FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1: Is the Metrolink diesel pushing the steam locomotive? No, the diesel is there to provide electrical power for the coaches, as well as dynamic braking. Listen at 7:55, that is the bark of a 1927 steam loco, not the rumble of a diesel. 2: Why is there no smoke? The fireman (the guy who makes the steam for the engineer to use) is firing the engine well. He is using as little fuel as possible, to make as much steam as possible. This means there is little smoke. 3: How much coal does it use? None. This locomotive was converted to burn atomized oil in 1936. 4: How fast is she going? About 55 or 60ish. This is no where near her top speed. 3751's highest recorded speed was set in 1941, when she hit 103mph. 5: How did you work the camera while driving? I didn't. My dad was driving while I was filming from the back seat.
Excellent video, very good views of the old girl. She is impressive. Running at speed with a clear stack, if a machine could be said to emote 3751 leaves one with the impression she's enjoying herself. Beautiful locomotive.
Viyuyinn Valar no. in fact, if the diesel was pushing the 3751-1 THE TRAIN WOULD USE THE DIESELS HORN 2 THE DIESEL WOULD BE STRUGGLING TO PUSH THE LOCOMOTIVE AT 65-70 MPH. STEAM LOCOMOTIVES HAVE A LOT OF RESISTANCE. 3 WHATS THE POINT OF THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, HUH. 4 THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IS RUNNING. LISTEN TO THE HISING... THOSE ARE THE DRAINCOCKS IN THE PISTONS.DRAINCOCKS ARE USED TO RELEASE EXTRA STEAM AND WATER VAPER.WITHOUT THEM, THE PISTONS WOULD EXPLODE. ALSO THE DIESEL WOULD HAVE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST
The reason machines like this evoke such an emotional response from people is that they feel alive. Like a giant metal beast of burden. Might be obsolete, inefficient, and dirty, but it has a soul.
I think part of it is you can _see_ what’s driving it to a degree. There are lots of moving parts, an audible and distinct sound, and above all it has a lot of _pressure_ behind the sounds that it makes. Same thing with a pipe organ. You can’t truly recreate the sensation of getting hit by the pressure in the sound waves these machines generate when they are in use.
3:23 The absolute legend holding a damn cup of coffee while driving a ghost from the past, a freakin' steam locomotive keeping pace with traffic - epic
El Othemany the conductor is the person in charge of the train the conductor keep track of the route the engineer is the “driver” of the train the one that operates
I've never been that interested in trains now as a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student, I can't help but gasp in awe at the glory of that absolutely beautiful behemoth.
@@qasimmir7117 cant even imagine how many equations are needed to find the thermal efficiency of this 😭 the rankine cycle for this must be astronomically large
The proper people have a badass video with a young man named alex on a huge steam engine that was the water pump for a city on the east coast It was literally left with the entire building untouched for 100 years when the city gave alex permission to restore and get everything working properly again for demonstrations If they allow links i will find it and link it for you
I've driven along side an old steam locomotive like this in person and it is such a POWERFUL feeling. So huge, so much power, yet so graceful with all the linkages clacking away smoothly. It almost feels like it floats down the rails even though its so big
Honestly these things are just efficient. Those cars have 200-300 bhp, they might be able to pull a decent camper trailer weighing maybe a ton; the 3751 has 3200 bhp, and it's able to pull a few thousand tons, at 100+ mph.
@@ChaplainDMK Its all about the torque, baby! These majestic monsters likely produce upwards of 100k pounds of tractive force. The 4014 Big Boy made 135,375lbs of tractive force, on 34 inch diameter drive wheels, that's 383,562.5 ft-lbs of peak torque, a little over 1000 times the torque of that 1962 Chevy C10 Suburban's L30 327 engine.
Cuunnttt I swear on the lives of 10,000 gazen children love locked in a currently preheating oven that i came to this video from insta too. Fuckin funny how that works ay😂
i just love how everyone on the freeway is in AWE of the sheer size of this locomotive. even if youre not a railfan, this is something to truly respect and appreciate!
you know what's even more amazing had Dickens who's running the train also ran the historic return of the big boy to the rails when it came out last year and made its Journey around America... but what's even more impressive is Big Boy is two of these trains together that's how big that locomotive is just Google Big Boy 2019 Union Pacific excursion.
Just think all that weight moving fast. Something built almost 100 years ago, no computers, no electronics, just pure human know how and knowledge. Built to last a lifetime plus. Here she is with all our modern convenience and she still draws attention everywhere she goes. Amazing piece of machinery.
La cosa es que todo ese vapor contamina por el hecho de ser vapor de carbon, si utilisace energia a base de la geotérmica y tuviese un diseño así seria mejor
I was going to say the same OSCAR for best cinematgraphy (n after effecta editing cuts perfect elevation angles n perspective) LAST BUT NOT LEAST steady hands OMG ❤ Edit I couldnt stop but watch till end this nice piece of STORY TELLING
To think that this iron horse is almost 100 years old and still looks like she's brand new. This is a true testament that when you take great care of things that they can last almost forever!
slide rule and human ingenuity. We were always pretty smart monkeys until we got so smart that we built machines to think for us. Then the decline started.
No way in the UK does any track run up the middle of a freeway. This scene would be impossible. This is an amazing shot. Wow. Just wow. You see the engine running to perfection with very little smoke. You get a good view of the Walschaerts valve gear too. I could never get my head around that but it looks like the valves have little cut off and aren't moving far so not a lot of steam is being admitted for the speed they're doing which is effiecient. Greater valve travel means more steam means more energy which is what you want for starting from rest, or for hills.
So, the arm that controls the valve is near its center in this shot, which reduces the valve travel to its minimum. This minimizes the amount of steam being pumped into the piston cylinders. Gives it just enough to maintain its current speed. Plus, the more efficiently the steam is produced/heated, the less of it you'll see, as true pure steam is invisible (and insanely scalding hot)
@@slinkeyj3 The steam isn't scalding hot. Think pizza oven temperatures, thats all the hotter it is when it leaves the boiler. And it cools down as it expands in the engine.
People don't realize just how massive thise monsters are. Most people are familiar with your average Diesel engine, most of which are quite a bit shorter than those old steamers. And unlike the Diesel that has all the electronics and equipment where the boiler should be, every inch of that things main tube is combustion space. The sheer horsepower that engine creates is astounding
@@andrewshepherd1537 It wasn't as easy to link locomotives together to increase tractive effort back then, so they just made trains bigger and bigger instead.
@@joshjlmgproductions3313 well it certainly paid off lol. We have diesel engine freight trains around here, and I have never seen one move that fasteven hauling empty ore and rock cars, they still move just a little faster than 30. That monster had to have been doing 60, maybe 65, if the speed limits are still the same in that area as when I was there last. Just gives credence to the phrase "They just don't make 'em like they used to"
@@andrewshepherd1537 This train was almost definitely not hauling much to slow it down, and as for why most modern trains move slow, the speed limits are surprisingly low, almost never more than 50 MPH. Though, sometimes they temporarily allow steam engines to go faster to make sure they still can. Edit: Also, people have calculated that this train was going around 57 MPH.
@@joshjlmgproductions3313 that's still impressive for such an old piece of equipment. That thing had to have been built in, what, the mid 60's at the very latest? Assuming it was built that late, it still makes it older than my mother, and it still runs not only that efficiently, but that quickly
I was a train dispatcher in San Bernardino depot. I was there when she was sitting looking neglected in the park, and when they started inspecting and preparing. I was there watching as she was moved from the park to head to L.A. And I was there when she came back some years later, pulling an employee special that was the ride of a lifetime from Barstow to Needles. She is the best rebuilt, best maintained locomotive I have personally seen, nice and tight with not a lick of steam seen anywhere except where it is supposed to come out. To see her running down the (old) "Second District" was mesmerizing, thanks for the great video!
It’s beautiful! The AT&SF 3751-i wish that the camera person would’ve said something about how fast they were driving when they were next to it. I’ve been on engines that were only going 60 or 65 mph and it felt like 100. This baby is huge and looks like she was at least doing 65 or 75. (I just read that she’s capable of 100 mph). (I love using the pronoun “she“ when we’re talking about something powerful and awe-inspiring and beautiful). So does anyone know if it is now living in San Bernardino or central city LA? I really want to visit it.
Greenfield Village in Michigan has multiple Desil engines that all work, are well maintained to a T, and were owned by Henry Ford. They even have a turntable for the trains to pull out onto from the Roundhouse they are parked in. The Pere Marquette turntable weighs 42-tons, and I was able to move it with my thumb alone. One of the locomotives is the 1873 Torch Lake, the oldest running steam engine in the United States. Those old-timers were scary smart.
