Union Pacific BIG BOY 4-8-8-4 1/25 Scale (Engine)

[USA Supersonic]

Originally Posted by rixtoys

There are 8 BigBoys in museums around the US which is remarkable because only 25 were built. It is a tribute to how popular they were. Although no Big Boy will be restored the UP did restore the 3985 Challanger which is very close. It has three axle drivers on each engine instead of 4.
Here is a video I found on Youtube
Union Pacific 3985 with Maximum Smoke in HD - YouTube

Never say never. All it would take is the right amount of money and support.

It almost happened once when Hollywood was considering restoring one for a movie about some kids discovering one moldering away out in a remote part of a southwestern desert, firing it up and taking it for a ride. UP said "Sure, we'll run it for you, but you gotta pay for it. Got Ten Million dollars?"

Needless to say (IIRC, it was Paramount), the studio brought the project to a screeching halt. Thing is, with today's computer animation capabilities a believable production could be done for a fraction of that original cost.

GO KOOKLIK!!!

[johnaletheo]

What 3D program did you use here? your design and work is MAGNIFICENT its inspired me to make my own selfdesign model

[kooklik]

Rhinoceros 4.0

[Yale]

As it has been a great pleasure to see your progress on this magnificent model, Kooklik, it was another pleasure and a surprise to find a 20-minute color movie about the BigBoy! The title is "Last of the Giants," from Union Pacific. The film has many scenes of the BigBoy in action, plus animated explanations of previous articulating engines, and scenes of the drive sections pivoting as they go around curves.

No telling how many other copies of this film may be available, but mine was in the 2-DVD set "Railroads: Tracks across America," from Mill Creek Entertainment -- just $4 at Wal-Mart! (Actually it was a two-case package for $8, the other set being on aviation history.) Another plus is that these disks are compatible with all DVD regions, so you could watch them in Thailand.

If you should have any difficulty finding this film, please send me your address in a PM, so that I can send the set to you.

[HMCS]

Originally Posted by Yale

2-DVD set "Railroads: Tracks across America," from Mill Creek Entertainment -- just $4 at Wal-Mart!.

I have that one too and it is awesome!

[Yale]

Check this out, too: Atlas Lionel MTH K-line model trains and model railroad : RARE Lionel JLC Legacy 6-11126 UP Big Boy #4012 "uncataloged" MINT -- a rare Lionel version of the BigBoy, yours for only $2,350! I really hope that your model will cost quite a bit less, Kooklik.

[hmas]

Originally Posted by Yale

a rare Lionel version of the BigBoy, yours for only $2,350! I really hope that your model will cost quite a bit less, Kooklik.

Here is a modern version, MTH 1/32 scale, on 45mm track & a lot less $1800 or so.
Mth G scale railking UP big boy w/sound&dcc #4004 | eBay
Tony
PS the Challanger & the Bigboy although superficially the same re steam & "chuffs" per revolution. In life, they were totally different animals re: sounds & power output sensed by bystanders.
Diesal sound is made up of harmonics some of which are below human hearing levels ie we feel the vibrations rather than hear them.

[Yale]

[QUOTE=hmas;298421] ... PS the Challanger & the Bigboy although superficially the same re steam & "chuffs" per revolution. In life, they were totally different animals ... [QUOTE]

The film "Last of the Giants" explained how the Challenger re-used the steam: it captured steam released by the rear drive unit to operate the front drive unit. By contrast, the BigBoy used full-pressure steam in both drive units.

HCMS -- I would not use the word "awesome" to describe the entire railroad DVD set. In fact, 80% of the films were PR promotions for specific lines. Even the word "documentary" might be inappropriate praise. But they still had their moments -- as when the narrator promised to send your freight shipments with the greatest dispatch, while the visuals showed the slowest man in the state.

[skidoosnopro]

I believe that the Challanger and the big boy are both simple articulate locomovtives . They use full psi steam to both sets of cyl . The other you are thinking of is a compound that uses the exhaust steam from the high psi cyl set ( the smaller ones ) to the low PSi set which in some cases are double in size . The benifit to compound is less steam use but the minus is slower speed . The later powerfull simple articulates like the Allegheny ( the most powerful of all of them ) the Norfolk A class and the UP engines is it high speed and high horse power. LOve them all I have worked on alot of running and static engines over the years so it is great to see how people take interest in the lost art of the steam locomotive . The simples are also know as single expansion engines .

[hmas]

At the risk of hi-jacking Kookliks thread. There are many sites out there that will explain all you need to know& more about steam & compound Hp-to-LP cylinder engines.
Some speak as they have something to say.
Others speak just to say something.