UP 4014

With 844 now completed, the emphasis has now moved to UP4014, short video here from UP, explaining next steps.

 

Small October 2016 update, showing 4014 well stripped down.

 

Been a while since a update, but this short video has just appeared.

 

Incredible, that engine unit looks like it has just come out of service.

Cheers,

Alan

 

That was the reason for choosing that loco - the dry califonia climate time warped it.....that and the rolling chasis had to be made capable of being towed a few thousand miles back to Cheyanne

 

Bet the temporary structure taking its place is an impressive piece of kit!!

 

A set of pictures showing full dis-assembly have just been published, adding a bit more flesh to the video posted earlier.

http://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/steam-update-2-1-2017.htm

 

latest info update on 4014

 

Pic from FB showing 4014 in undressed state --- anyone want to volunteer check all the firebox stays ?

 

Now that's a boiler, thanks for the pic!!

 

Couple more updates available..

 

Been a while since an update, but one has appeared...

 

Thanks for the heads-up. Neither the UP website or Facebook page is updated with this (as of today).

Aside from the fact that there's nothing small about these locos, what struck me very forceably was that in, what seemed to me, a compatatively short working life, 4014 clocked up over 1,200,000 miles in service! Given the incredible loads the Big Boy's hauled it brings home to a UK enthusiast (who thinks of London to Glasgow/Edinburgh as long distance and 100 wagon coal trains as heavy freight) just how much bigger was the scale of everything on US "Class 1" railroads like the UP. Rather knocks an LNER P1 or LMS Garratt into a cocked hat!

Can't wait to see this bruiser back in service...... and as the UP tend to use their preserved steam on commercial operations, it'll be quite a sight to behold, working in anger on a freight train over half a mile long!

 

Your quite right, UK railways are toys compared to those in USA.

Have a quick check of this, and also check Cajon Pass, where the gradients are extreme, and the length of consist, can be up to 270 wagons, with mid engines, as well as pushers.

To be lucky enough to watch that, for only a few hours, will stay with me for the rest of my life.



And imagine this happening in the UK....

 

Wow! Had to boogie across to YouTube to watch the first clip. Left hand running in the US?!! The folks on 4014's tender reminded me of the "Sandriders" atop the Worms in "Dune"! Is it just me, or was the lead loco on the first (westbound) freight running dead? No visible sign of exhaust at the restart.

As to the second clip...... Hell's Donkeys!.... that's one very long train. There's obviously a lot of confidence in those buck-eye couplers.

What was that discussion on here about the merits of sealed bearing units? Could you imagine some poor sod having to oil up that lot? It shows a 1366 or Crompton running through to Weymouth Quay in a different light! I doubt even Eastleigh's track could fit that lot in at 71/4 inch gauge size.

 

A bit more has appeared about UP4014, got the link from a US website.

http://www.up.com/aboutup/community/inside_track/steam-update-08-25-2017.htm

 

Just watching the sequence of UP video releases on 4014's restoration. (Search YouTube for "Union Pacific Big Boy Restoration Progress" for a sequence of dozens of reports on this fascinating project).

From preperation for removal of the loco from it's resting place at the LA County Fairground, I've reached the loco's arrival at UP workshops in Cheyenne. What a mammoth operation just to get it towable and back onto the working network! The team must have performed about 10% of a full bottom end overhaul just to make safe to tow. Comments about arrangements to speed up laying the track panels necessary to extract the loco via the car park gave me a chuckle, but what a pain in the a**e that temporary track looked like.

I'd wondered why so much of the motion was 'in situ' for transfer from Pomona to Cheyenne, but this turns out to be because the forced lubricator is driven from the expansion link.

Given the hassle they caused UK designers, it was interesting to hear the exhaust steam injector described as 'very reliable when properly maintained'. Of course, it helps if the designer has the space within the loading gauge.

Interesting too, that a fair bit of hardware removed for the transit was stowed in the tender, which was partially filled with water to add some weight to improve the ride during the trip.

The public turnout at the overninght stops was heartening to see, and the railroad certainly got their publicity machine behind the operation. Both 4014s (the lead diesel bore the same running number) looked fantastic and it was great to see the old UP yellow livery on both diesels, plus the support train.

I wonder how many of those who spent years restoring Barry wrecks would envy Cheyenne Shops a project where the loco had sat in sunshine for decades instead of the corrosive salt spray of Barry Island?

 

Was it 4884 without looking?