@@danielflessas Unfortunately, the locomotive is not accessible to the public. It’s securely stored at Redondo Jct. in Los Angeles, right next to the Amtrak shops and yard. 3751 is also currently in the final stages of a federally mandated tear down, rebuild, and re-certification. The locomotive is only accessible to the public when on display. The last time it was on public display was I think 2017.
This feels like two separate eras somehow living together. Just imagine cruising down the highway in a Tesla on your way back from work and seeing this behemoth pull up next to you. It's crazy man!
Nice to see you here Obi Wan. I see you everywhere on Star Wars channels, naturally haha. Assuming you live in North America, you should do more research into these magnificent machines. They’re really cool, and the non-profit groups that run and maintain them are always in need of donations to keep their living history alive.
100% chance that this thing has only survived because of meticulous preservation. This meme of stuff from a long time ago being more “built to last” than stuff from today needs to die.
@@alt8791 So you're trying to tell me that, say, a 2022 ford truck is going to be around and running in 50 years? You can take a 1940's truck, drag it out of a field it's been sitting in for 30 years, and get it up and running. Not going to do that with a modern truck.
@@conrioakfield414 like, your entire concept of stuff from a long time ago lasting a long time is the stuff that’s survived a long time, and you’ve forgotten about everything that hasn’t stood the test of time (which is most things). This is survivorship bias in its purest form.
@@alt8791 No, my entire concept is having lived a "long time ago". In my 60+ years of life, I have personally watched the quality of everything become cheaper.
@@mfamus2272 Dunno, there isn't that much to do in a space shuttle (they acutally consdiered fully automating it but didn't for basically pride reasons on the shuttle, our current launch systems with SpaceX are fully automated with manual controls via touchscreen that aren't typically used).
Because it is raw primitive technology. Everything is upfront so it is easy to maintain, you get to see all the guts and the moving parts without opening the "box". This is also why clear glass computer cases became popular. People don't want to see boxes doing things, they what to see the guts and what makes stuff work.
Right there's a beauty to the mechanisms, it sparks curiosity and fascination, you're watching how everything works, and you see that it all makes sense. Satisfying to the logical and artistic parts of our brain simultaneously.
It harkens to a different time, an era with a different mindset from that of today. Things built back then were straightforward, simple and honest and were designed to be so by people who were artisans as well as engineers with years of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, intuition and skill - all of which was naturally translated to their eyes and hands in penning something that simply “looked right” for whatever task they set out to accomplish. As a result, technology from this age is more characterful - more human, in a way - ingrained within it by the people who designed and created it. And that’s something that no longer exists in the modern age. That’s why we, as a species, have begun to grow more and more attached to things heralding from these bygone eras, such as vintage cars, vinyl records and steam locomotives like the one in the video - all of which are seeing a surge in popularity once again. But those are just my thoughts on it all. :)
I never realized they have a compressed air bottle right on the side for maintenance tool usage. I’ve never been a huge fan of trains but I can appreciate the amount of engineering that went into these machines. Very cool!
That’s the main reservoir tank. Used for more than just operating the grease gun. The air operated bell and the air operated brakes, reverse gear and anything else air powered gets its pneumatic pressure from those tanks, which are just refilled by the steam operated air pump.
When I saw that old locomotive running next to me in Los Angeles, I said I was tired and didn't want to believe what I was seeing. This was the most beautiful machine ever. Unbelievable!
Hes probably doing 65-70 mph and its capable of 80-100 mph but I'm near positive the operator would be in deep, hot stinky doo doo if he went that fast
Where I live, old fashioned passenger trains including steam trains regularly cross a big highway exit. They have all sorts of lights and bells set up to warn people, when I'm fairly certain the biggest danger is probably cars hitting the train!
This is literally the best train video in the internet. Not only did we get a seven minute long showing of her racing along with the traffic, we got a closeup of her beautiful wheels, two pass by’s, and a final look at her while she was at rest. And you had a careful hand at the camera all the way through! What a glorious machine she is! 🤩
I so love to see these grand old locomotives running with such a clean exhaust. While there may be some "romance" or nostalgia to the big black smoke plumes which are all too often manufactured during railfan trips for the benefit of the fans/press, black exhaust, especially at speed like in this video is an indication of the locomotive being operated outside of its proper operating criteria and ultimately fuel is being wasted. As filmed though this is as good as it gets, damned near perfect in fact. This engineer/fireman team is exceptionally good.
Yes, and part of the attraction of trains is their *soot.* This one has a bit now and then, which is good. Too much soot, or soot all the time, though - no, not good. Wasted fuel is but part of the trouble, and no, romance or whatever makes for gladdened train-nuts (riding Amtrak turned me into one) is worth messing the place up.
Im gonna rain on your parade here. You're correct, when it comes to coal-run steamers. This is an oil-run steamer. You have to try real hard, or have serious problems, to see anything come out of an oil stack. Unlike a coal stack, where it is a serious effort to not have anything visible leave the stack. Oil steamers burn much cleaner, more completely, and more efficiently. Probably the biggest reason we converted to oil steamers in the first place. No more ash snow along the tracks.
@@Gearz-365 Well, people are getting interested in steam again, and want to bring back extinct classes. So, with more efficiency I think modern steam locomotives could beat the record. The new Peppercorn A1 Tornado recently got to 100 mph in 2017. It was the first steam locomotive to go 100 mph in over 50 years. 100 mph may not sound very great, but for steam it sure is especially now.
Steam locomotive engines and their mechanics in my opinion are works of engineering art and craftmanship. After researching and learning some of the ins and outs of how one particular steam engine functions, it's astonishing the complexity and harmony at which all these parts work. Watching this marvelous video absolutely blows my mind when seeing the speed at which some of the heaviest and most robust parts move. Specifically, without ripping apart to shreds!! Equally amazing is knowing these beasts were often rated for high speed at 100mph (160kmh)!!!!!
It is more of a case that back then, we didn't know how to barely build stuff. These days, we can engineer stuff well enough to get away with smaller safety factors and still keep it working at least to the design life. Downside is that now we can actually control design life instead of having to overbuild everything. Overbuilding costs money. Optimization costs money. Most engineers I've encountered don't want to ship stuff until it runs perfectly, but apparently good enough is best for the bottom line. Ultimately, I blame accountants for sacrificing everything on the alter to the holy bottom line.
I was thinking how you feel great driving on the road with your vintage car and getting approbation from other people. Now when you get approbation from someone driving another classic car you feel on top of the world. Now imagine driving and getting approbation from the train engineer.
Imagine living a mile from the tracks on a cold snowy winter evening. Looking down valley to the smoke rising from the engine as it muscles it's way along, train cars dogging it's tenders heels, shepherded buy the trailing caboose. And hear that low wail, "No matter your town is snowed in, your on my tracks and I'm coming through to serve." To some that sound wasn't 'mournful" at all.
Same I rlly liked them but I didn't rlly get to see and get near a real steam train but damn the satisfying chugging sound that it makes is unforgettable especially when approaching
That is amazing! I had no idea there was a place where you could drive on the freeway right next to the railroad tracks! And next to a steam locomotive, to boot!
I would love to take my youngest grandson on a trip with a train like this, he’s 6 and if fascinated with the steam locomotives, I’m 70 and would love for him to have that memory of us together. I dearly loved and remember me and pap growing up nothing like grandparent memories. He was born 1899 passed in 1980 and remember him as if it were yesterday.
Go ahead and do it *this summer* . Steam-locomotive museums sometimes have ride alongs and if you ask the conductor nicely they will surely let you two ride in the front. The easier and more prevelant option is to ride on park railways. There's some beautiful steam engines out there (albeit not as massive in size but for him some of them will be life size) and as a kid I liked them even more than the real ones. Those conductors are even nicer and some will probably even let your grandson operate it for a minute. If you tell me what state you're in I can do some research and send you a list of some in your state :)
I know how you feel. I used to be an engineer for CSX and when I worked in Memphis we would pass Kentucky Street on our way to the Mississippi River to go to Arkansas and on the weekends it was like a carnival. families down there with the kids and grandkids and some of them grilling like a picnic. And it made them so happy to hear the bill ring or the whistle sound and to see the smoke coming out of the stack when I grabbed another notch of throttle.
The wheels on this engine were installed on it in 1941. It was built in 1927 with 73 inch diameter driving wheels, and upgraded with its current 80 inch diameter wheels in 1941.
Boy, this hits home. My late grandfather, who passed in '67 at the age of 92, was an engineer for the B&O, three of his sons, my uncle's of whom only one remains at the age of 94, followed in his footsteps. The small town in which here in WV I live was a at one time prosperous due to the railroad, and trains such as this would pass on nearby tracks of the old family home I know own. Listen to the power, appreciate the mechanics, and be in awe of the size. Thanks for posting this.
