SO the Illinois Railroad museum is getting a new addition to there property.... http://www2.irm.org/blogs/archives/1914-A-BIG-announcement.html
Spoiler: Its a 130 foot turntable from the Union Pacfic.
It'll probably be a few years before we see it installed and operable.
Still its exciting to hear they got it and thats its not going to be scrapped.
It is a 130 foot unit from the former Rio Grande Burnham Sops in Denver that UP is closing. It can handle almost any steam locomotive left in existence except perhaps a Big Boy. This turntable would have turned such large locomotives as the L-131 2-8-8-2s, the L-105 4-6-6-4s, and even Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range M3 and M4 2-8-8-4s that were often leased to the D&RGW in the winter months when Great Lakes shipping was shut down.
I would think it can turn any locomotive. A Big Boy's wheelbase is not 130'. An engine can overhang the ends with no problem. All the wheels have to fit on the turntable. A Big Boy's wheelbase (both engine & tender combined) is 117'.
Good catch on that, pajrr. I grabbed the wrong number - total length is just under 133 feet but you are correct that the wheelbase is shorter and so could fit on the IRM 130 foot turntable. Well, once it is installed 4014 now has one more place to turn if UP ever decides to run some shorter length Chicago-area excursions for employees or the public, as UP tracks skirt the northern edge of IRM.
From what I am told the bridge east of the museum UP thought 844 was to heavy so the Big Boy might be to much.
Shucks, that would be too bad. And I guess you are telling us they can't use 844 to deliver it to IRM!
Now i could be wrong but the last time 844 visited the Chicago area was i think either right before the CNW merger the bridge in Elgin Illinois may not be strong enought for her, thats why they brought the E9's to bring the train to Union. But what i don't get is they brought over two steam locomotives over the bridge thought CB&Q 3007 and a different locomotive. It may not help UP hates bring steam to Chicago because there is no real safe area to store the train other than West Chicago.
Here are examples of some of the big power that would have been turned on the turntable at Burnham:
L-131 2-8-8-2 - some of the biggest 2-8-8-2s ever built with 63" drivers...
L-105 4-6-6-4...
DM&IR M3-M4 2-8-8-4 with 63 inch drivers - leased during winter months when the Great Lakes were closed and iron ore shipments were down for the winter months...
M-68 4-8-4...
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