for posting that video.

You are welcome !

The sound from the posted videos clearly shows the diesel in work mode not dynamic braking mode and the faint exhaust of the 4014 affirms that she is doing little more that pulling her own weight( if that) and that's fine.

  Always remember the 4014 is a show pony not a work horse. UP didn't invest lots of millions so us steam nuts can get our jollies watching her perform at full throttle and full tonnage unassisted. That ain't gonna happen.

  Be glad UP was convinced that the good PR she produced would justify the monies required to bring her back from the dead.

   IMHO-Ross Rowland

kd0086 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is Ed Dickens interview with Greg Robinson,
> Producer Railroad Showcase explaining why he has a
> diesel in the consist. The video is property of
> Railroad Showcase.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUgy78-Y3w

Thanks for the link. The interview was conducted during their Golden Spike 150th Anniversary run to Ogden in May. I think it's safe to speculate that ED's comments are old news now, as the UP Steam crew probably know more about the quirks of 4014 from the trip east toward Iowa in July.

co614 Wrote:
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>   Always remember the 4014 is a show pony not a
> work horse. UP didn't invest lots of millions so
> us steam nuts can get our jollies watching her
> perform at full throttle and full tonnage
> unassisted. That ain't gonna happen.

Appreciate your comments. If you are restraining your disappointment, I have NO problems with it. I won't call you "bitter and bored" like what someone did in the other thread.

Some people already had the privilege of watching a big steamer perform at full throttle and full tonnage unassisted, and they don't need to mock people they disagree with to feel good about it. :-)