@@herlindajayme6051 he passed in 1968 at the age of 92. One of his sons, my only remaining uncle, last of his immediate family, and a former railroader, will he 96 in March .
@@davidblesh1136 3751 served in passenger duties until being retired in 1957. The locomotive was then placed on display in San Bernardino until it was restored to operating condition in 1991.
In the 30s (if you had the money) you could have one of these things take you east, then get on a Zeppelin to go to Europe. Travel just doesn't have this kind of romance and drama anymore.
As someone who used to work on steam locomotives some years back now; this gave me joy. There's something inheirantly beautiful about these machines, wether a simple yard shunter or a beast of a loco like this.
It's like a flashback to 60 years ago, here in Seattle, Northern Pacific still used steam engines for local freight well into the 60s, when a Chevy truck just like that one would've been brand new, so you could've conceivably seen a pairing just like this.
At approx. timestamp 5:15 the train is traveling at 57.12mph. The drivers are 80" so 2 x pi x 40" = 251.33". 251.33" x 1'/12" = every rotation propels the engine 20.94'. If you slow the video to .25 speed you will see the drivers are at 4 RPS so every second the engine is traveling 83.78'. This thing supposedly hit 103mph in 1941! What a marvel of engineering.
How to turn iron into a living, breathing, moving work of art. What a thrill, driving so close to her on the freeway, speechless ! My dad would have watched this video over and over and over. Thank you for posting.
Ellesmere Wildwood it has the elegance on an old car with a huge, elongated hood, dressed in black. For such a complex machine, there’s a great sophistication to it all.
3751 shows 'em how it's done! When I was young in the '50s, my dad took me to see it sitting in the lawn near the Mt. Vernon bridge, and I wondered if she'd ever run again. He said, "No, those days are over." Well, Dad, looks like you were wrong on that. I was up near Summit on her first trip up Cajon with the FP45s trailing with Vinnie Cipolla at the throttle.. What a sight to behold.
What was it like on the Cajon I watched documentaries of all three crashes. You’ve herd of those three crashes right? Did it worry you about crashing or no and where u going fast on the throttle or slow
I remember my Dad taking me back in 1999 to see this awesome steam engine. We took pictures right next to it, my Dad hired out with Santa Fe back in 1973. He retired with 38 years of service, I am 3rd Generation in the Railroad with 21 years under my belt. My Dad just recently passed away and this steamer brings lots of emotion to me. R.I.P Dad keep them rails trains moving in Heaven. I'll keep the legacy going Dad... Santa Fe Railroad All The Way.. Miss You Dad....🚂🙏
R.i.p...to your dad this video was awesome to watch ..it brung good tears to my eyes my grandmother lived in Alabama she would hollar for me when there was one coming i ask how you know one is coming she said you can hear that hissing and the chug and then you hear that train yell loud an clear to step ahside cause im coming..man i miss my childhood growing up im 72 born baby thank you for sharing and may your dad find peace
Gotta be strange enough to have a railway running down the median of a highway. But to have a vintage steam train keeping up w/ (& even outpacing) the traffic? Mind-boggling!
More powerful too Those steam monsters had the power and torque at the wheels that any engineer would kill for with these diesels At about 82 years old, that engine still looks as timeless as she does ancient They were beautiful and elegant and they were filthy work horses.
@@Frankensteins_Highboy There's no doubt these steam locomotives were immensely powerful. But if you stop and think about it, they're less... modular? I think that's a good term to use. Less modular than diesels. One of these huge locomotives would be utterly insane overkill for a relatively short and light goods train that could be far more cheaply and efficiently hauled by only a pair of diesels hitched up to each other in a multiple working consist. Longer, heavier train? Just hitch more diesels on. The fuel is cheap and the maintenance even cheaper than any single steam locomotive ever will be. It's unfortunate to think about, but economics and technology simply rendered the steam locomotive obsolete, and now its only real application are these niche touristy runs that can always attract enough people willing to pay the ticket prices necessary to cover the cost of maintaining the engine. But that means they still get to live on and entertain people and put on a show of it, of how human ingenuity moved mountains of goods across the continent when the best motive power we had at the time for doing that was steam. :)
As beautiful as it is seeing her move really fast, I also really liked seeing the wheels slowly being pushed by the steam engine while pulling into the station.
Think about just how much one of the connecting rods weighs and then add in just how fast they are reciprocating. The the mass and g forces involved are amazing
@@NP-rh3dt while locomotives built in the 1804 are very simple, steam locomotives that were built late 1800 to mid 1900 are very efficient and complex because by this time humanity had most mastered steam locomotive design and manufacturing.
@@ninjia7347 yea definitely, later steam locomotives were leaps and bounds ahead. But the manufacturing processes are interesting because they still were very rudimentary. Most of the parts on the locomotives are forged than riveted together, casting and welding like we know today didn't really exist back then.
I used to work for the Santa Fe. .. You have no idea of how powerful a steam locomotive is... I've seen then literally pull the rails up off the track and turn them into pretzels....
It's amazing to me how the drive assembly remains intact. Watching this level of raw power up close is almost too intense! Ground power is so much more personal than flight.
Makes sense. Steam in any form has always been more on the torque-y side. For example, Jay Leno owns a few steam powered cars. One car only makes like 20 hp but puts out more than 20 times that in ft lbs of torque. Really is some impressive power.
Just think about all that mass, the incredible weight of the rods, valves, rockers and all the bits and pieces. It all has to work right or it goes "sproing" all over creation! It's so very mechanical and out in the open. That's the appeal of these incredible, awesome machines to me.
5:00 That driving rod (or whatever this is called) is spinning so fast it looks unreal . I can't even imagine the forces applied on the bearings by that huge chunk of iron , or maybe that is aluminium ? Still a huge heavy looking piece of metal .
@@phantyom4ever It would honestly be so cool if they still had the original carriages to go with the train. Imagine having to take the train to work or a business trip, coming to the station and seeing this with original cars waiting for you. Would it feel like Hogwarts or time travel?
This is terrific. The close up shots of her pistons and connecting rods next to the highway really show how hard she's working. I love the juxtaposition of the old and new with the loco and the cars speeding along together. What a whistle, too. Classic tones.
Laurie Harper- where did you see "her pistons"? X-ray vision? Those double-acting pistons better be tightly sealed within those huge cylinders. Just FYI.
@@dysonspreybar4903 yeah at my humber college for mechanical engineering they haven't updated the CNC machines in years the dam drill is still using windows 98 OS for christ sakes....
I remember speaking with one of the volunteer engineers before they left, I asked what the top speed was, his reply- "Oh man, easily over 120, Easily. But we're Actually limited by the conditions of the tracks. You can feel it too."
While England holds the record for the fastest steam locomotive in the world at 128mph the NYC railroad had streamlined engines they called Hudsons that on the daily did trips at 123mph and could have probably gone faster than Mallard (the record holder) some people speculate
I've watched this several times and I still come back to this video over the years. Imagine being in your car on the freeway and seeing this super fit senior citizen keeping up with you. Great video!
Alot of non train enthusiasts don't realize that most steam train from the 1920s and onwards are faster than diesels. This train near the highway is just showing them how quick they can be. Just to think your cruising at 70 you look in your rear view and see this thing catching up to you
Absolutely beautiful. The juxtaposition of the raw yet elegant engine keeping up and passing modern cars made me cry a little. A work of art, I tell you.
What a big beautiful beast. I love diesels but There is just something about a big steam locomotive that just moves the soul. She moves pretty well for a piece of iron that's getting close to the 100 years old mark. I'm planning to take a short trip over to Frisco to see Big Boy 4018 possibly this weekend. I've never seen any of the big Alcos up close. I can't wait to see 4014 back in action. I'll have to try to get a seat on an excursion once she does.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1: Is the Metrolink diesel pushing the steam locomotive? No, the diesel is there to provide electrical power for the coaches, as well as dynamic braking. Listen at 7:55, that is the bark of a 1927 steam loco, not the rumble of a diesel.
2: Why is there no smoke? The fireman (the guy who makes the steam for the engineer to use) is firing the engine well. He is using as little fuel as possible, to make as much steam as possible. This means there is little smoke.
3: How much coal does it use? None. This locomotive was converted to burn atomized oil in 1936.
4: How fast is she going? About 55 or 60ish. This is no where near her top speed. 3751's highest recorded speed was set in 1941, when she hit 103mph.
5: How did you work the camera while driving? I didn't. My dad was driving while I was filming from the back seat.
