*_New videos are in the works!_* Sorry it has taken so long, but this has been a very busy year for me so far! *_An Update:_* • In January, _The Walt Disney Company_ found me and presented an offer I could not decline to join their roundhouse crew that takes care of the 5 steam locomotives as well as the steamboat at Disneyland. • The roundhouse at Disneyland is very much so off limits to the public so creating videos there is not permitted (as of right now). • I travel back home (Colorado) very frequently to help out as well as do contract work with the various railroads in the state (Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Colorado Railroad Museum, etc.). • During these trips to work on the locomotives out in Colorado, I come up with new ideas for videos and collect all the footage I can to create them. Thanks for everyone's patience and new videos will be out very soon! -Jeff Berrier For more content from me, see my Instagram: instagram.com/denver_and_rio_grande_western/?hl=en Or my new FaceBook page: facebook.com/JeffryPBerrier/
Couple things Im curious about.... The water. How much does it hold, and how often does it need refilled? Also, what about the opposite of this video? haha. Any chance you could show us the process of parking/shutting down one of the locomotives? Just saw your pinned post. Congrats on the new job!
I only partly agree with you. Commentaries and music can be nice... if they are of good quality. I actually have a lot of questions that could have been answered in a commentary.
@George Arndt I thought the Germans were all going green with Greta and electric cars. Go paddle your Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS off the line against a Tesla S, then tell us again how quaint gear shifting is superior.
The most impressive part was how this young engineer looks to be no more than 20... impressive to watch anyone operate one of these, but someone as young as him bring this beast to life and operate it like second nature is unbelievable. Hats off to you, my friend.
@@praisegod287 You'd be suprised, some people are just not cut out for this kinda thing just like how not every person on the tools could do what an engineer does.
there's nothing more than the sounds of the hisssssssssing the chug.. chug..... chugging and the WOOO WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! of a steam locomotive!!! and that's music to my ears
A little narration could be OK, to explain what he is doing, or why he is doing it, and things to know about each part of the locomotive. He does have some text descriptions added on the screen, but not much detail. But I do agree that it is much better to hear the locomotive waking up, and sounds of the work without music covering it up.
You could go ask the nice folks at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso Michigan how well that would have actually worked. They're the caretakers of the real world counterpart to the Polar Express, Pere Marquette #1225. I've stood beside that legendary engine during some routine maintenance.
I loved that the engineer was a younger fellow. These things need new recruits to keep the knowledge alive for the next generation to enjoy. My cap is off to the fellow seen doing most of the work in the video here. Thanks for being interested!
I don't think he pulled out a phone once to check his messages. What a rarity these days. All the old ways will be lost and forgotten in a few more generations.
Chris, Im sure your grandpa was furious to see that people were using railroads to get across the country instead of using the good ol’ wholesome organ trail.
It's incredible how much engineering goes into these engines. I work at a machine shop specializing in big parts, and last year we spent nine months completely overhauling a White Pass steam locomotive, including boiler, wheels, brakes, steam lines, pistons, all moving parts, the whole works. Gave me a lot more respect for the people that used to make these, especially when you consider the fact it was all done by hand or in a manual machine. Sure made us feel good watching that thing chooch up and down our 300' test track after it was all said and done. Lol the entire town showed up to check it out when we were testing it, we had over 300 people in the parking lot. People do love steam locomotives... Great video, It's awesome seeing names and functions being put to so many of the parts I helped repair. Lots of the parts we repaired we had no idea what they were, we just knew that they were broken and needed to be fixed. Good stuff.
> Mark Green - I have taken three rides on the WP&YR, never behind a steam locomotive (that's on my bucket list), but I wish to thank you for your effort to keep the WP&YR's steam equipment alive. Steam engines, whether installed in ships or railroad locomotives, are maybe the closest that humans will ever come to creating a machine that feels like a living organism. There is no sound in the world like the music of a steam whistle to make one's blood tingle.
Cowboys were cool to me as a kid... but an engineer was something even cooler. I have so much respect for my two great grandads, and my grandpa who all worked on the railroad. One of my great grandpas fired the UP 844.
yes a steam engine is woke up, you start the fire, but you wake the engine up, and it does indeed creak and stretch as the metal of the engine and all its parts heats up, and it takes time to do its got tons of metal there litteraly, as well as getting all the firebed going it all takes time for optimum performance. can you heat that boiler up faster sure but you shorten its life and can warp the metal
Looked at the time and thought "37 minutes who the hell wants to watch that" but after I was transfixed for 37 minutes I just wanted more. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I'm overwhelmed by the attention to detail, the care and, well, there's no other way to put it-- the obvious love for a machine and a trade that I did not expect from someone so young! I'd only expect this sort of knowledge and respect from folks 50+ years older like my dad's dad who did this sort of thing! We've all been blessed by such a terrific, thorough educational video. Thank you for this.
Great to see young guys interested in preserving these. I am old enough to remember when the steam locos were in regular service. You cannot imagine how powerful these were until experiencing them rolling through town, just overwhelming the environment. My father worked locally for Electro-Motive from its very beginning in the 30's in developing and manufacturing the diesels. As always, economics ruled and the steamers faded away. But I can still remember a few in active service as late as the mid 50's.
My grandfather was an engineer on the Milwaukee Santa fey and was young diesel engineer because the senior engineers got all the steam engineer jobs . Come find out years later that the higher electrical generating system gave the engineers heart Attacks .
Now THIS is the type of video I've been looking for for a long time. Informative, entertaining, and most importantly, without the crap music background. I could almost smell the combination of smoke, steam, and grease. LOVE it. Think of all the hundreds of thousands of men who used to do this at the height of the railroad era. Also, 6 to 7 HOURS to fire it up? WOW.
No, one man is all you need to fire up a steam locomotive. Especially a larger one like this. The main factor in how long it takes is the capacity of the boiler. It's a lot of water to heat to well over boiling temperature.
This is the kind of video that should be added to all railway museum displays. I had no real idea what it took to start these machines from cold. Even if you chatted with those who operate these trains, you still do not get a clear idea of what it takes to fire these machines up until now! Thank you Jeff.
Beautiful. Steam engines are probably the closest thing humans have made to a living breathing animal. I am sure each engine has it's own characteristics / personality. We usually think of steam trains as old technology and therefore easy but these things are so complicated and takes a lot of understanding to keep one running. Hats off to the people who keep them alive.
That being complicated is most likely the reason that they are not as desirable to the ones who own them. The most complex designs that I have seen are steam, much more goes into making them than most of the things made today.
@@Paul-gz5dp they have to be complex and engineered right. I mean you are basically just controlling a massive steam boiler. Have you ever seen what a water heater at home does when it bursts? Imagine a failure of one of these.
A steam locomotive IS the closest we have come to creating a living and breathing animal! If you ever get the chance to be close to one, you will understand what I am saying!
Love the way he uses just the correct amount of torque while working with critical parts. The care and deliberation of his movements show a master craftsman at work.
Great video, no crappy music, good photography, no voice overs, just informative captions. Also, what really impressed me was the young man who so casually went about his business, no hint of any kind of attitude at all. And like others have said, it's great to have younger people skilled and take an interest in this very old technology.
Phillip Mulligan when steam locos were in daily use, they were kept hot by a crew member known as the hostler. He did the grading and oiling overnight while feeding the fire and maintaining water level in the boiler. It was far less work and better for the machine to be kept hot unless it needed to be down for major repair or wasn’t going to be used for several days. Also, many of the round houses at larger railroads and facilities had “shop steam” to help warm a boiler up faster then using the circulating pump shown in the beginning of the video.
