Meet the Man at the Controls of the World’s Largest Steam Locomotive
After restoring the monster locomotive, Ed Dickens is hitting the rails.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-drives-the-biggest-train/?mc_cid=0e74dee989&mc_eid=73aa73684d Please use the link to the article on the Big Boy…
#5 was built by Baldwin in 1875 and used to work on the Carson Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company in Carson City, Nevada. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad purchased the locomotive in 1899 by the president of the railroad who was John F. Kidder and he renumbered it to #5. In 1940, it was assigned to helper service. In 1942, #5 can be seen in the opening scenes of the western film The Spoilers staring western movie star John Wayne. It was used in over 100 movies and tv series. Starting in 1983, the Nevada County Historical Society started the Friends of the Narrow Gauge and they started looking for narrow gauge artifacts and equipment. Finally on May 10th, 1985, #5 returned to Nevada County for the first time in a long time.
What is that crazy-looking beast below the valve linkage?
Always enjoy the trains.
My friends in this great community would you say a little prayer for my Son in laws Grampa this mornin. He is having open heart surgery today. Blessings be upon you all, all the days of your life and thank you.
ps Wish I knew about Ed 2 years ago when I got to see 4014 and all that raw power in person I would have sought him out. If you haven’t I highly recommend it, ha I took my 93 year old mother in law with me.
Our prayers are with him. May God guide and bless the hands that do the work, and those that monitor and care for him post-op.
My wife is doing excellent, today there’s a problem with edema but nothing else – she is ambulatory now.
May Grandpa come home hale and hearty after this is over!
Thanks Igor, I saw you post that same day figured everything went well. Prayer works.
Interesting coinky-dinks in my life.
1. My kids’ great grandfather was an engineer on 4014, and the other Big-Boys, through WWII and beyond. The RR moved him and his family to Rawlins during the war. All the family that could, turned up to see 4014 ride through Wyoming to honor their (g-)grandfather/dad.
2. My eldest son lives immediately next to the tracks, and the repair building, in Cheyenne (a converted upper building bungalow.) Rollout day from the view of his bedroom window. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWX15dGvqtM
3. My (2 doors down) neighbor and friend before he passed was famed train photographer, Emil Albrecht. His images have graced your shared images many times.
Fascinating life Walt.
Curious as to which coupling system is better. The English / European couplers are much different than those here.
I read/viewed it somewhere, but can’t remember the link/source. It’s a good question, though!
IMO, the Buffer and Chain Coupling is good for Tight-Radius Curves because of the Slack it provides, but it has a much lower Ultimate Load Limit and would not be usable on the U.S. Railroads where Mile-Long Trains with 4 to 6 Locomotives are common.
I know what you’re trying to do, CederQ – you’re trying to get me to digitize that old British Railways book, aren’t you? Well, dangling stuff like that video will do it…
Drool.
I’m pretty sure that #5 was used in both “The Virginian” and “Tales of Wells Fargo” tv shows.
These old train posts are doggone great!
Hey I got a Texas joke for ya… How many Texans does it take to eat a dead armadillo on the road? Three, two to watch the road in each direction and one to chow down.
They say it’s acceptable if you really love the armadillo.
The story on the last photo here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCH-tUmMl7Q
Filmed near Cottage Grove, Oregon.
It’s amazing how much power a steam engine can produce. Their biggest drawbacks were fuel (inefficient) and required tons of maintenance. Whatever their shortcomings, weakness wasn’t one of them.
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