Excellent video, very good views of the old girl. She is impressive. Running at speed with a clear stack, if a machine could be said to emote 3751 leaves one with the impression she's enjoying herself. Beautiful locomotive.
TrainTrackTrav ALL VERY TRUE! I LOVE 4-8-4 LOCOMOTIVES!
TrainTrackTrav its a BEAUTIFUL locomotive
TrainTrackTrav at 4:39 that blue old Ford and the train priceless👍
Viyuyinn Valar no. in fact, if the diesel was pushing the 3751-1 THE TRAIN WOULD USE THE DIESELS HORN 2 THE DIESEL WOULD BE STRUGGLING TO PUSH THE LOCOMOTIVE AT 65-70 MPH. STEAM LOCOMOTIVES HAVE A LOT OF RESISTANCE. 3 WHATS THE POINT OF THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE, HUH. 4 THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IS RUNNING. LISTEN TO THE HISING... THOSE ARE THE DRAINCOCKS IN THE PISTONS.DRAINCOCKS ARE USED TO RELEASE EXTRA STEAM AND WATER VAPER.WITHOUT THEM, THE PISTONS WOULD EXPLODE. ALSO THE DIESEL WOULD HAVE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST
The reason machines like this evoke such an emotional response from people is that they feel alive. Like a giant metal beast of burden. Might be obsolete, inefficient, and dirty, but it has a soul.
I feel the same about cars from the same era- nothing like them.
Dirty? 😂
You moron
Amen I so agree!
I think part of it is you can _see_ what’s driving it to a degree. There are lots of moving parts, an audible and distinct sound, and above all it has a lot of _pressure_ behind the sounds that it makes. Same thing with a pipe organ. You can’t truly recreate the sensation of getting hit by the pressure in the sound waves these machines generate when they are in use.
Apparently it's been made efficient, it doesn't produce much smoke now.
This may sound stupid, but something about seeing this old girl keeping pace with the modern world brought a tear to my eye. She was built to last.
That's the beauty of steam. Built to last a lifetime
i agree
can i burst your bubble ? altough i wont argue it is a beautiful sight at the very least and am happy to see she is still around
Have you considered TRT?
Just so Majestic. I long to see the future but the past is so amazing.
Let us all appreciate that this was recorded horizontally.
YES!!
While driving, possibly
Dilly Dally he was prolly in the backseat
True
👏👏👏👍👍👍👍
3:23 The absolute legend holding a damn cup of coffee while driving a ghost from the past, a freakin' steam locomotive keeping pace with traffic - epic
Gotta hang your elbow to be cool. Feeding her all the onions. 😂
In Los Angeles no less..........
That thing is chilling. Going nowhere near it's topspeed.
She isn't keeping pace with the traffic.... she just cruisin! She can go 100 mph!
must be steering with his knee...
You *KNOW* that conductor was fulfilling a life-long dream this day.
You mean the engineer.
@@TheAnunnaki-NYC conductor is also correct.
@@TheAnunnaki-NYC conductor rides the head and on freight trains depending on what road this is, he might not be there
El Othemany the conductor is the person in charge of the train the conductor keep track of the route the engineer is the “driver” of the train the one that operates
OOOOOHHH yeah
I've never been that interested in trains
now as a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student, I can't help but gasp in awe at the glory of that absolutely beautiful behemoth.
Along with all the thermodynamic calculations to drain your sanity away.
And these bad Larry's spent the entire mid 1800's building our continent wide empire.
@@qasimmir7117 cant even imagine how many equations are needed to find the thermal efficiency of this 😭 the rankine cycle for this must be astronomically large
The proper people have a badass video with a young man named alex on a huge steam engine that was the water pump for a city on the east coast
It was literally left with the entire building untouched for 100 years when the city gave alex permission to restore and get everything working properly again for demonstrations
If they allow links i will find it and link it for you
Nothing is more powerful or awe inspiring than 800t at speed. The best part? Not a single electronic prone to failure gadget.
I've driven along side an old steam locomotive like this in person and it is such a POWERFUL feeling. So huge, so much power, yet so graceful with all the linkages clacking away smoothly. It almost feels like it floats down the rails even though its so big
Poetry in motion.
Honestly these things are just efficient. Those cars have 200-300 bhp, they might be able to pull a decent camper trailer weighing maybe a ton; the 3751 has 3200 bhp, and it's able to pull a few thousand tons, at 100+ mph.
@@ChaplainDMK
Perfectly said....and it develops maximum torque from the first piston stroke 👌😍
@@ChaplainDMK Its all about the torque, baby! These majestic monsters likely produce upwards of 100k pounds of tractive force. The 4014 Big Boy made 135,375lbs of tractive force, on 34 inch diameter drive wheels, that's 383,562.5 ft-lbs of peak torque, a little over 1000 times the torque of that 1962 Chevy C10 Suburban's L30 327 engine.
Just seen this on Instagram with Rob Zombie music blaring over it. Came here to hear the REAL sound! THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!
Cuunnttt I swear on the lives of 10,000 gazen children love locked in a currently preheating oven that i came to this video from insta too.
Fuckin funny how that works ay😂
I just saw the same video! And I am SO jealous of that operator!! What a gorgeous train!
Same! Just saw the reel today. Epic
i just love how everyone on the freeway is in AWE of the sheer size of this locomotive. even if youre not a railfan, this is something to truly respect and appreciate!
You got that right sir. Whether you're a railfan or not, steam locomotives are truly a sight to behold.
Looks like UFO Borg technology
i’m a big fan of trains but man, that thing is gorgeous
The size. The sound. The heat radiating off that boiler.
And most of all,
*The Power.*
you know what's even more amazing had Dickens who's running the train also ran the historic return of the big boy to the rails when it came out last year and made its Journey around America...
but what's even more impressive is Big Boy is two of these trains together that's how big that locomotive is just Google Big Boy 2019 Union Pacific excursion.
Just think all that weight moving fast. Something built almost 100 years ago, no computers, no electronics, just pure human know how and knowledge. Built to last a lifetime plus. Here she is with all our modern convenience and she still draws attention everywhere she goes. Amazing piece of machinery.
This is the old school bullet train lol
Greta unhappy
I can 100% guarantee every person on either side of that highway took notice if that gorgeous machine
The smell alone is unique..
eu acho os trens de antigamente mais bonitos que os de hoje em dia.
4:38 What a magnificent sight. If this doesn't convince people that conservation and preservation are critical, nothing will.
Especially with that blue car driving next to it too.
La cosa es que todo ese vapor contamina por el hecho de ser vapor de carbon, si utilisace energia a base de la geotérmica y tuviese un diseño así seria mejor
5:42 I love this shot. It's a glimpse into the era of when the car was brand new, and it's still running. Racing this beautiful iron horse.
@@andreykaleth4383🤓🤓🤓
@@andreykaleth4383 this locomotive burns oil instead of coal :]
I think I just became a train geek... Watched this with a mile-wide smile on my face and tears in my eyes.
Welcome to the Train Geek Club. We're glad to have you!
Yes my friend. 👍.
STEAM PILLED 💪🚂
i guess the person who handled the camera should be given an oscar. such steadiness and great attention to details
Those are some very kind words. Thank you very much!
I was going to say the same
OSCAR for best cinematgraphy (n after effecta editing cuts perfect elevation angles n perspective) LAST BUT NOT LEAST steady hands OMG
❤
Edit
I couldnt stop but watch till end this nice piece of STORY TELLING
And the length of the vid too. We all got a good look!❤
No gimbal? Wow. Great job!
Not to mention the consciousness to frame both the loco and the old Suburban in the shot for a few moments.
To think that this iron horse is almost 100 years old and still looks like she's brand new. This is a true testament that when you take great care of things that they can last almost forever!
She’s been restored. Tons and tons of work put into this beast. So much respect for the crew that takes care of her.
@@lekoman
Correct thanks for commenting. Correct also to the original comment.
@Alushy The Tyrant .....and to think I am on my third iPhone.
@@glennwilliams6522 That's on you for trusting an overpriced device and brand.
@Alushy The Tyrant ...lol. Don’t I know it. I was going to use smoke signals but Greta Thunberg threatened me...
The amount of engineering that went into building such a beast....
@OllieandJamie Adventurers: Slide Rules are quite acurrate. . . .
It takes a year if I’m correct to make a steam locomotive back in the day
slide rule and human ingenuity. We were always pretty smart monkeys until we got so smart that we built machines to think for us. Then the decline started.
@@fakiirification Yeahh sad how when we reached the peak..
Great explanation
No way in the UK does any track run up the middle of a freeway. This scene would be impossible. This is an amazing shot. Wow. Just wow.