The smaller trainyard shunter engines are a bit shorter to warm up compared to a full sized engine thanks to having smaller boilers. The oil based engines are even faster still, but not fast enough to beat a diesel engine.
Wow stumbled on this video. My Grandfather in the 20's and 30's worked in a very busy station on the east coast and would oil and grease engines as they would come into the station to load and unload passengers. He also became an engineer on the steam engines. Sadly he died before i knew him but I am blown away to see what he did for his life's work.
I was thinking about the same thing. But I knew my “Pop.” After he retired he would talk about all the places he’d been on a train. This gave me a chance to spend some time in his world.
and that machine might consider itself so lucky to have someone as meticulous as him that cares so much. Seems as though they were meant for each other.
Brought back memories. Worked as fireman for CPR when I was 19. At that time (1956) about half our power was steam, some hand bombers the rest stoker fired, coal of course. When all steam dissappeared so did I.
As a young man my grampa worked on the trains in North Dakota, then when they got their homesteads up here in Alberta, he ran the steam on the threshing crew. I wish he was here to talk to, and my dad, to see some videos like this one. Thanks. I was born in 1956. It's neat that there was still some steam going on when I was a kid. It would be fun to talk to you, and learn how to run a locomotive.
As a retired machine operator, I just adore this video. I do not mind at all; in fact, I LOVE all the priming & preparations necessary to get a machine up & runnin'! What I really appreciate that this locomotive's output-hot steaming water- is used to clean out systems, clean off the engine (et al), & circulate the different oils throughout the loco's systems. That last is especially terrific. As for trains themselves, I grew up with my fathers heavy, metal Lionel train set (the original of the 50's), & got to watch him operate it in full action along its tracks & switches, through & past covered bridges, & sheds, rail signs, etc., & the scenery pieces my dad bought separate. I've had a passion for trains ever since. All kinds. Thank you so much for this video!
Imagine all the work this represents. An engineer in 1900 would have to get up at 4am to have the train ready at 7am. All this work in front, and in the back carriages, ladies in pompous dresses and refined gentlemen. What a time, and I'm pleased to see a guy my age doing this job, it's amazing. Respect bro 😎
Not quite to be fair. When in the Shed it’ll be looked after by a crew the driver and fireman would do his checks and oiling and the fire would have never have gone out so it would be kept ready unless it was in for overhaul
@@Genius_at_Work some of those ship ones used to be airplane engines. two specific examples: You'll find some repurposed j47s and j79s in the Marine world. Not as efficient or clean as a more modern engine. But a *hell* of a lot cheaper to purchase and to maintain.
@@davecrupel2817 I meant Turbochargers. And Gas Turbines are way more expensive than Diesel Engines, both to purchase and to run. They are made of higher Quality Alloys to survive the Temperatures involved, are less efficient (as you said) and also require higher Quality Fuel than Diesels. Diesels can run on Bunker Oil but I doubt that's gonna be possible with Gas Turbines. There are even more Problems with Gas Turbines on Ships like a lot of blank Metal on the Inside which is a bad Combination with salty Air or their high Air Consumption which requires much larger Engine Room Ventilation Systems. So Gas Turbines are used only where you need much Power and have very limited Space, which means they are mostly used on Warships and High Speed Crafts and you hardly ever see one somewhere else. COGAS and COGES are some interesting Concepts though. Gas Turbines are so inefficient (at best 35% Efficiency compared to over 50% on large Two Stroke Marine Diesels) because they lose a lot of Heat over the Exhaust Gas. You can use that to heat a Boiler which in Terms drives Steam Turbines. These and the Gas Turbines can either drive the Propellers directly (COGAS-Combined Gas and Steam) or drive Generators to power both the Propeller Motors and other Electric Consumers (COGES-Combined Gas and Steam Electric). This Principle has been used in Powerplants since Decades and a few Times onboard Ships. Total Efficiency currently is at about 45-50% but with much lower Emissions thanks to the continuous Combustion in the Turbines rather than intermitting like in Diesel Engines. Given that Bunker Fuel is becoming less attractive due to stricter Sulphur and Emissions Regulations and LNG is used more and more these two Concepts may become more important in the Future.
How did you think they powered all the lights on the locomotive and the train? They stopped using kerosene lamps at the start of the 20th century. A car has an alternator, even a diesel vehicle. So why wouldn't a steam locomotive?
During the last few year os steam locomotives, a used steam to produce electricity and use the electricity to run (similar to how diesel electric locomotives run).
I have wanted all my life to see how these old engines run and came across this video which showed it all, the prep, firing up and the care that goes into these engines. Thanks for posting this as it made my day. P.s. now to drive one, that'll really make my day!
Who in the world is this amazing young man? The way he operates the beast shows he has been doing that for a long time. Love to see such responsible young people.
This young boy not only starts a giant of steel but also makes us relive a now distant past in which people lived by simple things obtained with much effort and therefore more appreciated.
14 thumbs down??? Must not be addicted to steam. This is certainly one of the best steam locomotive videos on youtube, thank you for an outstanding job.
Paul Bookbinder thumb people thumbs down if they don't find it intretresting to them or just to be mean not that they hate it or find it stupid I think it also keeps things like it out of their suggestion box
I'm not a fan of steam, locomotives or trains at all but this was a great video. Steam locomotives are marvellous machines, truly one of the finest inventions.
....but does it come with an owners manual? Seriously, this is such a well shot and produced video. I look at one rivet on the engine and wonder who were the metallurgists that evaluated those. Then I look at what they hold together and wonder who the engineers were that could design such a magnificent machine as this example with no computers....no calculator...and in many cases pre-date the slip stick. And then the answers come to me and it is simply that they were men of brilliance. Thank you so much for providing the video when there is so much "crap" on RUclips.
I suspect they also over-engineered things when in doubt, which might partlybe responsible for these things still being around after all these years. :-)
Pretty sure they did not draw everything up to the very last detail. Superstructure, major components, precise fits, what connects where etc certainly, but not minor details. Much of it is craftsman judgement, fitting things together however they happened to fit etc. I bet every engine is somewhat different. Even today, for low volume production, cable routing and such minor details are left up to manufacturing. For more demanding designs, certainly you get pegboards for wiring harnesses, detailed procedures for every last operation and all the documentation, but where it doesn't, you get a schematic and a bill of materials and that's it. Figure the rest out on your own. All the parts come from CAD-s of course, but how it all goes together is generally not precisely engineered unless it must be.
Hi, thank you for this video, I grew up around steam locomotives my Dad worked as Guard on a narrow gauge rail way, I used to go and watch them get the locomotive ready. All the things you did in the video I used to see as a kid. I really really enjoyed watching every aspect of the firing up the greasing and the oiling. Great work and please keep the video's rolling. Regards and Thanks.
Glad to see a video showcasing operating these trains. The technologies of the industrial revolution is from a time where we no longer even see nowadays. To be able to see this train in action in the century is a reminder of how it used to be back then. Little did I realize there was so much preparation in order to operate a train.
Amazing video! Every step shown in 30 or so minutes when it prolly took this guy a total of 6 hours to get the steam built up. Very good editing and didnt ruin it with music just the sounds of steam!!! Would love to do this job! Very mechanical.
Forget AI, forget all the "auto" crap in the world! This is awesome! What an enormous learning film! I'm impressed by the amount of work and time it takes to move these beautiful parts of history.
