Imatge de l'autor

Trains Magazine

Autor/a de Tourist Trains Guidebook

183 obres 301 Membres 4 Ressenyes

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Obres de Trains Magazine

Tourist Trains Guidebook (2007) 46 exemplars
Trains magazine 2 exemplars
Real Stories of The Rails (2019) 2 exemplars
Trains Magazine (July 2012) (2012) 1 exemplars
Classic Trains 1 exemplars
Railroad Chronicles 1 exemplars
F Units in Action 1 exemplars
Big Power 1 exemplars
Trains Magazine 2015 Calendar (2014) 1 exemplars

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Ressenyes

Steam locomotive porn. There were only 25 Union Pacific 4-8-8-4s built; eight of them are preserved, and one of those eight has been restored to function. (In fact, although not mentioned in this book because it happened after publication, the restored Big Boy 4014 got a chance to serve for real. A Diesel freight stalled in Nebraska, the dispatched looked for a train that could help, discovered the Big Boy returning from an exhibition in Omaha, and directed it to hook up and push.)
The Big Boys mostly served pushing freight between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah. After installation of extra heavy rail and other improvements they were in service from 1941 to 1959. After retirement their size (132 feet 9 7/8 inches between couplers) made them popular as stationary exhibits. In 2012, Union Pacific expressed interest in restoring one of the Big Boys, and the RailGiants Museum in Los Angeles offered theirs. It was towed to the Union Pacific Steam Shop in Cheyenne; restoration was completed in 2019 and Big Boy 2014 did a successful test run, and 4014 joined the 4-8-4 844 as one UP’s two operating steam locomotives. (The Challenger class 4-6-6-4 3985 was retired in 2010 and donated to a railroad museum in Illinois).
A chapter discusses whether the Big Boys really were the biggest steam locomotives ever built; they weren’t the heaviest, nor did they have the highest tractive effort, but the probably did give the most value for the money. The other contenders were triplex locomotives – the Virginian 2-8-8-8-4 and Erie’s 2-8-8-8-2 – these had another set of cylinders and drivers under the tender. There were not very successful.
This is a quite readable book, even if you are not a train enthusiast. There are plenty of pictures, of course, but they are coupled with text discussing the motivation for build a locomotive of this size, the physics of steam power, and the process of restoration to a working locomotive (I had the good fortune of discussing UP’s steam program with the program manager when the Challenger was on exhibit at the Democratic convention in Denver in 2008. She noted that there was always a Diesel in the consist to provide dynamic braking, that the route had to be carefully surveyed in advance to ensure bridges would hold up and water and fuel were available, and that the steam engines couldn’t go anywhere in Los Angeles County, California, because they couldn’t meet air emission requirements even with oil fuel).
For more steam locomotive stuff, see How Steam Locomotives Work, Superpower: The Making of a Steam Locomotive; The Locomotive Engineman’s Manual; and The Engine Driver’s Manual.
… (més)
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1 vota
Marcat
setnahkt | Jan 30, 2024 |
Ohio's last narrow gauge
West bound RG Narrow Gauge 454 down from Cerro Summit
Rio Grande Southern calls it quits
Last train from Carson City
 
Marcat
Freshett | Mar 18, 2018 |
From the Carl Weber Library (Uncle Ted) quality only "fair" Trains should be ashamed of this product !
 
Marcat
Freshett | Mar 10, 2018 |
Contains a state-by-state listing and descriptions of scenic railroads, museums and static displays.
 
Marcat
Mapguy314 | Mar 12, 2016 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
183
Membres
301
Popularitat
#78,062
Valoració
3.9
Ressenyes
4
ISBN
13

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