You see the engine running to perfection with very little smoke. You get a good view of the Walschaerts valve gear too. I could never get my head around that but it looks like the valves have little cut off and aren't moving far so not a lot of steam is being admitted for the speed they're doing which is effiecient. Greater valve travel means more steam means more energy which is what you want for starting from rest, or for hills.
The track was there first. Urban Development resulted in the highway being built around it.
So, the arm that controls the valve is near its center in this shot, which reduces the valve travel to its minimum. This minimizes the amount of steam being pumped into the piston cylinders. Gives it just enough to maintain its current speed. Plus, the more efficiently the steam is produced/heated, the less of it you'll see, as true pure steam is invisible (and insanely scalding hot)
This is I'n America I saw a FedEx truck
@@slinkeyj3 The steam isn't scalding hot. Think pizza oven temperatures, thats all the hotter it is when it leaves the boiler. And it cools down as it expands in the engine.
I mean, i net no was complaining there is a railway on the interstate THAT day
4:38 two oldies rolling together in harmony, what a shot!
Yes
Mhm
It's like were in 1960
I see it
Straight out of the mid-to-late 1950's
The perspective brought by the cars is amazing, it gives you a "holy shit that thing is huge" feeling
People don't realize just how massive thise monsters are. Most people are familiar with your average Diesel engine, most of which are quite a bit shorter than those old steamers. And unlike the Diesel that has all the electronics and equipment where the boiler should be, every inch of that things main tube is combustion space. The sheer horsepower that engine creates is astounding
@@andrewshepherd1537 It wasn't as easy to link locomotives together to increase tractive effort back then, so they just made trains bigger and bigger instead.
@@joshjlmgproductions3313 well it certainly paid off lol. We have diesel engine freight trains around here, and I have never seen one move that fasteven hauling empty ore and rock cars, they still move just a little faster than 30. That monster had to have been doing 60, maybe 65, if the speed limits are still the same in that area as when I was there last. Just gives credence to the phrase "They just don't make 'em like they used to"
@@andrewshepherd1537 This train was almost definitely not hauling much to slow it down, and as for why most modern trains move slow, the speed limits are surprisingly low, almost never more than 50 MPH. Though, sometimes they temporarily allow steam engines to go faster to make sure they still can.
Edit: Also, people have calculated that this train was going around 57 MPH.
@@joshjlmgproductions3313 that's still impressive for such an old piece of equipment. That thing had to have been built in, what, the mid 60's at the very latest? Assuming it was built that late, it still makes it older than my mother, and it still runs not only that efficiently, but that quickly
I was a train dispatcher in San Bernardino depot. I was there when she was sitting looking neglected in the park, and when they started inspecting and preparing. I was there watching as she was moved from the park to head to L.A. And I was there when she came back some years later, pulling an employee special that was the ride of a lifetime from Barstow to Needles. She is the best rebuilt, best maintained locomotive I have personally seen, nice and tight with not a lick of steam seen anywhere except where it is supposed to come out. To see her running down the (old) "Second District" was mesmerizing, thanks for the great video!
It’s beautiful! The AT&SF 3751-i wish that the camera person would’ve said something about how fast they were driving when they were next to it. I’ve been on engines that were only going 60 or 65 mph and it felt like 100. This baby is huge and looks like she was at least doing 65 or 75. (I just read that she’s capable of 100 mph). (I love using the pronoun “she“ when we’re talking about something powerful and awe-inspiring and beautiful).
So does anyone know if it is now living in San Bernardino or central city LA? I really want to visit it.
wow you must ve really liked this machine , the way you humanize this locomotive
Greenfield Village in Michigan has multiple Desil engines that all work, are well maintained to a T, and were owned by Henry Ford. They even have a turntable for the trains to pull out onto from the Roundhouse they are parked in. The Pere Marquette turntable weighs 42-tons, and I was able to move it with my thumb alone. One of the locomotives is the 1873 Torch Lake, the oldest running steam engine in the United States. Those old-timers were scary smart.
@@danielflessas Unfortunately, the locomotive is not accessible to the public. It’s securely stored at Redondo Jct. in Los Angeles, right next to the Amtrak shops and yard. 3751 is also currently in the final stages of a federally mandated tear down, rebuild, and re-certification. The locomotive is only accessible to the public when on display. The last time it was on public display was I think 2017.
@@danielflessasThe Locomotive was traveling at 57.12 mph @ 5:15
God... I'm legitimately tearing up. It's such a a beautiful machine and seeing it in action makes me feel really happy.
Beautiful old girl, 95 years old 396 tonnes... And still doing her duty magnificently.
Sounds like my grandma
600 tons
@@PYROWORKSTVHAHAHA
Today we might have bullet trains capable of doing 350 kmph but nothing can beat the elegance of this beast!
Aryan Kishore yes ! I Love how the pistons move
Not on American tracks.
Wait till you see an LNER A4. The sleek fashion of modern Diesels with all the sights, smells and sounds of a bygone era.
@C caymer Barely half the speed
But we do NOT have 'bullet trains" in America. We have diesel trains moving at half the speed of the old steam locos.
This feels like two separate eras somehow living together. Just imagine cruising down the highway in a Tesla on your way back from work and seeing this behemoth pull up next to you. It's crazy man!
I love the Tesla, but man oh man, that locomotive is going to be running until they run out of fuel for it.
Even at that they could just use some smoke machines and electric motors, and people would be none the wiser
@@Chevroletmontecarlo
Or they could use electricity to heat the water.
Nice to see you here Obi Wan. I see you everywhere on Star Wars channels, naturally haha. Assuming you live in North America, you should do more research into these magnificent machines. They’re really cool, and the non-profit groups that run and maintain them are always in need of donations to keep their living history alive.
@@theuncalledfor to inefficient
Imagine the world today if everything was engineered and built to last like this awe inspiring beauty.
100% chance that this thing has only survived because of meticulous preservation. This meme of stuff from a long time ago being more “built to last” than stuff from today needs to die.
@@alt8791 So you're trying to tell me that, say, a 2022 ford truck is going to be around and running in 50 years? You can take a 1940's truck, drag it out of a field it's been sitting in for 30 years, and get it up and running. Not going to do that with a modern truck.
@@conrioakfield414 _[citation needed]_
@@conrioakfield414 like, your entire concept of stuff from a long time ago lasting a long time is the stuff that’s survived a long time, and you’ve forgotten about everything that hasn’t stood the test of time (which is most things). This is survivorship bias in its purest form.
@@alt8791 No, my entire concept is having lived a "long time ago". In my 60+ years of life, I have personally watched the quality of everything become cheaper.
2:28 I have no emotional attachment to these locomotives, but when that whistle was blown my smile went from ear to ear.
It's gotta feel so good to blow that whistle...
Same. How's that work?
@@KingreX32 Google
If you listened to a British steam whistle, the American steam whistle wins bar none.
Are u a joker ?
It's gotta feel badass to drive a steam locomotive down the interstate!
Up there with flying a space shuttle
@@mfamus2272 Dunno, there isn't that much to do in a space shuttle (they acutally consdiered fully automating it but didn't for basically pride reasons on the shuttle, our current launch systems with SpaceX are fully automated with manual controls via touchscreen that aren't typically used).
@@Wingnut353 I believe there was a shuttle commander who preferred to fly the re entry by hand.
And they get to use the HOV lane, too!
id view it comedical
There's a lot more beauty in old technology. Why is that?
Because it is raw primitive technology. Everything is upfront so it is easy to maintain, you get to see all the guts and the moving parts without opening the "box". This is also why clear glass computer cases became popular. People don't want to see boxes doing things, they what to see the guts and what makes stuff work.
Right there's a beauty to the mechanisms, it sparks curiosity and fascination, you're watching how everything works, and you see that it all makes sense. Satisfying to the logical and artistic parts of our brain simultaneously.
It harkens to a different time, an era with a different mindset from that of today.
Things built back then were straightforward, simple and honest and were designed to be so by people who were artisans as well as engineers with years of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, intuition and skill - all of which was naturally translated to their eyes and hands in penning something that simply “looked right” for whatever task they set out to accomplish.
As a result, technology from this age is more characterful - more human, in a way - ingrained within it by the people who designed and created it.
And that’s something that no longer exists in the modern age.
That’s why we, as a species, have begun to grow more and more attached to things heralding from these bygone eras, such as vintage cars, vinyl records and steam locomotives like the one in the video - all of which are seeing a surge in popularity once again.
But those are just my thoughts on it all. :)
These are great answers. Congrats.
Because some of olden tech was built to be almost alive like man.
I never realized they have a compressed air bottle right on the side for maintenance tool usage. I’ve never been a huge fan of trains but I can appreciate the amount of engineering that went into these machines. Very cool!