Beauty and best part is when u here the noise of the steam engine.. the rythem from steam.. no modren engines can replace the noise part. And the looks or the appearance of the engine remembers our childhood.. in todays technology everything lies in our tip of our fingers push a button engine starts.. not much of efforts were needed, but today technology has improved.. but how far ever we grow.. nothing can replace the old once.. by another 100 year i dont the weather those generation people would lively get to see such beautiful steam engine... By their time our current technology would be a showcase.. so i thank the team for demonstrating practically the effors.... Plz preserve for another 10 decades.. hopefully... Thankyou all..
Fascinating video. 99% of us have no idea how much detail is involved in getting one of these beautiful beasts up and running. So if I understand you correctly, if you have a 7 AM excursion run, you need to start this process around midnight. You look like you are very dedicated to your work and I sense that there is a great deal of enjoyment to it for you, despite it being a long and tedious process.
Edward Hara Typically, we try to have the locomotive steamed up and serviced the day before we have to run so it only takes around 3 - 4 hours to steam back up the next day since it is already hot. And thank you! I do very much enjoy working on the old ladies.
It’s amazing how these incredibly complex machines were made to run so smoothly. The fact that this technology could reliably travel at speeds upwards of 100 mph is a testament to the talented people who designed, built, drove, and maintained them.
Wouldn’t it be....cheaper to never turn these engines off? Obviously this is a rare case but back when these things were a hit, did they actually let the engine go cold back at the train yard?
This caught my eye since my grandfather worked for and retired from the B&O. The video makes it evident that, in it's day the complexity of a locomotive was equivalent to the jet plane of today. In ways, the guy operating the locomotive wasn't called an "engineer" for nothing. It was complicated, powerful, and hazardous. Jeff, thanks for showing us that the care and feeding of these legendary machines is an art form. Looks like the engines are in good hands!
Yup. They had horses/mules/oxen and wagons before this. This is state-of-the-art way back when. The Oregon Trail took 4-6 months of hot, dry, bumpy, hard living. But by 1857, you could make it in 4 weeks in relative style on a train.
@@ljprep6250: While you're right about this being state-of-the-art, you're off on some "timely" facts: You could travel to Texas in 1845, if the rails could take you where you wanted -- using the Classic American 4-4-0 as the locomotive. Second: The Transcontinental Railroad, completed by the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads, did not happen until Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869. Fun fact 1: The Union Pacific laid ten miles of rail a day, during the tracklaying phase. Fun fact 2: The Union Pacific is the only original railroad left in the United States, having never been merged into a larger company. Fun fact 3: The Union Pacific, through it's Steam Locomotive program, maintains the largest steam locomotive still running in the world: Big Boy engine #3985, a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.
@@subscribeorsus6862 : Because back when I was younger, I was a huge rail buff, as well as someone fascinated by history. Point in fact, for Christmas, my mom gave me a coffee mug that, ironically, has facts about the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Funny enough, there is a story about Engine #3985, that happened about 25-30 years ago. The story is, that 3985 had finished pulling an excursion train, which included two tenders of coal and water. Ahead of her was a mixed freight that had three DD40-AX diesel locomotives at the head. The issue was, this freight train had become stuck, attempting to crest a hill in Wyoming. Well, 3985 heard, over the radio, that this diesel crew was unsure about what to do -- and given that a helper pair of locos out of Cheyenne would have taken over 90 minutes to reach them, Engine 3985 decided to help. Linking up at the back of the freight train, 3985 then began to push -- and to spite that it had passenger cars attached, was able to get the freight over the hill. The freight crew, feeling their train start to move, didn't know 3985 had hooked up to them. At the end of the day, they were extremely grateful that 3985 had come to the rescue. And every time I tell this story, I damned near shed a tear, because I've always been a huge fan of the "Iron Horse" and what those marvels of machine can do. And 3985 proved that day that steam is still, even in modern times, capable of doing what it was designed to do, to spite how old the technology is. Just because how old something is, doesn't mean it isn't still useful.
no wonder the railroads couldn't get rid of these type engines fast enough! The complexity and skills needed must have been in demand. Nice to see the young man doing such a loving job, he's easy on the eye too!
If more people watched this, they wouldn't be complaining when their flight or train was an hour late. It used to take the better part of a day only to start the damn locomotive back in the day. Jeff here takes 6-7 hours to start it up with modern tools. They didn't have these back then. In any event... awesome video!
Gives me a newfound appreciation for just all the work it took to maintain and cold start a steam locomotive. One of the best videos I have ever seen. Thankyou for giving us a rare glimpse into history.
Thanks Jeff! I was never fascinated by steam locomotives until now. You made the whole process look like 2nd nature, but wow! After seeing your comment about a 6 hour process, this would be my favorite reason to get up at 2 am. I hope you enjoy doing this as much as I enjoyed watching.
This video really explains why so many heritage trains are switching over to diesels. Very few still use steam, and its usually only occasionally. The time required is much more then I realized.
I have no idea where you are talking about, but it's certainly not the UK! Steam is the point of most UK heritage lines - without steam, where's the heritage?. And I say this as a volunteer driver who has been working with steam since I was 14.
A fascinating video!!! I have wondered how they got the engines ready for Service. I can only imagine how mush more time would be required to fire up a ‘Big Boy!’ It’s too bad the ‘ACE 3000’ project didn’t get a few prototypes built. It would very interesting to see what would have changed in firing up a ‘modern’ steam locomotive. How much automation and reduction in steps might have been possible....
@stratman323 "....but it's certainly not the UK" !Sure not. WOW. You did realize that? Whithout looking at the writings and numbers one can clearly see: A cowcatcher and Counterweights outside the frame and wheels - this must be american, and a narrow gauge at that - a bigger one than many british standard locomotives for sure. This can only be some D&RGW, and - no wonder about this - one can find some writings on this loco in the video, stating, it is #491, a K-37 of the D&RGW....... British steam isnt by far all about heritage. Some diesels and electric are older than some steamers and also belong to the heritage. And tell me, what has a loco named "Tornado" to do with heritage being a newly build one??
There's so much skill and love in every rivet of that locomotive, the only reason she still lives today is men like yourself who have so much pride in their work
One of the best railroad videos on RUclips. Thank you for the details as this is the type of stuff that really interests me. You have given everyone a great gift by documenting this. Thank you!
KO5 T4R One of the reasons the smoke is yellow is due to Bitumen...coal tar...which is being driven out of coal on a newly laid fire. It's a temporary condition and is produced when fresh coal is added to the existing fire. As the newly added coal heats up but before it is hot enough to properly catch fire the bituminous content starts to be driven out and is carried unburned through to the funnel. As the fire becomes more intense the new fuel catches fire more readily so the bitumen content is consumed well before it reaches the funnel so it is merely a brief effect. You could also see this effect on domestic open coal fires that have just been replenished. Incidentally, it is the bitumen content that makes coal a fuel.
Thank You for an incredible video!! I got to show this to a really neat old neighbor who ran these babies for decades. He only retired from paid, then volunteer engineering 6 years ago at age 90.
Shut up idiot stop telling people to subscribe it's just the video you watch it you click out you're done. But thank you very much to the video maker for not putting music in it. thank you so much and it's appreciated.
Amazing video! Marty: Is it possible to get it up to 90? Engineer: Laughing. 90? Tarnations, son, why'd ya ever be in such a hurry? Doc: Well, it's just a little bet that he and I have, that's all. Theoretically speaking, could it be done? Engineer: Well, I suppose if you had a straight stretch of track with a long level grade, and you weren't hauling no cars behind you...and if you could get the fire hot enough...I mean hotter than the blazes of hell and tarnations...well yes, you might be able get her up that fast.
