realmdweller
103849
1391
45
Built in 1944 with a top speed (now) of 120mph (190km/h)!
Sorry for the camera shake. My kids were clinging to me because steam whistles are loud. (They had in-ear and over-ear protection but that whistle will rattle your soul.) Built in 1944 this fine marvel of engineering was featured in the opening and closing credits of "Shining Time Station" on PBS. Essentially the US version of Thomas the Tank Engine, it starred both Ringo Starr and George Carlin as and Mr. Conductor.
Homemade sauce (crank the volume if you REALLY want to experience that whistle): https://youtu.be/Xb7JqYmqiA4
I wish I'd framed this a little better to get the full plume. I'll just have to learn to forgive myself.
Here's the first shot that made me move forward http://imgur.com/rYFh5LO
Additional info and history - https://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/844.shtml
FP edit: stay safe out there folks and keep it real http://i.imgur.com/OjBZ39x.gifv
Memnoch112
Just how big are your wallets?
PleaseRespectMyAsshole
Completely irrelevant but I live in Grand Island.
LesLesVegetables
I hooked my phone up to the surround sound system. That was a poor life decision. However, I do feel like I got the full experience though.
cmo0
I rode behind 844 from Kansas City to St Louis a few years back. I won that excursion contest they put on.
ChrisLocker
realmdweller
Sweet shot!
letmetelluwhatireallythink
Doesn't seem very speedy
realmdweller
Beat us out of town we were travelling the same direction. I was SURE we'd catch it until I read its top speed.
BovineLeader
I love dis!
PuckerUpButtercup
God damn that is a sexy train
vipe650r
I remember Shining Time Station. That sow was legit!
MrNohbdy
I don't see the dime.
realmdweller
It's very small and I forgot to zoom.
NameNotFoundException
Well, duh. It's under the train.
MaddogExplosive
Could you suplex it if it became haunted though?
thunder2132
@OP Shining Time Station. Awesome. I knew I used to watch a show with Thomas in it, but didn't remember what it was called.
BlackWolfLeon
Nice one. I think I might've started something. +1
davebeastly
nowwhatamigoingtodo
I'm jealous, I really wanted to go see that when it was stopping in Fremont NE.
Archer5395
Cool OP. If you haven't made it to Lincoln recently come check out the new Railyard, they still have the old CB&Q 710 engine on display
realmdweller
Thanks, I'll have to head over there. :)
ShantyShaker
That thing is AWESOME
realmdweller
We'd seen it a few weeks prior but I was still amazed at just how big it is.
JudgeMentaI
was the dime okay?
HavocWraith
I just chased that monster when it came through Ogden. First foaming trip and I am an addict.
GingeraffeTW
Yayyy Nebraska!
ElroyJetsonEsq
I choo choo choose you.
grumpy173
Why do they put blinders on it? Is it to keep the engine from getting scared when it sees other trains?
DespiseEveryone
Smoke deflectors, to help direct the smoke away so the driver can see past the train.
grumpy173
Thank you
Welshie20
I wanna see the dime!
BreakfastWithCountChocula
Sporting 80" drivers, close to 100 feet long with the tender and weighing about 900,000 lbs. She's a beauty.
P51VoxelTanker
One of my favorite quotes from carlin is "fuck the children! And this is mr conductor speaking."
manovsteele
It's Thomas the Tank Engine btw, not Thomas the Train
realmdweller
I'll correct it now that I can edit the post.
mcshady
I'm amazed that they can make a steam engine do 120 mph. Do you know the original top speed?
justino37
About tree fiddy.
TheFullMonkey
With some special burning logs you can get up to 88 mph
Jrhoney
Wheelspin at speed is always a worry with the amount of torque they develop.
realmdweller
As I understand, it could reach that speed but typically operated at 100mph as a passenger train.
shhep
In Poland, Luxtorpeda (Lux-torpedo) train still holds the record rail travel time from our captial to the biggest mountain resort. From 1930
ChloeRed
If you want to be more amazed.. remember the piston movement might be only 2 foot. All that power is from a (comparitively) tiny movement.
IAmTheBadW01f
Steam can be ridiculously powerful....nuclear power plants run on steam. It just takes longer to build up steam and get ready to go.
zimirken
The last of the steam cars had monotybe boilers that could steam up in 50 seconds.