The locomotive actually produces compressed air and it was used for running air lines on train cars just like new locomotives
That’s the main reservoir tank. Used for more than just operating the grease gun. The air operated bell and the air operated brakes, reverse gear and anything else air powered gets its pneumatic pressure from those tanks, which are just refilled by the steam operated air pump.
It must be interesting to see a steam engine pull up next to your car
What are you doing here?! I watched your Stand by Me animation on Minecraft and it was awesome.
CRAFTYFOXE?!!??!? You know, I never knew you watch train stuff- wait a minute..... I'm dumb! youtubers watch TH-cam too! 😂 I'm so dumb! 😂
action scene
can you make this train in minecraft
Must be interesting to see a car pull up next to your steam engine
The smile on the engineer’s face when he cracks off that whistle has got to be a mile wide. 😎
That's Ed!
one of the great steam engine operators he's the one that ran the big boy during its excursions since it's come out of hibernation.
When I saw that old locomotive running next to me in Los Angeles, I said I was tired and didn't want to believe what I was seeing. This was the most beautiful machine ever. Unbelievable!
How lucky!
Damn, she is firing well! No black smoke, and very little visible steam. Excellent work by the onboard crew!
I love how so many cars on the highway slowed down just to drive alongside this glorious beast
I dont think they had to slow down much !
Any body know how fast ? I figure she's making near 60 !
tbf, who wouldn't?
@@afork2600 Where's your bro Spoon at?
How much water is consumed to produce the steam and how far can she travel before needing to take on water?
It’s freeway in Cali
Seeing something that big and heavy move that fast is pretty amazing.
Hes probably doing 65-70 mph and its capable of 80-100 mph but I'm near positive the operator would be in deep, hot stinky doo doo if he went that fast
Watch one being a snow plow with smoke and noise and waves of snow is a great spectacle
Agreed
Well said....
Correct! :D Check the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 :)
Could u imagine driving down the highway then all of a sudden.. this old school phantom comes up next to you 😱😱😍😍
I'd have such a difficult time focusing.
Where I live, old fashioned passenger trains including steam trains regularly cross a big highway exit. They have all sorts of lights and bells set up to warn people, when I'm fairly certain the biggest danger is probably cars hitting the train!
It would be an expierience
Jay Wattley i would be so to see that where i live its just Diesel engines
Racerpacer2004 In Finland we only have trains that are powered by electric
This is literally the best train video in the internet. Not only did we get a seven minute long showing of her racing along with the traffic, we got a closeup of her beautiful wheels, two pass by’s, and a final look at her while she was at rest. And you had a careful hand at the camera all the way through! What a glorious machine she is! 🤩
I so love to see these grand old locomotives running with such a clean exhaust. While there may be some "romance" or nostalgia to the big black smoke plumes which are all too often manufactured during railfan trips for the benefit of the fans/press, black exhaust, especially at speed like in this video is an indication of the locomotive being operated outside of its proper operating criteria and ultimately fuel is being wasted. As filmed though this is as good as it gets, damned near perfect in fact. This engineer/fireman team is exceptionally good.
Plus the fact that all engines, like this one, are refitted to run on fuel oil, not coal.
I like to have the train exhaust and the tears of environmentalists, combined into one lovely, salty and smokey mess . 👍
@@iankravitz5723 Altho that makes little difference, you can fire bunker to make great billows of black smoke as well as any coal fire :)
Yes, and part of the attraction of trains is their *soot.*
This one has a bit now and then, which is good.
Too much soot, or soot all the time, though - no, not good. Wasted fuel is but part of the trouble, and no, romance or whatever makes for gladdened train-nuts (riding Amtrak turned me into one) is worth messing the place up.
Im gonna rain on your parade here.
You're correct, when it comes to coal-run steamers.
This is an oil-run steamer. You have to try real hard, or have serious problems, to see anything come out of an oil stack.
Unlike a coal stack, where it is a serious effort to not have anything visible leave the stack.
Oil steamers burn much cleaner, more completely, and more efficiently.
Probably the biggest reason we converted to oil steamers in the first place. No more ash snow along the tracks.
Never thought i would ever see a steam locomotive cruising along a highway at the speed of the cars. truly an awesome spectacle.
silverbird58 haha considering it was clocked at more than 100 mph, this was basically half throttle
@@SpudEater I'd love to see one of those things at full throttle.
The fastest one in the world was a Gresley A4 Pacific named Mallard. It reached 126 mph, and no other steam locomotive could beat it
@@Gearz-365 Well, people are getting interested in steam again, and want to bring back extinct classes. So, with more efficiency I think modern steam locomotives could beat the record. The new Peppercorn A1 Tornado recently got to 100 mph in 2017. It was the first steam locomotive to go 100 mph in over 50 years. 100 mph may not sound very great, but for steam it sure is especially now.
Steam locomotive engines and their mechanics in my opinion are works of engineering art and craftmanship. After researching and learning some of the ins and outs of how one particular steam engine functions, it's astonishing the complexity and harmony at which all these parts work.
Watching this marvelous video absolutely blows my mind when seeing the speed at which some of the heaviest and most robust parts move. Specifically, without ripping apart to shreds!! Equally amazing is knowing these beasts were often rated for high speed at 100mph (160kmh)!!!!!
That qualifies more as a fact than just an option...
She's almost a hundred years old and she still works like brand new. Truly awe inspiring.
"You may have tech, but I have something better."
"What's that?"
"Glory."
Said by great grandfather to his great grandson
Threw that one under the tracks.
TRUE CLASS IN SPADES.❤️
This is a fantastic comment.
🎶🎶"I've had the time of my life...."🎶🎶💖🚂❗
That thing was designed and built without computers, CAD software, or robots. Amazing.
That's why it runs so well.
I wonder where they got their math and understanding of science...? Ummmmm That's on the for the ages...
It is more of a case that back then, we didn't know how to barely build stuff. These days, we can engineer stuff well enough to get away with smaller safety factors and still keep it working at least to the design life. Downside is that now we can actually control design life instead of having to overbuild everything. Overbuilding costs money. Optimization costs money. Most engineers I've encountered don't want to ship stuff until it runs perfectly, but apparently good enough is best for the bottom line. Ultimately, I blame accountants for sacrificing everything on the alter to the holy bottom line.
Amy Mason. Modern steam locomotive? Only one thing would be viable to meet emissions. atomic power
David Vermillion that would be a bomb waiting to go off
2:25 Literally gave me chills. This was taken 8 years ago and it is just amazing. Thanks for capturing this.
That vintage automobile trying to pace was a great shot of two fine pieces of vintage Craftsmanship of an era gone bye.
4:33 When two different time-travelers met in the future
Yeah the Chevy station wagon almost got my attention as much as the train lol
I was thinking how you feel great driving on the road with your vintage car and getting approbation from other people. Now when you get approbation from someone driving another classic car you feel on top of the world.
Now imagine driving and getting approbation from the train engineer.
That was such a lovely moment thanks for pointing it out. Funny to think about two pals meeting up there hahaha
I though the exact same thing!
I'm impressed steam power get the hell out of the way! 👿
I’ve grown up with an appreciation for trains, and that whistle might be the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Brings a tear to my eye
Imagine living a mile from the tracks on a cold snowy winter evening. Looking down valley to the smoke rising from the engine as it muscles it's way along, train cars dogging it's tenders heels, shepherded buy the trailing caboose. And hear that low wail, "No matter your town is snowed in, your on my tracks and I'm coming through to serve." To some that sound wasn't 'mournful" at all.
Same I rlly liked them but I didn't rlly get to see and get near a real steam train but damn the satisfying chugging sound that it makes is unforgettable especially when approaching
I literally tear up hearing the whistle.
@@bobbymoss6160 Same
Something about that old blue car speeding along next to the old train in modern traffic. Thrilling!!
Old school Chevy Suburban 😎 this was a awesome video for sure!
My eyes always go wet when I see something this old and beautiful still being so well preserved and cared for.
That is amazing! I had no idea there was a place where you could drive on the freeway right next to the railroad tracks! And next to a steam locomotive, to boot!
I'm also amazed you were able to drive that fast on an LA freeway without getting stuck in a traffic jam.
That was then. Now it's an electrified light rail line.
@@obkb1 So no chance to ever operate a steam loco through there again someday? Bummer.
i actually have the up line running through my backyard as well as the san diego line
@@adamandboomjustlikethat.ok2812 Cool!
I would love to take my youngest grandson on a trip with a train like this, he’s 6 and if fascinated with the steam locomotives, I’m 70 and would love for him to have that memory of us together. I dearly loved and remember me and pap growing up nothing like grandparent memories. He was born 1899 passed in 1980 and remember him as if it were yesterday.
