Most Of The Union Pacific "Big Boy" Talk Has Been On The "Trains" Forum...

[Flintlock76]

"Last Of The Giants,"  a classic old railroad promo film!  Always fun seeing it again!

Thanks 'Dude!

[SD70Dude]

Something which I am sure many of us have seen before, but deserves another look now that 4014 is running:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4BWsYbJROQ

[Flintlock76]

Thanks for that CSSH', I had a hard time finding out anything  concerning oil industry strikes.  I couldn't figure out if they were a well-kept secret or if I was just looking in the wrong places.  Possibly since they were over with quickly they weren't much of a "blip on the radar" compared to the coal strikes. 

They certainly didn't generate any classic folk songs like "Who's Side Are You On?" 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

As the son of a late member of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union, I will vouch for the fact that there have been several strikes against the oil industry.  Most were of short duration but there was one of two or three weeks duration in the late 1960's, primarily over safety issues.

[Flintlock76]

That makes perfect sense Overmod, there was a rash of coal strikes and work stoppages in the years following World War Two.  Those strikes also hastened dieselization of a number of 'roads in the Northeast that were "on the fence," the Erie and Lackawanna spring to mind. 

And I've said this before, but in no way do I blame those miners for striking.  As a class of working people the way they'd been treated over the years was downright disgusting and disgraceful.  In trying to personally negotiate an end to a coal miner strike during his administration President Theodore Roosevelt got so infuriated with a snobbish, arrogant, and immoveable mining company owner he later stated privately he wanted to pick him up and throw him out the nearest window!  Maybe he should have!  It certainly would have gotten the other mine owner's attentions!

As an aside, I'd never heard of a strike in the oil industry, but I did some research and found there was one, and only one.  It happened during the post-war "strike fever" of 1945-1946 but was of short duration and never happened again.  It's a safe bet that stability in the oil industry also influenced dieselization.

[Overmod]

Flintlock76

I believe the 4005 conversion to oil-firing was strictly experimental, and not high-priority at that.  Since it didn't work out well it was hardly a catastrophe, easier just to convert 4005 back to coal and call it a day.

I believe you will find that the oil firing was in response to the threat of coal strike in the late '40s ... most other railroads had plans like this, too, notably the N&W where some of the arrangement drawings survive.  This was NOT driven by lower-cost economics and, in most cases, did not survive past the time of Truman's action to suppress that strike.

[Flintlock76]

I believe the 4005 conversion to oil-firing was strictly experimental, and not high-priority at that.  Since it didn't work out well it was hardly a catastrophe, easier just to convert 4005 back to coal and call it a day.  

This time, it HAD to be done right.

[SD70Dude]

Overmod

I am deeply concerned with the amount of blow from that forward engine right rear cylinder head.  That goes far beyond anything I'd expect to see for something like packing break-in.

On the other hand, I think the oil firing conversion has been done beautifully, as far as adequate running steam generation is concerned.  Note stack haze that fairly quickly resolves to white exhaust without visible suspended soot.  And how quickly multiple pops go off when the engine stops, which might be evidence of a turndown concern but little 'bad' for other operating or maintenance issues that we have been concerned over since the days of, say, the ex-RDG 2100 conversion. 

As was noted both over here and on RYPN (as I'm sure you saw) over the past week, UP barely got 4014 completed before the deadline for this trip, and did not have time to do much break-in running.  Ed Dickens himself said that he would have preferred to put at least 500 miles on the Big Boy before this trip, but of course did not have time:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/05/04-big-boy-is-ready-to-roll

This trip is comparable to taking a Model T on a cross-country trip the day after you finished putting it back together, with only one short drive around the block for a test run.

The UP steam crew will be well aware of all this, and seem to be using the trip to Ogden for break-in running.  Taking their time and making extra servicing stops, 4014 is slowly coming fully back to life.  And according to the lastest NewsWire article, their efforts culminated today with 4014 being subjected to a load test at 35 mph, pulling the train by herself with the SD70ACe in dynamic braking (I doubt it was actually in full DB). 

