Steamers
This is a long blog and will take some
time to peruse.
Drjim, http://every-blade-of-grass.blogspot.com
sent me an email with a simple question regarding a steam engine train
schedule. Opened a floodgate, much like me asking him about radio equipment on
the USS Iowa where he was a volunteer for many years.
ttps://www.pacificbattleship.com
My fascination with steam locomotives
started as a wee lad during the Korean Conflict. My father had been hired as a
section gang laborer (later became a foreman) for the old Denver and Rio
Grande. We were living in Pinecliff, CO along
the main line from Denver to Salt Lake City. The sight of three steam
locomotives in tandem pulling two miles of rail cars loaded with military
equipment up the steep grade was awe inspiring. Behind would be two more steam
engine ‘helpers’ to get the construct to Moffat Tunnel.
The coal smoke would
linger in the steep valley for seemingly forever.
Once through the tunnel,
the train was in the Colorado River drainage and it was all downhill until past
Grand Junction, CO.
A slight discourse on articulated
locomotives. To achieve pulling power size matters. After a certain length,
negotiating curves becomes problematic. The solution is to build two locomotives
as one hinged in the middle. The usual wheel configuration is guide wheels at
the front, driving wheels in the middle, and load bearing wheels under the cab.
As an example, the D&RG 3600 series
Mallets were configured as 2-8-8-2.
The Union Pacific Railroad operates what
they call a Heritage Fleet.
The most commonly seen steam engine is
the UP 844 which pulls the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days special
Cheyenne-Denver-Cheyenne in August.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXf2EaJkEFY
Drjim had asked about a good viewpoint I
had mentioned previously.
Not real large by steam engine standards, the UP 844
is still powerful. The diesel-electric
coupled behind the UP 844 is there to provide braking assist.
The UP steam engines are maintained and
rebuilt in Cheyenne. Occasional tours are conducted, and I have been on one.
You start at the train depot museum,
worth a visit all it’s own.
From there you ride a trolley to the
shops.
You see steam engines in various states
of repair.
Some of the machinery is probably unique
now, but once common.
There are different diesel electrics.
Though rare, some blizzards require
rotary snow throwers/blowers to open the tracks.
The current project the steam shop is
working on is the UP 4014 ‘Big Boy’.
The goal is to have it operating and on
display in Ogden, UT during the 150th Golden Spike Anniversary at Promontory,
UT.
The ALCO 4000 series were, arguable, the
largest steam locomotives operated in North America. Several survive as display
pieces.
When the UP brought back 4014 to Cheyenne
I watched from near Tie Siding, WY. The video camera was on a tripod. Once
started, I left it running and took other pictures with a Canon EOS alongside
the tracks.. It was snowing lightly which appears like static on the video.
I was once asked why all the flatcars.
The crew needed to build a temporary track from the Pomona, CA museum to a spur
line. After taking what they needed with them, the extra was left for future
maintenance needs in California.
There are other operating steam
locomotives scattered around the country. Most are small or narrow gauge. An exception
is the Santa Fe 3751 which may not be operational at this time.
Colorado visitors have a choice of
steamer experiences. The best known is the Durango and Silverton and the Cumbers
and Toltec in Southern Colorado. Along I-70 West of Denver at Georgetown is the
Georgetown Loop Railroad which operates Shay type steam engines.
Shays use a geared system to power the drive
wheels. Not much for speed but hell for stout on steep grades.
At Golden, CO is the Colorado Railroad
Museum. They run a short loop with both steam and a ‘Galloping Goose’ derived
from pre WW II Buicks.
Off road enthusiasts have an opportunity to
drive various old Gold Rush days narrow gauge right of ways over and around the
Continental Divide scattered around the state.
For historians, Colorado has a lurid past
history of stock swindles involving building, or not building, these narrow gauge railroads.
For those of you who have made it this
far, I hope you found your time investment worthwhile. Thank you for your
readership.
17 comments:
I don't have your detailed knowledge of steam locomotives or the railroad in general, but I still think that they're cool. My only recent experience is with the Durango-Silverton line, which is worth a ride. I'm going to have to go further north into CO to ride and experience the other runs that are available! What fun, and a ride through history at the same time.
LL
I have some fond memories of train rides but my knowledge is fairly superficial.
My wife took the Georgetown Loop trip with one of her friends last summer. She said it was a great trip.
And we're definitely going to Cheyenne to see the museum!
Another train nut here.
I have dim memories as a very young lad in California sitting in the family car at a railroad crossing watching live steam go by.
My mother and I rode the Shasta Daylight (diesel) from Klamath Falls, OR, to Sacramento where my dad met us. SP cab ahead #4274 was on static display outside the Sacramento station. To a skinny seven year old kid, it looked like the Titanic on rails.
Here is a video of #4274 making a special excursion run in November of 1957. The country side as it passes though Alburn brings back a lot of memories of my young childhood in California's gold rush country.
https://vimeo.com/240878623
I've never seen a cab forward steamer in person.
I would really like to see the Feather River route by train.
My mother ad I rode the Yampa Valley Mail several times. Somewhere I've put up a blog about it.
drjim
That is my treat for favored out of state guests.
I have often wondered how those steam engines made it up those grades with all that weight being pulled behind it. Smooth wheels on smooth rails seem to defy friction. I'll just have to rely on 'what is' if and when I get to ride one.
Weight, mainly. Most tracks have 'oilers' every few miles that help keep a thin coat of oil on the tracks. When traction is needed, there are small hoppers filled with sand that can be dribbled onto the rails.
https://www.american-rails.com/gats.html
When the steam engine runs from Denver to Cheyenne for Frontier Days, Hwy. 85 along the rails is jammed its entire length with RR buffs and cameras. You need to get out in the middle of nowhere to have room to shoot it. It does swerve away from Hwy. 85 fairly close to Cheyenne and most folks don't know how to find the tracks there. WSF & I have a good idea of where to go to miss the rest of humanity.
Sisty
We've been over that ground many times for other reasons.
We'll look forward to it!
Great post and those are MASSIVE machines! Now trying to figure out how to add that to a roadtrip...
drjim
For sure
Old NFO
The shop tours are infrequent and sell out quickly.
I was given the DVD set "Railway Journeys, The Vanishing Age of Steam" as a Christmas gift. This in volume 5--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfdmgbzaoiM
Unfortunately the comments are correct. After about 1:35:35 the audio does not match. However, there is plenty of live steam for the first hour and 35 minutes to OD on.
Thanks!
Darned fascinating. Those big steamers were and are impressive.
Just so you know, you can buy a WWII era Jeep engine powered rail motor car today. armyjeeps.net
Looks like fun. You would have to negotiate with the local rail line for rights unless you're cruising abandoned lines (oh, yeah, get permission, still a Federal crime...)
In the ten years my father worked for the D&RG I had many a ride on a motorcar. There were areas not accessible to the public with wonderful trout fishing. He and his crew would work and I would catch enough fish for everyone's supper.
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