So sad
Go ahead and do it *this summer* . Steam-locomotive museums sometimes have ride alongs and if you ask the conductor nicely they will surely let you two ride in the front. The easier and more prevelant option is to ride on park railways. There's some beautiful steam engines out there (albeit not as massive in size but for him some of them will be life size) and as a kid I liked them even more than the real ones. Those conductors are even nicer and some will probably even let your grandson operate it for a minute.
If you tell me what state you're in I can do some research and send you a list of some in your state :)
What State are you in?
I know how you feel. I used to be an engineer for CSX and when I worked in Memphis we would pass Kentucky Street on our way to the Mississippi River to go to Arkansas and on the weekends it was like a carnival. families down there with the kids and grandkids and some of them grilling like a picnic. And it made them so happy to hear the bill ring or the whistle sound and to see the smoke coming out of the stack when I grabbed another notch of throttle.
What a great soul you are. Thank you for your existence!
What's even more impressive is that the train has wheels from the 1800s
Wow 😳😳😳
1940's
The wheels on this engine were installed on it in 1941. It was built in 1927 with 73 inch diameter driving wheels, and upgraded with its current 80 inch diameter wheels in 1941.
A 1800s wheel can't carry a big locomotive
Boy, this hits home.
My late grandfather, who passed in '67 at the age of 92, was an engineer for the B&O, three of his sons, my uncle's of whom only one remains at the age of 94, followed in his footsteps.
The small town in which here in WV I live was a at one time prosperous due to the railroad, and trains such as this would pass on nearby tracks of the old family home I know own.
Listen to the power, appreciate the mechanics, and be in awe of the size.
Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for sharing your story. It was good. Respect from Indian 😇🙏🇮🇳
I'm from St. Marys WV and we have trains that go right through the middle of town! 🚂
Its really sad to lose a grandfather
@@herlindajayme6051 he passed in 1968 at the age of 92. One of his sons, my only remaining uncle, last of his immediate family, and a former railroader, will he 96 in March .
4:36 Now that's cool seeing the old car and the loco run together.
That train is older than that car by a long shot
@@Unknown_Ooh true, locomotive exist before even car was built
I thought 3751 was on display at Kingman. Another resurrection or my mistake?
@@davidblesh1136 3751 served in passenger duties until being retired in 1957.
The locomotive was then placed on display in San Bernardino until it was restored to operating condition in 1991.
@@dremwolf5419 Thank you, Dremwolf. I did some checking and found my mistake. The steamer on display in Kingman was Santa Fe 3759. DWB
Strange to see an ol' 1920's steam engine next to Toyota Cruisers and 2010 model cars and SUVs. A nearly 100 year difference kind of strange.
As if the steamer is still lost in another era in time, the pages of which have found themselves bleeding into ours.
Although that blue station wagon isn't exactly spring chicken either. Can't tell the model, I don't know (American) cars very well.
In the 30s (if you had the money) you could have one of these things take you east, then get on a Zeppelin to go to Europe. Travel just doesn't have this kind of romance and drama anymore.
Me Too you are so right of men becoming femenized pussies gone when men were rugged and strong
And Work well today!
Very well taken shot.... No camera shaking.. no vibrations.. all natural sounds...all focus on the engine... I enjoyed the video 👍
Imagine getting to work late and having to explain to your boss that you missed exits because you were mesmerized by a train and raced it
Show him the video and your job is safe forever. Only a heart with no beat would be unmoved.
@@MarsFKA or one that wasn't impressed that there employee decided racing a historical locomotive going 60mph was more important than getting to work
@@kiuperhyper5795 I’d just quit if I worked with people like that
@@MarsFKA Right on, right on man. 🙂👍
Hopeful they would just be sorry, that they weren't there too.
4:40 epic moment. Vintage, classic and modern all in one shot 👌
Just noticed... woww
With the car too
I was about to say that lol
@@symphinitystugiii3476 ya ☺️☺️
Looks like a movie shot
As someone who used to work on steam locomotives some years back now; this gave me joy.
There's something inheirantly beautiful about these machines, wether a simple yard shunter or a beast of a loco like this.
Even though Ol Girl is pretty quick in its own right, this locomotive is clearly built for power! What an amazing, majestic piece of machinery!
I never knew how much I needed to see a man operating a steam engine while holding a Starbucks coffee until today.
🤣😂😅
Thats being a hero man
Love the shot at 4:35. 2 old timers keeping pace with each other, both just cruising along.
Right!? Something about that shot is just timeless and legendary, super cool to see and also to hear that train
it shows true durability
Its like 2 old veterans meeting
It's like a flashback to 60 years ago, here in Seattle, Northern Pacific still used steam engines for local freight well into the 60s, when a Chevy truck just like that one would've been brand new, so you could've conceivably seen a pairing just like this.
A C10 and a steam train I wish a cabover was behind the C10 that would look awesome!!! I love cabovers
At approx. timestamp 5:15 the train is traveling at 57.12mph. The drivers are 80" so 2 x pi x 40" = 251.33". 251.33" x 1'/12" = every rotation propels the engine 20.94'. If you slow the video to .25 speed you will see the drivers are at 4 RPS so every second the engine is traveling 83.78'. This thing supposedly hit 103mph in 1941! What a marvel of engineering.
Smart
Thats the same formula that I use! Correct!
Bro knows who Joe is
@@therookie9276 bro knows Obamas last name
I'm sorry to burst your bubble but are you the son of Albert Einstein
This is awesome!
Makes me feel happy seeing this. 🤗
8 years ago. Man, they so need to do this again.
How to turn iron into a living, breathing, moving work of art. What a thrill, driving so close to her on the freeway, speechless !
My dad would have watched this video over and over and over. Thank you for posting.
Ellesmere Wildwood it has the elegance on an old car with a huge, elongated hood, dressed in black. For such a complex machine, there’s a great sophistication to it all.
3751 shows 'em how it's done! When I was young in the '50s, my dad took me to see it sitting in the lawn near the Mt. Vernon bridge, and I wondered if she'd ever run again. He said, "No, those days are over." Well, Dad, looks like you were wrong on that. I was up near Summit on her first trip up Cajon with the FP45s trailing with Vinnie Cipolla at the throttle.. What a sight to behold.
What was it like on the Cajon I watched documentaries of all three crashes. You’ve herd of those three crashes right? Did it worry you about crashing or no and where u going fast on the throttle or slow
Love the sight at 4:33 , that blue classic Suburban really fits the scene like good old days
I was gonna say that too
The camera man apparently agreed as well. :)
Quite the money-shot
Good days? Look at the rest of the world - it was not that good.
True, except the train was from the 20's, the car was probably a 50's. Still does fit well.
I’m an aviation geek but this is pretty bad ass! One of the earliest forms of transportation still chugging along and not missing a beat
I remember my Dad taking me back in 1999 to see this awesome steam engine. We took pictures right next to it, my Dad hired out with Santa Fe back in 1973. He retired with 38 years of service, I am 3rd Generation in the Railroad with 21 years under my belt.
My Dad just recently passed away and this steamer brings lots of emotion to me. R.I.P Dad keep them rails trains moving in Heaven. I'll keep the legacy going Dad...
Santa Fe Railroad All The Way..
Miss You Dad....🚂🙏
rip
R.i.p...to your dad this video was awesome to watch ..it brung good tears to my eyes my grandmother lived in Alabama she would hollar for me when there was one coming i ask how you know one is coming she said you can hear that hissing and the chug and then you hear that train yell loud an clear to step ahside cause im coming..man i miss my childhood growing up im 72 born baby thank you for sharing and may your dad find peace
4:38 is a classic moment
Exept the car is 60 years younger than the train
If I could have that shot on my wall in my apartment.... Man.. That is a great moment.
WHO WILL WIN?
@Mark King who?
@Mark King oh lol
Gotta be strange enough to have a railway running down the median of a highway. But to have a vintage steam train keeping up w/ (& even outpacing) the traffic? Mind-boggling!
Madness832 They’re faster than many people think! This particular one’s highest recorded speed was 103 MPH.
More powerful too
Those steam monsters had the power and torque at the wheels that any engineer would kill for with these diesels
At about 82 years old, that engine still looks as timeless as she does ancient
They were beautiful and elegant and they were filthy work horses.
Madness832 In Northern California area these rails are commonly used for BART or subway trains.
@@Frankensteins_Highboy There's no doubt these steam locomotives were immensely powerful. But if you stop and think about it, they're less... modular? I think that's a good term to use. Less modular than diesels. One of these huge locomotives would be utterly insane overkill for a relatively short and light goods train that could be far more cheaply and efficiently hauled by only a pair of diesels hitched up to each other in a multiple working consist. Longer, heavier train? Just hitch more diesels on. The fuel is cheap and the maintenance even cheaper than any single steam locomotive ever will be.