British engineer: well we have a train 🚂 that gets up to 125. Marty: all right! What do you call it? British engineer: we call it the mallard 🦆. It could hit 100 💯. Even while pulling cars 🚙. Doc: that’s great 😃 thank you 🙏🏼! British engineer: your welcome 🙏🏼.
The best part about British locomotives is that they look rather unique, especially in regards to their liveries. American locomotives more or less look the same with a few exceptions.
The locomotive in this video can only get up to 35 mph before a dangerous swaying motion starts. If it weren't for that, you could determine her max speed based on the diameter of her driving wheels. This locomotive wasn't built for speed anyway, but rather for the strength to haul heavy freight trains on the steep D&RGW Narrow Gauge system.
Due to its nature this absolute beast will never stay clean, but that’s what makes it full of romance. This dude has such a valuable skill and I hope he passes on to more people
Wow!!! Just Wow!!! Having been to the Colorado Railroad Museum many times, I and my kids have probably been pulled around the tracks by this very locomotive quite a few times times. Since the museum only does a live steam day for one weekend every several months, I'm humbled and inspired by the herculean effort it takes to pull these steam-ups off! Hats off to everyone who makes this happen!
So right. The inability to watch this and peek back into a time that was different, that required true journey/master-level trade experience without reliance upon AI or computer control, is telling. Only an imbecile would disapprove of an opportunity such as this (a well-made video without agenda, unimaginative narration, and soulless music).
In the future ICE technology might be so great we all have our own mini power plants that are just as efficient as the big ones but require far less maintenance and thus eliminate the grid entirely. Same engine under the hoods and next to our homes to produce the power we use.
Those zerk fittings make me happy. No BS trying to get them to take grease. The tiny pieces of crap we use today were meant to fail. The old saying, "They don't make em like they used to." is in full evidence here. Great video.
Fascinating video. I remember so well when two of us were sneaking into a local goods yard through a broken fence deep amongst a huge area of terrible stinging nettles in the UK and then after getting to know the workers we eventually were having tin mugs full of piping hot strong tea and condensed milk (very different to what I was used to) in their sheds and talking about trains to the tough guys that worked there and after many weeks we finally watched and sort of helped two guys firing up and then having a short ride up and down on a shunting train when I was 12 years old, over 63 years ago. I can still remember that unique smell of smoke, engine oil smell of steam, coal dust, orangey water and other unique aromas that a 12 year old train fanatic loved. This video brought back memories of that time and all the steam engines coming and going that my friend and I used to love to watch and then underline their numbers in special train spotting books. We’d either cycle over 10 miles here and there, or take a cheap ticket train journey to distant main London stations for a day and buy platform tickets so we could talk to the engine drivers and see the big engines up close . The great time I had hurtling along in a first class carriage when I was 10 from London to The north with my nanna started it all as I watched the huge engine pulling us.
I'm going to tell you steam engine lovers experience of riding these big machined not quite often during my employment from 1971 to 1975 as goods guard in Pakistan (Rawalpindi). I'm friendly to driver as in chilly Winter it feels good to ride with driver and enjoy the nicely brewed tea prepared by fireman. Though it's not legal to leave the brake van but hey who cares in 3rd world country. Thank Allah that I was not riding one of the CWD which collided with another head on killing one driver and vansorter I visited the scenes because I worked the relief train guard . While my driving back home town Pesadina, Texas on highway 6, I stopped at the sight of semaphore signal and approached the owner of the property who was up on a ladder Just to share my unbelievable experience Now I am elder and retired and love watching vlogs of trains Jamil Hussain Dina Jhelum Pakistan 11th, April 2023
Amazing job, we are all glad someone took the time to train you on every aspect of running this train. It shows in your confidence. Thanks for posting.
A locomotive “engineer” is a legacy title. They are mechanics and operators in one. He couldn’t calculate the Specific Entropy of the system he is operating.
aleksander suur You couldn’t be “more” wrong. An engineer is; a professional (degreed) individual who invents, designs, analyzes, builds, and tests machines, systems, and structures. NOT someone shoveling coal into a furnace, lol!
Very impressive, You are indeed one of a kind skilled personnel.. Shows how much you care of your machine. Thanks for your presentation. Enjoyed watching.
This is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a long time. When people used their brains and built these incredible machines I envy this Young Man as he has the knowledge that no two bit nitwit pea brain will ever imagine to have in his life other than getting a high score on a video game. This Young man maintaining this mechanical marvel should be well rewarded for keeping a very essential piece of history alive. You can tell with every maintenance obligation he has pride and is thinking about every single thing he is doing for that engine. Thank You Young Man for your caring and emotions for the work you do to keep these machines running flawlessly. And what gives me Goose Bumps is the different whistle blow signals. It's like the engine is speaking, asking and telling you what you he wants to do next.
The "slow fire" is pretty normal for coal. It doesn't burn like wood, and it's not under heavy draft while the loco isn't moving. What you are seeing is gases outgassing from the coal, and burning in the air above it. When in motion, there is a much heavier draft, and these gases are drawn up faster and further and combusted in the combustion chamber and firetubes. When the fire is cool and not under draft, a lot of the gases don't ignite at all, and just go up the chimney, which is a major reason for the thick smoke while the locomotive is getting up steam. Even opening the firebox doors allows a cool blast of air to cool the area over the fire, and a black smoke cloud is released. Another good reason to keep the fire hot, because you are loosing 15-20% of the BTU content of the fuel up the chimney if you don't keep the fire hot enough to fully combust these gases. Anyway, that's what a coal fire under minor draft from below looks like. Nothing abnormal about it. SIde note, I thought it was much better to put on frequent single or double scoops of coal than to shovel big heaps onto the fire like that? That's in normal operation, and maybe it's different, but it seems like you could get the same benefits either way. Apparently putting a bunch of coal on cools the fire down, with the same poor results as described above, so it's best to put a small amount on, give it a few minutes to ignite and heat up, before adding more. Of course, maybe you have a lot of other stuff to do to get ready, so you can't stand there shoveling coal in every 4-5 minutes like you can while under way.
*_New videos are in the works!_*
Sorry it has taken so long, but this has been a very busy year for me so far!
*_An Update:_*
• In January, _The Walt Disney Company_ found me and presented an offer I could not decline to join their roundhouse crew that takes care of the 5 steam locomotives as well as the steamboat at Disneyland.
• The roundhouse at Disneyland is very much so off limits to the public so creating videos there is not permitted (as of right now).
• I travel back home (Colorado) very frequently to help out as well as do contract work with the various railroads in the state (Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Colorado Railroad Museum, etc.).
• During these trips to work on the locomotives out in Colorado, I come up with new ideas for videos and collect all the footage I can to create them.
Thanks for everyone's patience and new videos will be out very soon!
-Jeff Berrier
For more content from me, see my Instagram:
instagram.com/denver_and_rio_grande_western/?hl=en
Or my new FaceBook page:
facebook.com/JeffryPBerrier/
love your content keep up thr amazing work. i find these videos really cool and i have watched this like 30 times
Just found your channel. Congratulations on the new opportunity with Disney. It sounds wonderful. Good luck!
Couple things Im curious about.... The water. How much does it hold, and how often does it need refilled? Also, what about the opposite of this video? haha. Any chance you could show us the process of parking/shutting down one of the locomotives? Just saw your pinned post. Congrats on the new job!
Living the dream of so many already and now you get to work for Disney as well!