IAmTheBadW01f
Which is a great improvement I'm sure, but it's really convenient to get in my car, turn it on, and go.
zimirken
That was with 100 year old technology and no electricity. Nothing stopping a modern steam car from having a small air tank or electric motor
IAmTheBadW01f
So a steam hybrid? Interesting idea. Next comes weight....the boiler setup is significantly larger and heavier than an internal combustion 1
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mcshady
I'm not surprised that steam can generate that much power, but that the mechanical components available in 1900 hold up at that speed.
mcshady
Look how many moving parts there are, all over the wheels. Theyre all going to be moving 120 mph.
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mcshady
Okay, the velocity of any point on the circumference of the wheel would be 120 mph, and anything inside the wheel would be faster than that.
mcshady
Nevermind, I am tarded. Inside that would be moving slower than that.
shiyal
Pennsylvania Railroad built and scrapped their T1 Duplex in the 1940s theoretically could have run up to 140mph. A group is building one.
JCBeastie
Mallard is the World Record Holder for fastest steam locomotive at 126mph, it's aerodynamic though. 120mph with brute force is impressive.
SirChadwellHeath
The things they don't tend to mention are that Mallard was slightly downhill, speeding damaged the bearings so it didn't finish the journey
SirChadwellHeath
Also by that stage most other countries stopped developing fast steam locos and went to electric or diesel
squarelens
The streamlining didn't really do much, I think it helped Mallard by all of 4MPH and it was a much smaller engine too, remember
StinkBoy
johnzaku
That just feels so good to look at.
Porecomesis
Really hard to explain why.
BlackWolfLeon
Mechanical beauty. You can see everything move. Also Seeing such a massive machine go fast is great.
davebeastly
This is as wholesome as peeling the plastic off a new phone screen.
davebeastly
Not sure why I've been downvoted I meant it in a good way.
BlackWolfLeon
Yay! that's my post!
ashfsd
That train is too big to go that fast
maleko087
she was barely over half her top speed in that gif
SlutAtNight
That's a majestic choo choo right there
cerberusVIII
Got any saucy sauce for that video???
BlackWolfLeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-b4Ce4Mf4
cerberusVIII
That's awesome. Thanks. I work for the rail road now and totally geeking out in this.
LumpDaddy
I am surprised that ancient hunk of metal could go that fast, the train is pretty cool to.
Thepurpleelephant3
Fun Fact UP 844 is the last steam locomotive built for U.P and the only steam locomotive in the U.S that has never been retired
BlackWolfLeon
I believe the guys who rebuilt 844 are now also rebuilding 4014.
Fairdinkums
What a monster of a machine. Beautiful.
realmdweller
MircoBalleri
Little Engine that could
CoolCatJerry
Nine hundred thousand tons of steel, made to roll
MinorityOpinion
*pounds, or is it 20 times heavier than the Bismark?
CoolCatJerry
MinorityOpinion
well, it's no wonder the brakes don't work then.
MrCoolGuy
I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train...
LevainAvatar
I'd shine my light to cool Colorado rain
CoolCatJerry
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
LevainAvatar
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
SedativeComet
No matter how far we advance, we will never make any land vehicle cooler than steam locomotives
ChloeRed
It's not the coolness.. Steam engines have character and personalities.. Even other "cool" things tend to be more lifeless in comparison.
mynewcharacter
I always thought rigid airships were pretty cool. Then hydrogen came along and fuck that all up for humans.
pie4155
What if we make the steam locomotive a hovercraft?
wrongLZ
When you can make a huge-ass kettle that does 100mph, doesn't matter what it looks like, it will be cool.
mattjPandaBandit
What about the reliant robin?
buttyus
realmdweller
That's a plane that leaks fuel before take off. In no way is that a "land vehicle" as suggested in the previous comment.
mountainofpuppies
well it does leak like a bitch because it's parts are spaced to withstand the heat expansion. i think that's awesome.. for air vehicles =P
buttyus
Well its on land and its pretty cool
realmdweller
Holy hell that was a fast downvote. I don't agree but damn the internet is a scary place for opposing views.