Speaking of big - I have not had the pleasure of seeing one of these Australian Garrets fired up - but I have had the pleasure of seeing one in a museum. Very big and looking very powerful. I think one is being restored in the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney. Here's a photo link I found via google: http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~ajh/trains/nsw/60class/6039-3.jpg From A.J.Hurst's page at Tourist NSW Trains [ 26 March 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]
This is my favorite... and Ive been on it many times! This pic is taken from one of hundreds! http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~ajh/trains/
There have been so many steam locos (and there are still a great many, world wide, that can be seen and enjoyed) and, like one of the earlier contributors to this thread, my favourite at any given time tends to be the one I have most recently seen, smelled, ridden behind and felt the warmth of as it passed me, but since I have become interested in US steam locos over the past three years or so and have gradually built up my knowledge to the point where I can start to distinguish between types and establish preferences, I do find that I like the freight haulers best, both the slow drag haulers like the 2-10-2s (which despite supposedly being almost redundant in design when they were introduced and being only suitable for very limited roles actually hung around until the end of steam in many areas) and the later evolution of the type into the superpower fast freight haulers of 2-8-4 and 2-10-4 wheel arrangement, as perhaps best epitomized by the NKP Berks, beautiful locos which are loved by plenty of enthusiasts but which are still relatively unsung compared to "flashier" types like the UP and SP varnish haulers which survive today and the Pacifics, Hudsons and Mountains of such roads as the NYC, Pennsy and NP. An NKP Berk hurrying a fast freight through a tiny wayside depot like Continental, Ohio or one of the many similar locations in Indiana, with the engineer nonchalantly leaning his arm on the cabside window ledge and raising a hand in greeting as he rushes through, is pure magic. Ben
Benny, if you like BIG, here is an alternative to the Big Boy, the C&O 2-6-6-6 Allegheny. This engine is a monster. The one in the photo is 1605, from one of Charles Gregg's Locomotive Cyclopedia publications. I have my own photos of 1604 at the B&O museum, but they were shot at high noon and aren't very good. BIG.
I am speaking of steam power that is running now. My favorite engine is Ft Wayne's #765 Berkshire. Nothing like ridding in the cab, running through the So. Indiana countryside at 50-60 mph. Steam, cinders, whistle and people waving. What an event. Other favorite engine is UP's Challenger. What a professional group of people. Chased the engine across central Indiana, Steve Lee let it run. 50 mph on tracks that had not had a steam engine on them for 20-30 years. What a beautiful sight, sound, and experience
Oh, you mean THIS 765 when it was in Muncie Indiana in 81 or 82? Roger Roger Hensley - rhensley@anderson.cioe.com == http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ == == Railroads of Madison County (Indiana) ==
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bos: Hi all, my vote goes to F.R.R. Shay #3 although I was young and impressionable then. It's on the east coast now and apparently well treated. B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> hey bos, It's over here working at Cass as a helper and spare locomotive (for the time being) as #11 it's repainted and all. there are pics at : nullEx-Feather River #3, Cass Railroad #11
Hey Fitz, You picked one BIG, and I mean, BIG locomotive to put up!! The H-8 C&O Allegheny was the most powerful Steam Locomotive built! It had recorded 7,500 HP on the drawbar, it's boiler can fit the boiler of the Big Boy inside with room to spare! The Virginian had 10 copies of this loco, class AG. They were built by Lima Locomotive Works, surprisingly a company not known for building articulated locos, but they built 60 for the C&O, including the 10 for The Virginian. I hope the Rivarossi version in HO comes out soon! Thanks, Mike K.
I get to take a trip on my first steam train this Sunday!! (Maybe- it depends on if my Wrestlemania tickets come through). I will be going on a short trip on the Texas State Railroad It will be a birthday present for my daughter- she turns 3 on Saturday. She ALWAYS has to ride all the small trains we run across, whether it's at the zoo, train show, etc... So I figure I'll get her on board a real one. Of course, I think the trip is as much for me as it is for her.
Guppyman, don't forget your camera! That is a trip you never get tired of. Maybe they will let you take a photo of the big Texas 2-10-4 #610 that is in storage out there. Enjoy your trip.
I know it's not in service, but the Great Northern class R-2/ R-1's were among the strongest 2-8-8-2's ever built. I think they are just awesome! Anyone know where I can see an example of such nice motive power?
Watash- you were definately right about the trip. That was so cool! My daughter got scared half to death the first time they hit the whistle. We rode up front and it was LOUD! She spent the first half of the trip with her hands over her ears. On the way back, we rode in the same car, but it was now at the back of the train. She liked that a lot better. She was thrilled to death when she leaned out the window on a curve and actually got to "see it go choo-choo" (her words). I'm hurting today from the 3 1/2 hour drive each way, but it was worth the trip.
My favorite would have to be the N&W J class. Even the N&W J-1 looked good except for the oversize siderods. For those of you who don't know what a J-1 is, the were the unstreamlined J's built during WW2. I believe they were numbered 605-609. Due to war restrictions they could not be streamlined, but they hardly needed it. They also had to put up with clunky siderods because the wartime restrictions wouldn't allow the lightweight alloys. I only know of one picture of a J-1 and that was in Kalmbach's book about steam locomotives.
I remember seeing the J-1's, they had a funny sound from the three axle booster on their tender. I think it was around 1937 that they removed those boosters and called it a J-2 or something like that, maybe a J-1B, but they were almost equal in pulling long trains to the 2-8-8-4's. It seems they had drivers that were only about five feet in diameter. They were massive looking things and would have been a thrill to run!
My favorite steam loco's are the U.P. Big Boy & Allegany! I love big locos and these ones take the cake!!
Hey,Will, welcome to trainboard! I'm Mike K.(6206_S1a) and I see you're from around Richland/Geistown area. I've been there lots of times. I still drive up there now and then, either to the Galleria Mall or down to Big City Hobbies in Ferndale. Check out what I had to say earlier in this string on the Allegheny. Once again, Welcome, Mike K. (6206_S1a)
Welcome Will, It seems that I started something in this area i'm in Meyersdale just south from Somerset PA!!! This is wild a bunch of locals of my area!!!!! I think all us Pennsylvanians love the LARGE steamers!!!! I'm preticular fond of the Yellowstones (B&O EM-1's, 2-8-8-4's) and the Challengers, and the Alleghenies!!!!!!! Articulated steam lives......Forever in Pennsylvania........ [ 12 April 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Thanks guys! Yup I guess us Pennsylvanian's have good taste for big steam locos. The "Giants of the Rails": The U.P. Big Boy, U.P. Challenger, Alleghany (finally got the name correct ) and the Mallet. These locos were our main source during WW2, if we didn't have all the steam locos during that time, we would've lost the war. So I pay my respects and homage to those that served during the darkest days of the war. Here's a question that's been bugging me ever since I got a HO Rivarossi Big boy: How many cars can this loco pull, on level and 2% grade track?