You make Disney sound like they are the mob xD
-gets straight to the point
-no clickbait
-no commentary
-no annoying intro
-is actually simple to understand
-steam locomotive
11/10
Yes
I only partly agree with you. Commentaries and music can be nice... if they are of good quality. I actually have a lot of questions that could have been answered in a commentary.
Totally agree with you and the uploader in this beautiful decision
“A manual transmission is the best anti-theft device!”
Railroad technicians: “That’s cute.”
Rose also that line makes no sense in the UK... everyone and their gran can drive manual over here
@@audigex Now get to work on dental care..
@@Ramblequist The UK has better teeth on average then the US
@@Ramblequist No, you're very far off the numbers
diversityuk.org/diversity-in-the-uk/
@George Arndt I thought the Germans were all going green with Greta and electric cars. Go paddle your Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS off the line against a Tesla S, then tell us again how quaint gear shifting is superior.
The most impressive part was how this young engineer looks to be no more than 20... impressive to watch anyone operate one of these, but someone as young as him bring this beast to life and operate it like second nature is unbelievable. Hats off to you, my friend.
I was thinking the same this as I watched it.
@@praisegod287 Right. He's a hostler not an engineer.
best job ever.. it's nice that someone is keeping this kind of technology alive, you never know it might still be needed in the future
@@praisegod287 You'd be suprised, some people are just not cut out for this kinda thing just like how not every person on the tools could do what an engineer does.
very boy's dream
........
to be a man
Thankyou for not adding music. This is the sound we want to hear!
Booop Bap Boop Bucha Bucha! Don't you LOVE the sounds of the Obama Care rap engine?
@@kylehill3643 ?????
there's nothing more than the sounds of the hisssssssssing the chug.. chug..... chugging and the WOOO WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! of a steam locomotive!!! and that's music to my ears
Wuy not or Star trek music 🤣🤣🤣
A little narration could be OK, to explain what he is doing, or why he is doing it, and things to know about each part of the locomotive. He does have some text descriptions added on the screen, but not much detail.
But I do agree that it is much better to hear the locomotive waking up, and sounds of the work without music covering it up.
Really makes you appreciate the lads who Tokyo drifted the polar express
That was a cool scene but it would have fucked that loco up royaly
Tokyo express
You could go ask the nice folks at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso Michigan how well that would have actually worked. They're the caretakers of the real world counterpart to the Polar Express, Pere Marquette #1225. I've stood beside that legendary engine during some routine maintenance.
respect to Tokyo express
Mostly because the wheels can't be braked individually on each side like a car because they are bound together by an axle.
I loved that the engineer was a younger fellow. These things need new recruits to keep the knowledge alive for the next generation to enjoy. My cap is off to the fellow seen doing most of the work in the video here. Thanks for being interested!
lol
+dino brunetti Is this video not from Colorado?
I don't think he pulled out a phone once to check his messages. What a rarity these days. All the old ways will be lost and forgotten in a few more generations.
Chris, Im sure your grandpa was furious to see that people were using railroads to get across the country instead of using the good ol’ wholesome organ trail.
Your comment is completely off topic of what I was stating. Also, please check your spelling. Oregon already has plenty of organ trails.
It's incredible how much engineering goes into these engines. I work at a machine shop specializing in big parts, and last year we spent nine months completely overhauling a White Pass steam locomotive, including boiler, wheels, brakes, steam lines, pistons, all moving parts, the whole works. Gave me a lot more respect for the people that used to make these, especially when you consider the fact it was all done by hand or in a manual machine. Sure made us feel good watching that thing chooch up and down our 300' test track after it was all said and done. Lol the entire town showed up to check it out when we were testing it, we had over 300 people in the parking lot. People do love steam locomotives...
Great video, It's awesome seeing names and functions being put to so many of the parts I helped repair. Lots of the parts we repaired we had no idea what they were, we just knew that they were broken and needed to be fixed. Good stuff.
This arthas to be passed down to younger people or it becomes lost
> Mark Green - I have taken three rides on the WP&YR, never behind a steam locomotive (that's on my bucket list), but I wish to thank you for your effort to keep the WP&YR's steam equipment alive. Steam engines, whether installed in ships or railroad locomotives, are maybe the closest that humans will ever come to creating a machine that feels like a living organism. There is no sound in the world like the music of a steam whistle to make one's blood tingle.
@@laura-ann.0726 haha thanks, its funny you mention the steam whistle since I personally cleaned and polished it lol.
There's pride in your work and the machine in your words , rare these days . My hats off to you sir . 👍
And they did it without computers. Just think about that.
Cowboys were cool to me as a kid... but an engineer was something even cooler.
I have so much respect for my two great grandads, and my grandpa who all worked on the railroad.
One of my great grandpas fired the UP 844.
awesome astronaut he lucky
Early engineers and firemen were like astronauts.
Hell of a man to do that kind of work! 💪
@@davecrupel2817 I never knew him, but he looked real tough. Apparently he never wore anything but overalls 😄
That's awesome. Glad to see another tankwatcher who loves steam locos
You don't start a steam locomotive. You bring it to life!
Yep! WAKING it from a slumber! ^^
25:00
_thumpfssssssss..............thumpfssssssssss_
We got a pulse!
Right! Look at 15:30 ... it's like a heartbeat!!
The same can be said of a Dalek.
yes a steam engine is woke up, you start the fire, but you wake the engine up, and it does indeed creak and stretch as the metal of the engine and all its parts heats up, and it takes time to do its got tons of metal there litteraly, as well as getting all the firebed going it all takes time for optimum performance.
can you heat that boiler up faster sure but you shorten its life and can warp the metal
Looked at the time and thought "37 minutes who the hell wants to watch that" but after I was transfixed for 37 minutes I just wanted more. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Embarrassed to admit exactly the same thing. I probably need therapy to break my machine-porn addiction.
My great great grandfather was an engineer on a steam locomotive. I just spent some quality time going back to his era!
Maryland
I figured, 37 minutes? I'll just skip forward to the good parts. 37 minutes later, and I'm wanting more. Excellent video.
I'm overwhelmed by the attention to detail, the care and, well, there's no other way to put it-- the obvious love for a machine and a trade that I did not expect from someone so young! I'd only expect this sort of knowledge and respect from folks 50+ years older like my dad's dad who did this sort of thing! We've all been blessed by such a terrific, thorough educational video. Thank you for this.
Great to see young guys interested in preserving these. I am old enough to remember when the steam locos were in regular service. You cannot imagine how powerful these were until experiencing them rolling through town, just overwhelming the environment. My father worked locally for Electro-Motive from its very beginning in the 30's in developing and manufacturing the diesels. As always, economics ruled and the steamers faded away. But I can still remember a few in active service as late as the mid 50's.
My grandfather was an engineer on the Milwaukee Santa fey and was young diesel engineer because the senior engineers got all the steam engineer jobs . Come find out years later that the higher electrical generating system gave the engineers heart Attacks .
Now THIS is the type of video I've been looking for for a long time. Informative, entertaining, and most importantly, without the crap music background. I could almost smell the combination of smoke, steam, and grease. LOVE it. Think of all the hundreds of thousands of men who used to do this at the height of the railroad era.
Also, 6 to 7 HOURS to fire it up? WOW.
No, one man is all you need to fire up a steam locomotive. Especially a larger one like this.
The main factor in how long it takes is the capacity of the boiler. It's a lot of water to heat to well over boiling temperature.
EXCELLANT comment!
Samuel Zelter wouldn't it be faster to fill the tank with preheated water ?
Some of the Japanese steam locos are just never put out (Usually ones that run almost every day)
Evert Guzman thats a thought, but it would probably take too much resources and effort to keep that preheated water hot.
