Here is a wonderful video of 4014 actually working instead of just loping along like the operators usually have 'er do: To me, that's what steam is all about - mighty whistles and chuffing! Doug
WOW!! And some folks wish that I would make that kind of music in my apartment? Well I did turn up the speakers. Enough? I see they had to drag alone a diesel. Time for bed. Night. Rich
The diesel locomotive in the consist always ruins the illusion for me. I get that they need hotel power, but isn't that what the APU car is for? With PTC being installed in 4014, I don't see why they need that EMD in the consist. Back in the 40's and 50's, the Big Boys seemed perfectly capable of hauling 100 car trains with no diesels as backup power.
The diesel doesn't bother me a bit. It is part of railroading and this isn't 70 - 80 years ago. We should just be thankful we actually get to see the Big Boy in action. Doug
Nice. No mindless narration. No DSLR shutters clacking away. No idiots cursing away in the "excitement". Just the train. The way video should be!
I should have credited the YouTube member who posted this video (and others) there. It is "Fan Railer" and he obviously is very knowledgeable about steam as he described that, as wonderful as it sounds, it was still not operating at anywhere near full power because this was only a 1500 ton passenger train and not a 3000-4000 ton freight! He could tell by the positions of various parts of the running gear. Fascinating! Do feelings well up in anybody else watching this? It's incredible how a powerful machine can do that to me. Doug
Thanks! I couldn't see how to get to the right section to post it there. I think it was a glitch, however, as I clicked on the section but it wouldn't go there. Doug
Watching Jim's video reminded me of a couple years ago when my dad and I went half way to Yuma in the middle of nowhere (desert) to see 4014 and follow it back to Maricopa. What struck me was that even in the middle of nowhere it still had a huge entourage of vehicles following it. You're driving along with hardly any cars, then out of the blue tons of cars and you knew it was near. Glad I got to do that with him, it was a pretty cool adventure we had following that train through the desert now that I look back on it. Cheers -Mike