It's unfortunate to think about, but economics and technology simply rendered the steam locomotive obsolete, and now its only real application are these niche touristy runs that can always attract enough people willing to pay the ticket prices necessary to cover the cost of maintaining the engine. But that means they still get to live on and entertain people and put on a show of it, of how human ingenuity moved mountains of goods across the continent when the best motive power we had at the time for doing that was steam. :)
@@calyodelphi124 Why did you go into that long - winded spiel over a simple comment?
As beautiful as it is seeing her move really fast, I also really liked seeing the wheels slowly being pushed by the steam engine while pulling into the station.
Think about just how much one of the connecting rods weighs and then add in just how fast they are reciprocating. The the mass and g forces involved are amazing
It's amazing that steam power works at all and that it was built with very rudimentary technology.
The forces at play are just dazzling!
i know right?
@@NP-rh3dt while locomotives built in the 1804 are very simple, steam locomotives that were built late 1800 to mid 1900 are very efficient and complex because by this time humanity had most mastered steam locomotive design and manufacturing.
@@ninjia7347 yea definitely, later steam locomotives were leaps and bounds ahead. But the manufacturing processes are interesting because they still were very rudimentary. Most of the parts on the locomotives are forged than riveted together, casting and welding like we know today didn't really exist back then.
I used to work for the Santa Fe. ..
You have no idea of how powerful a steam locomotive is...
I've seen then literally pull the rails up off the track and turn them into pretzels....
It's amazing to me how the drive assembly remains intact. Watching this level of raw power up close is almost too intense! Ground power is so much more personal than flight.
Back when the Santa Fe was a great railroad. Robbie Krebs sure screwed THAT up!
Makes sense. Steam in any form has always been more on the torque-y side. For example, Jay Leno owns a few steam powered cars. One car only makes like 20 hp but puts out more than 20 times that in ft lbs of torque. Really is some impressive power.
Imagine if Brunel got his way in Britain, and the gauge was 7 ft 1⁄4. You guys in the states would have gone nuts and gone even bigger!
Wow! I knew they were more powerful than diesels but i didn't realize they were that powerful.
What a beautiful piece of machinery! So fricken beautiful. The human mind just blows me away sometimes. Mad respect to the engineers.
Locomotives are my favorite trains. I've always loved their complex look. I could watch this all day and be completely content.
4:34 The SHOT of Shots.
I was going to say the same. This is the most awesome moment in the most awesome railfan video ever.
Crop out a bit of the right and you could frame it
EPIC
No doubt on that shot
getting O. Winston Link vibes
Just think about all that mass, the incredible weight of the rods, valves, rockers and all the bits and pieces. It all has to work right or it goes "sproing" all over creation! It's so very mechanical and out in the open. That's the appeal of these incredible, awesome machines to me.
You nailed it. Just the explanation I was looking for that makes us love these incredible feats of engineering :P
1937 Santa Fe 3751 is an oil fired, four hundred-twelve thousand (412,000 lb.) eighty-eight foot behemoth. Magnificent....
Weird to see this train go at half her top speed.
This is only 50% of her power.
Only 50%
The 3751 class was well known for running 90 all day long.
Shaggy uses 10% of his power
Why is it weird? It's not weird at all.
Thanos again
Actually, kinetic energy vs speed is a quadratic relationship. So by going half of the top speed, the train is significantly under half power.
Its always nice to come back to this video to see an old steamer chugging along the tracks without a care in the world.
Right? This pops up in my feed about once a year or so, and I always watch it!
5:00 That driving rod (or whatever this is called) is spinning so fast it looks unreal . I can't even imagine the forces applied on the bearings by that huge chunk of iron , or maybe that is aluminium ? Still a huge heavy looking piece of metal .
The rod is solid steel and there is no ball bearings or anything else. It is just the rod hook up to the wheel with solid grease in between
it's powered by locomotive behind it.
@@hax001e4 nope, the one behind is meant to provide electrical power to the passenger carriages.
@@phantyom4ever It would honestly be so cool if they still had the original carriages to go with the train.
Imagine having to take the train to work or a business trip, coming to the station and seeing this with original cars waiting for you. Would it feel like Hogwarts or time travel?
Just looked it up, for a sense of scale: those drive wheels are 80" diameter, or 6' 8" or 2.03 meters.
This is terrific. The close up shots of her pistons and connecting rods next to the highway really show how hard she's working. I love the juxtaposition of the old and new with the loco and the cars speeding along together. What a whistle, too. Classic tones.
Laurie Harper ooó o.o unlucky23 ref did
Laurie Harper- where did you see "her pistons"? X-ray vision? Those double-acting pistons better be tightly sealed within those huge cylinders. Just FYI.
There's always one.............
Alan S really... everyone knew what she meant.
For reasons I cannot explain, seeing a steamer on active duty warms my heart. - A frequent visitor of the Canadian Railway Museum
Driving along and then seeing this iron giant would be so cool. Such a beautiful machine, steam engines will forever be magical to me.
Truly a majestic machine, proud being a mechanical engineer.
Mechanical engineers are the real magicians of the world! 👍
@@wewd If only there were more of them.
@@AzureDefiance3701 it's going out of fashion. No days we need more software and transportation engineers.
@@dysonspreybar4903 yeah at my humber college for mechanical engineering they haven't updated the CNC machines in years the dam drill is still using windows 98 OS for christ sakes....
I remember speaking with one of the volunteer engineers before they left, I asked what the top speed was, his reply-
"Oh man, easily over 120, Easily. But we're Actually limited by the conditions of the tracks. You can feel it too."
While England holds the record for the fastest steam locomotive in the world at 128mph the NYC railroad had streamlined engines they called Hudsons that on the daily did trips at 123mph and could have probably gone faster than Mallard (the record holder) some people speculate
we only need 88mph...
@@adriannash2705 would be fun to have a new build and see if she could do it
@@connormclernon26 well theres a t1 replica in the works. Idk its status atm but i hope it gets finished soon
I've watched this several times and I still come back to this video over the years. Imagine being in your car on the freeway and seeing this super fit senior citizen keeping up with you. Great video!
Especially since she wasn't cranking it up all the way ;)
Technologically speaking, I think the old girl would be a senior a dozen times over with how short modern tech lasts
Alot of non train enthusiasts don't realize that most steam train from the 1920s and onwards are faster than diesels. This train near the highway is just showing them how quick they can be. Just to think your cruising at 70 you look in your rear view and see this thing catching up to you
What an incredible, & heartwarming piece of nostalgia! When she blew her whistle the 1st time, it brought tears to my eyes.
I watched this whole video with a smile on my face. Just beautiful footage of a gorgeous engine.
Diesel: Im the strongest and fastest of all trains!
Steam: Hold my coal
Laughs electric train.
Diesel is stronger
@@jts11d63 diesel will out do electric with freight
lmfao
@@UnionCountyPhotography but steam is cooler
So cool.
Usually everyone is driving light speed on this freeway. They slowed to watch the train lol.
Thats what im talking about 💪💪 this old girl keeping pace.. ❤ That conductor is without a doubt having the time of his life!! #steampower
Seeing this almost 6 years after it was posted and this literally started my day off with a smile. This is just cool as hell lol.
@
Thomas Schell
this is really amazing
how are you doing
@@lydiaanderson4247 fine thanks for asking! You?
@@Orothos am good
you have a nice profile do you mind if we get to talk more off here
Absolutely beautiful. The juxtaposition of the raw yet elegant engine keeping up and passing modern cars made me cry a little. A work of art, I tell you.
8:00 now THATS the sound of a train locomotive!!!!😄🙏
Life was so much better in those times.
@@Dan_isreal.08 it's actually considered a train cause it's pulling something
Tony Padilla no it wasnt lol
@@tpad6 hahahaha omg life back then was so much worse. This is the subset of good stuff that survived.
That was absolutely beautiful seeing this historical engine running out in the open. wow.
I love how this rail line just goes right down the middle of a highway.
What a big beautiful beast. I love diesels but There is just something about a big steam locomotive that just moves the soul. She moves pretty well for a piece of iron that's getting close to the 100 years old mark. I'm planning to take a short trip over to Frisco to see Big Boy 4018 possibly this weekend. I've never seen any of the big Alcos up close. I can't wait to see 4014 back in action. I'll have to try to get a seat on an excursion once she does.
4:34 you can literally can feel the raw power of that steel monstrosity in that shot
Not a monstrosity, a masterpiece
Awesome... Beautiful!! My Pa and Grandpa were both Railroad men!! This must be the greatest invention in human history!! 😁😁❤