This is the kind of video that should be added to all railway museum displays. I had no real idea what it took to start these machines from cold. Even if you chatted with those who operate these trains, you still do not get a clear idea of what it takes to fire these machines up until now! Thank you Jeff.
Beautiful. Steam engines are probably the closest thing humans have made to a living breathing animal. I am sure each engine has it's own characteristics / personality. We usually think of steam trains as old technology and therefore easy but these things are so complicated and takes a lot of understanding to keep one running. Hats off to the people who keep them alive.
That being complicated is most likely the reason that they are not as desirable to the ones who own them. The most complex designs that I have seen are steam, much more goes into making them than most of the things made today.
I think the pipe organ could provide a challenge for that claim (at least the pre-electricity instruments that had to be hand pumped).
@@Paul-gz5dp they have to be complex and engineered right. I mean you are basically just controlling a massive steam boiler. Have you ever seen what a water heater at home does when it bursts? Imagine a failure of one of these.
A steam locomotive IS the closest we have come to creating a living and breathing animal! If you ever get the chance to be close to one, you will understand what I am saying!
MrMaxeemum Why else do you think we called them the Iron Horse.
I was the fireman for 481 in the D&SRR for one summer back in my 20's, Loved every minute of it.
Love the way he uses just the correct amount of torque while working with critical parts. The care and deliberation of his movements show a master craftsman at work.
Thank you for this fascinating video and thank you again to the makers for not polluting the quietness with music.
I was there when they were repairing an old Baldwin. Those guys are volunteers and it is a total labor of love. What they do is amazing.
Great video, no crappy music, good photography, no voice overs, just informative captions. Also, what really impressed me was the young man who so casually went about his business, no hint of any kind of attitude at all. And like others have said, it's great to have younger people skilled and take an interest in this very old technology.
Never realized it took Thomas so long to wake up every day.
Phillip Mulligan when steam locos were in daily use, they were kept hot by a crew member known as the hostler. He did the grading and oiling overnight while feeding the fire and maintaining water level in the boiler. It was far less work and better for the machine to be kept hot unless it needed to be down for major repair or wasn’t going to be used for several days. Also, many of the round houses at larger railroads and facilities had “shop steam” to help warm a boiler up faster then using the circulating pump shown in the beginning of the video.
The smaller trainyard shunter engines are a bit shorter to warm up compared to a full sized engine thanks to having smaller boilers. The oil based engines are even faster still, but not fast enough to beat a diesel engine.
About as long as it takes me.
@@KameraShy lol
Wow stumbled on this video. My Grandfather in the 20's and 30's worked in a very busy station on the east coast and would oil and grease engines as they would come into the station to load and unload passengers. He also became an engineer on the steam engines. Sadly he died before i knew him but I am blown away to see what he did for his life's work.
I was thinking about the same thing. But I knew my “Pop.” After he retired he would talk about all the places he’d been on a train. This gave me a chance to spend some time in his world.
That Young man is so lucky to work with such a Beautiful machine.
and that machine might consider itself so lucky to have someone as meticulous as him that cares so much. Seems as though they were meant for each other.
Brought back memories. Worked as fireman for CPR when I was 19. At that time (1956) about half our power was steam, some hand bombers the rest stoker fired, coal of course. When all steam dissappeared so did I.
As a young man my grampa worked on the trains in North Dakota, then when they got their homesteads up here in Alberta, he ran the steam on the threshing crew. I wish he was here to talk to, and my dad, to see some videos like this one.
Thanks. I was born in 1956. It's neat that there was still some steam going on when I was a kid. It would be fun to talk to you, and learn how to run a locomotive.
My Dad told me they were phased out about 1959. Is this accurate?
There's a neat video on here about the Cnr and the transition from steam to diesel and the public's reaction to the changes
In Germany, we say:
"Wer gut schmiert, der gut fährt!"
"Who lubricates well, drives well!"
Ah, I thought it means: "Where good smears, there good fart"
Also thats what she said ;)
Beast60:
"Anlauf statt Gleitgel!"
"Start instead Lube" :))
Especially after menopause, or just give up!
But that saying usually refers to corruption.
As a retired machine operator, I just adore this video. I do not mind at all; in fact, I LOVE all the priming & preparations necessary to get a machine up & runnin'!
What I really appreciate that this locomotive's output-hot steaming water- is used to clean out systems, clean off the engine (et al), & circulate the different oils throughout the loco's systems. That last is especially terrific.
As for trains themselves, I grew up with my fathers heavy, metal Lionel train set (the original of the 50's), & got to watch him operate it in full action along its tracks & switches, through & past covered bridges, & sheds, rail signs, etc., & the scenery pieces my dad bought separate. I've had a passion for trains ever since. All kinds.
Thank you so much for this video!
Imagine all the work this represents. An engineer in 1900 would have to get up at 4am to have the train ready at 7am. All this work in front, and in the back carriages, ladies in pompous dresses and refined gentlemen. What a time, and I'm pleased to see a guy my age doing this job, it's amazing. Respect bro 😎
Not quite to be fair. When in the Shed it’ll be looked after by a crew the driver and fireman would do his checks and oiling and the fire would have never have gone out so it would be kept ready unless it was in for overhaul
Days when mechanical engineering was on high demand. Royal days of mechanical engineering
Yeah now its programming and logic controllers
Design a mechanical computer/ probe that can work on Venus, if you're looking for somewhere to put some mechanical engineering ideas to good use
20:30 love that sound of the dynamo starting.
Because both of them are Turbines. Small Car Turbochargers sound similar; big ones like in Ship Engine sound like Airlinern Engines.
@@Genius_at_Work some of those ship ones used to be airplane engines.
two specific examples: You'll find some repurposed j47s and j79s in the Marine world. Not as efficient or clean as a more modern engine. But a *hell* of a lot cheaper to purchase and to maintain.
@@davecrupel2817 I meant Turbochargers. And Gas Turbines are way more expensive than Diesel Engines, both to purchase and to run. They are made of higher Quality Alloys to survive the Temperatures involved, are less efficient (as you said) and also require higher Quality Fuel than Diesels. Diesels can run on Bunker Oil but I doubt that's gonna be possible with Gas Turbines. There are even more Problems with Gas Turbines on Ships like a lot of blank Metal on the Inside which is a bad Combination with salty Air or their high Air Consumption which requires much larger Engine Room Ventilation Systems. So Gas Turbines are used only where you need much Power and have very limited Space, which means they are mostly used on Warships and High Speed Crafts and you hardly ever see one somewhere else.
COGAS and COGES are some interesting Concepts though. Gas Turbines are so inefficient (at best 35% Efficiency compared to over 50% on large Two Stroke Marine Diesels) because they lose a lot of Heat over the Exhaust Gas. You can use that to heat a Boiler which in Terms drives Steam Turbines. These and the Gas Turbines can either drive the Propellers directly (COGAS-Combined Gas and Steam) or drive Generators to power both the Propeller Motors and other Electric Consumers (COGES-Combined Gas and Steam Electric). This Principle has been used in Powerplants since Decades and a few Times onboard Ships. Total Efficiency currently is at about 45-50% but with much lower Emissions thanks to the continuous Combustion in the Turbines rather than intermitting like in Diesel Engines. Given that Bunker Fuel is becoming less attractive due to stricter Sulphur and Emissions Regulations and LNG is used more and more these two Concepts may become more important in the Future.
I had no clue a steam engine like this had a generator that actually produced electricity for the lights and such. Such an amazing video!!!