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/05/05-big-boy-finds-its-footing-as-trip-west-continues

And some footage of both engines starting the train after one of the servicing stops:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOUDn33SNuY

I agree that the cylinder blow-by is concerning, looks to me like the packing is not properly seated.  I expect them to take some time off to address this in Ogden, after the 150th ceremonies. 

Kudos too on the oil-firing conversion.  I hope some more detailed information about the conversion comes out, it will be interesting to compare this setup to what was tried on 4005, which apparently did not work out very well.  I always have found it odd that the many oil-fired Challengers ran so well, while the 4005 did not.

[Flintlock76]

Quite true Becky, but who knows?  It might just get them thinking, especially if this turns out to be a PR grand slam for UP.  The video I saw of the move-out from Cheyenne showed one big crowd in attendence.

If not a restoration of their own, then maybe partial funding and "adoption" of a steam locomotive from a preservation group?  

Wayne  

[Penny Trains]

Only Union Pacific could have pulled this off.  The other calss 1's (especially you know who...cough, cough, csx) wouldn't have tried.

[Flintlock76]

"Oh!  So THAT'S what that thing was for!"   

[BaltACD]

Flintlock76

By the way, Jim Wrinn said in one of his columns there's a sure-fire way to know when a steam restoration's done...

"When there's a bunch of parts left over on the shop floor, and you have NO idea where they go, then you're done!"

I suppose his tongue was firmly planted in his cheek when he said that!

You just hope when you go out for your test run you don't find out the need for the parts that are still on the shop floor!

[Flintlock76]

Whatever it is, they'll fix it.  That's why you have test runs.

They don't want any embarrassing incidents when the big day comes.

Interesting thing though, when I watched that video again I did see the steam leak from the forward starbord-side cylinder (didn't notice it earlier, my enthusiasm was getting the better of me!) but as the drone worked it's way around to the port side I saw what looked like steam leaking from that  cylinder.  I had to wonder if maybe the cylinder cocks were stuck in the "open" position and wouldn't close.  I'm probably wrong, but as I said, whatever the problem was I'm sure the steam crew will fix it.

Sorry for the nautical terminology, I'm an old Marine as you know.  If I was in the engineer's seat instead of blowing the whistle twice to indicate forward movement I'd probably yell  "CAST OFF FORWARD!  CAST OFF AFT!  ALL AHEAD SLOW!"

By the way, Jim Wrinn said in one of his columns there's a sure-fire way to know when a steam restoration's done...

"When there's a bunch of parts left over on the shop floor, and you have NO idea where they go, then you're done!"

I suppose his tongue was firmly planted in his cheek when he said that!

[BaltACD]

Overmod

I am deeply concerned with the amount of blow from that forward engine right rear cylinder head.  That goes far beyond anything I'd expect to see for something like packing break-in.

With the locomotive being brought to a stop and a swarm of 'mechanics' attending to it - UP also viewed the escaping steam as concerning.

[Overmod]

I am deeply concerned with the amount of blow from that forward engine right rear cylinder head.  That goes far beyond anything I'd expect to see for something like packing break-in.

On the other hand, I think the oil firing conversion has been done beautifully, as far as adequate running steam generation is concerned.  Note stack haze that fairly quickly resolves to white exhaust without visible suspended soot.  And how quickly multiple pops go off when the engine stops, which might be evidence of a turndown concern but little 'bad' for other operating or maintenance issues that we have been concerned over since the days of, say, the ex-RDG 2100 conversion. 

[Flintlock76]

So it's about time we picked it up here!

UP 4014 is ALIVE!  And here's some test run video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I0iUMDCkzc  

It's hard not to get emotional watching it.  Who among us would have believed a Big Boy would be running again in our lifetimes?

Maybe Penny Trains, she still a youngster!

Thank you Union Pacific, an American icon, and the great guys in the UP steam shop! 

You're all living proof the age of heroes is NOT dead!