@@maiy8786 In XIX century they actually did
How did you think they powered all the lights on the locomotive and the train? They stopped using kerosene lamps at the start of the 20th century. A car has an alternator, even a diesel vehicle. So why wouldn't a steam locomotive?
Early cars did have gas lamps, so it would make sense to think trains which came before them did as well.
During the last few year os steam locomotives, a used steam to produce electricity and use the electricity to run (similar to how diesel electric locomotives run).
It is obvious when you think about it, but like you I never stopped to think. LOL.
Wow, that's really fascinating, I'm so glad there are still people maintaining the knowledge and skills to keep these running.
I have wanted all my life to see how these old engines run and came across this video which showed it all, the prep, firing up and the care that goes into these engines. Thanks for posting this as it made my day. P.s. now to drive one, that'll really make my day!
I guess you dont have to worry about someone stealing one of these.
tow it with your own locomotive... duh
To Get it hot faster use doc browns presto logs lol
Gone in 37 minutes
welll they just showed you how to start the thing
Lmao
Such a beautiful engine. I love steam, clockwork, old cars and bikes, guns etc. Precision and large-scale engineering always makes me happy.
Sounds like you're my kind of guy! Steam and clockworks always catch my eye!
Who in the world is this amazing young man? The way he operates the beast shows he has been doing that for a long time. Love to see such responsible young people.
This young boy not only starts a giant of steel but also makes us relive a now distant past in which people lived by simple things obtained with much effort and therefore more appreciated.
14 thumbs down??? Must not be addicted to steam. This is certainly one of the best steam locomotive videos on youtube, thank you for an outstanding job.
I have no idea why anyone would give this a thumbs down even if you prefer diesels.
Paul Bookbinder thumb people thumbs down if they don't find it intretresting to them or just to be mean not that they hate it or find it stupid I think it also keeps things like it out of their suggestion box
I'm not a fan of steam, locomotives or trains at all but this was a great video. Steam locomotives are marvellous machines, truly one of the finest inventions.
Paul Bookbinder 14 horrifying kid's videos youtubers,probably
....but does it come with an owners manual? Seriously, this is such a well shot and produced video. I look at one rivet on the engine and wonder who were the metallurgists that evaluated those. Then I look at what they hold together and wonder who the engineers were that could design such a magnificent machine as this example with no computers....no calculator...and in many cases pre-date the slip stick. And then the answers come to me and it is simply that they were men of brilliance. Thank you so much for providing the video when there is so much "crap" on RUclips.
They were Engineers.
Aliens.. It`s aliens ;)
I suspect they also over-engineered things when in doubt, which might partlybe responsible for these things still being around after all these years. :-)
And also partly responsible for why there aren't any steam-powered aircraft! ;-)
Pretty sure they did not draw everything up to the very last detail. Superstructure, major components, precise fits, what connects where etc certainly, but not minor details. Much of it is craftsman judgement, fitting things together however they happened to fit etc. I bet every engine is somewhat different.
Even today, for low volume production, cable routing and such minor details are left up to manufacturing. For more demanding designs, certainly you get pegboards for wiring harnesses, detailed procedures for every last operation and all the documentation, but where it doesn't, you get a schematic and a bill of materials and that's it. Figure the rest out on your own. All the parts come from CAD-s of course, but how it all goes together is generally not precisely engineered unless it must be.
Hi, thank you for this video, I grew up around steam locomotives my Dad worked as Guard on a narrow gauge rail way, I used to go and watch them get the locomotive ready. All the things you did in the video I used to see as a kid. I really really enjoyed watching every aspect of the firing up the greasing and the oiling. Great work and please keep the video's rolling. Regards and Thanks.
Glad to see a video showcasing operating these trains. The technologies of the industrial revolution is from a time where we no longer even see nowadays. To be able to see this train in action in the century is a reminder of how it used to be back then. Little did I realize there was so much preparation in order to operate a train.
Amazing video! Every step shown in 30 or so minutes when it prolly took this guy a total of 6 hours to get the steam built up. Very good editing and didnt ruin it with music just the sounds of steam!!! Would love to do this job! Very mechanical.
Forget AI, forget all the "auto" crap in the world! This is awesome! What an enormous learning film! I'm impressed by the amount of work and time it takes to move these beautiful parts of history.
I love these old machines. They're just engineering marvels.
I love it’s a pure mechanical
Beauty and best part is when u here the noise of the steam engine.. the rythem from steam.. no modren engines can replace the noise part. And the looks or the appearance of the engine remembers our childhood.. in todays technology everything lies in our tip of our fingers push a button engine starts.. not much of efforts were needed, but today technology has improved.. but how far ever we grow.. nothing can replace the old once.. by another 100 year i dont the weather those generation people would lively get to see such beautiful steam engine... By their time our current technology would be a showcase.. so i thank the team for demonstrating practically the effors.... Plz preserve for another 10 decades.. hopefully...
Thankyou all..
Railroad: So you’d like to be a steam train engineer?
Applicant: Yes
Railroad: How’s your cardio?
Applicant: enough.
Applicant:
"It's versatile."
And your sock drawer?
@@craftpaint1644 wtf. go away weirdo
There's a lot more to firing up a cold locomotive than I would have imagined. Thanks for sharing.
Fascinating video. 99% of us have no idea how much detail is involved in getting one of these beautiful beasts up and running. So if I understand you correctly, if you have a 7 AM excursion run, you need to start this process around midnight.
You look like you are very dedicated to your work and I sense that there is a great deal of enjoyment to it for you, despite it being a long and tedious process.
Edward Hara Typically, we try to have the locomotive steamed up and serviced the day before we have to run so it only takes around 3 - 4 hours to steam back up the next day since it is already hot. And thank you! I do very much enjoy working on the old ladies.
There's more to it than I realized.
It’s amazing how these incredibly complex machines were made to run so smoothly. The fact that this technology could reliably travel at speeds upwards of 100 mph is a testament to the talented people who designed, built, drove, and maintained them.
By the time you get rolling, you forget where you were going.
That's why they put it on rails.
That's why those went hundreds of kilometres at once, and hauled a metric shit ton of cargo/passangers
@@KarolOfGutovo passengers*
Wouldn’t it be....cheaper to never turn these engines off? Obviously this is a rare case but back when these things were a hit, did they actually let the engine go cold back at the train yard?
That's what my uncle would have said or where were you going when I seen you comming back
Watching this whole process is absolutely incredible.
Going from a cold, dead piece of metal to a living breathing monster. Best description I ever heard of waking up a steam engine!
This caught my eye since my grandfather worked for and retired from the B&O.
The video makes it evident that, in it's day the complexity of a locomotive was equivalent to the jet plane of today. In ways, the guy operating the locomotive wasn't called an "engineer" for nothing. It was complicated, powerful, and hazardous. Jeff, thanks for showing us that the care and feeding of these legendary machines is an art form.
Looks like the engines are in good hands!
Steam locomotive.... The only man made machine with a heart♥️
I beg to differ , Steam Cranes , Traction Engines, Steam Shovels, :)
Steam nuclear plants?
And lungs, and a stomach.
@@KeplersConjecture well it isn't man made, is it?
@@therealKJMD to be fair you need a man and a woman to create life so yes, manmade.
Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS is the industrial revolution.
Yup. They had horses/mules/oxen and wagons before this. This is state-of-the-art way back when. The Oregon Trail took 4-6 months of hot, dry, bumpy, hard living. But by 1857, you could make it in 4 weeks in relative style on a train.
@@ljprep6250: While you're right about this being state-of-the-art, you're off on some "timely" facts:
You could travel to Texas in 1845, if the rails could take you where you wanted -- using the Classic American 4-4-0 as the locomotive.
Second: The Transcontinental Railroad, completed by the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads, did not happen until Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869. Fun fact 1: The Union Pacific laid ten miles of rail a day, during the tracklaying phase. Fun fact 2: The Union Pacific is the only original railroad left in the United States, having never been merged into a larger company. Fun fact 3: The Union Pacific, through it's Steam Locomotive program, maintains the largest steam locomotive still running in the world: Big Boy engine #3985, a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.
Nobody expects the industrial revolution!
@@isaiahwelch8066 how do u know all this?
@@subscribeorsus6862 : Because back when I was younger, I was a huge rail buff, as well as someone fascinated by history. Point in fact, for Christmas, my mom gave me a coffee mug that, ironically, has facts about the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.
Funny enough, there is a story about Engine #3985, that happened about 25-30 years ago. The story is, that 3985 had finished pulling an excursion train, which included two tenders of coal and water. Ahead of her was a mixed freight that had three DD40-AX diesel locomotives at the head. The issue was, this freight train had become stuck, attempting to crest a hill in Wyoming. Well, 3985 heard, over the radio, that this diesel crew was unsure about what to do -- and given that a helper pair of locos out of Cheyenne would have taken over 90 minutes to reach them, Engine 3985 decided to help. Linking up at the back of the freight train, 3985 then began to push -- and to spite that it had passenger cars attached, was able to get the freight over the hill. The freight crew, feeling their train start to move, didn't know 3985 had hooked up to them. At the end of the day, they were extremely grateful that 3985 had come to the rescue. And every time I tell this story, I damned near shed a tear, because I've always been a huge fan of the "Iron Horse" and what those marvels of machine can do. And 3985 proved that day that steam is still, even in modern times, capable of doing what it was designed to do, to spite how old the technology is. Just because how old something is, doesn't mean it isn't still useful.
no wonder the railroads couldn't get rid of these type engines fast enough! The complexity and skills needed must have been in demand. Nice to see the young man doing such a loving job, he's easy on the eye too!
Офарин бар инжинерхои ки дар асрхои гузашта ин конструкция ва технология хоро ихтирок карда мехнати халки дехконро осон кардаанд офарин ба шумо.
If more people watched this, they wouldn't be complaining when their flight or train was an hour late. It used to take the better part of a day only to start the damn locomotive back in the day. Jeff here takes 6-7 hours to start it up with modern tools. They didn't have these back then. In any event... awesome video!
True, but in everyday operation (running a line), were they kept running or did they shut down at night?
I thought, this is going to be boring !!! I had no idea how fascinating steam could be. Thanks for making this video, well done 👍👍
I can’t believe the complexity of these old contraptions. Amazing engineering.
Gives me a newfound appreciation for just all the work it took to maintain and cold start a steam locomotive. One of the best videos I have ever seen. Thankyou for giving us a rare glimpse into history.
That's a lost art. I'm glad we have younger generation interested in this type of stuff. I love visiting locomotive museums and things like that.
Thanks Jeff! I was never fascinated by steam locomotives until now. You made the whole process look like 2nd nature, but wow! After seeing your comment about a 6 hour process, this would be my favorite reason to get up at 2 am. I hope you enjoy doing this as much as I enjoyed watching.
This video really explains why so many heritage trains are switching over to diesels. Very few still use steam, and its usually only occasionally. The time required is much more then I realized.
Time and knowledge!
I have no idea where you are talking about, but it's certainly not the UK! Steam is the point of most UK heritage lines - without steam, where's the heritage?. And I say this as a volunteer driver who has been working with steam since I was 14.
I agree, its pretty sad. But at least over here, more and more heritage lines are switching to diesel, with special "steam" days for occational use.
A fascinating video!!! I have wondered how they got the engines ready for Service. I can only imagine how mush more time would be required to fire up a ‘Big Boy!’
It’s too bad the ‘ACE 3000’ project didn’t get a few prototypes built. It would very interesting to see what would have changed in firing up a ‘modern’ steam locomotive. How much automation and reduction in steps might have been possible....
@stratman323
"....but it's certainly not the UK" !Sure not. WOW. You did realize that?
Whithout looking at the writings and numbers one can clearly see: A cowcatcher and Counterweights outside the frame and wheels - this must be american, and a narrow gauge at that - a bigger one than many british standard locomotives for sure.
This can only be some D&RGW, and - no wonder about this - one can find some writings on this loco in the video, stating, it is #491, a K-37 of the D&RGW.......
British steam isnt by far all about heritage. Some diesels and electric are older than some steamers and also belong to the heritage. And tell me, what has a loco named "Tornado" to do with heritage being a newly build one??
There's so much skill and love in every rivet of that locomotive, the only reason she still lives today is men like yourself who have so much pride in their work
"Hey, can you move your vehicle up a few feet? I can't get my car out."
And yeah i can, do you have about 6-7 hours to wait?
"We'll be out of the way first thing tommorow
...
...
...
...
Evening!"
Its like starting Octavia 1.9 TDi
Gbbvafvhjj
shahhahahahafgasga
😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
😂
One of the best railroad videos on RUclips. Thank you for the details as this is the type of stuff that really interests me. You have given everyone a great gift by documenting this. Thank you!
William Haley
K05 T4R You are correct, sir. The firebox is considered a reducing atmosphere, and the fire burns out all impurities in the coal. What's left is coke.
KO5 T4R One of the reasons the smoke is yellow is due to Bitumen...coal tar...which is being driven out of coal on a newly laid fire. It's a temporary condition and is produced when fresh coal is added to the existing fire. As the newly added coal heats up but before it is hot enough to properly catch fire the bituminous content starts to be driven out and is carried unburned through to the funnel. As the fire becomes more intense the new fuel catches fire more readily so the bitumen content is consumed well before it reaches the funnel so it is merely a brief effect. You could also see this effect on domestic open coal fires that have just been replenished. Incidentally, it is the bitumen content that makes coal a fuel.
The unsung hero's that work all night to ensure the locomotive is ready for her morning train. Thank you . great video!
Man....your young...keep it alive!!!!..pass it on for other to learn and love.... nothin stirs my soul like the sound of a steam engine whistle
Xxxxxxxxx
Thank You for an incredible video!! I got to show this to a really neat old neighbor who ran these babies for decades. He only retired from paid, then volunteer engineering 6 years ago at age 90.
9:35 the fire seems so calm and chilled
just another lazy day at work....
26:30 check that out
@@erwinschrodinger6407 and that, ladys and gentleman, is what we call: the hell
@@1KiiLLaZ1 ความ
what i really like, electricity is only used to light up some thing. The rest, all mechanical or steam, or a combination. Love it!
26:27 So that's where Star Wars got their door opening techniques from lol
This is something that I have wanted to know how was done for like 15 year or more...
Thank you for posting this! Instant sub and thumps brah!
Me too, but I can't believe that this was done every time an engine was needed.
PotholesInMyLawn seccosibnei
Same here. This was perfect!
Lol
Shut up idiot stop telling people to subscribe it's just the video you watch it you click out you're done. But thank you very much to the video maker for not putting music in it. thank you so much and it's appreciated.
Amazing video!
Marty: Is it possible to get it up to 90?
Engineer: Laughing. 90? Tarnations, son, why'd ya ever be in such a hurry?
Doc: Well, it's just a little bet that he and I have, that's all. Theoretically speaking, could it be done?
Engineer: Well, I suppose if you had a straight stretch of track with a long level grade, and you weren't hauling no cars behind you...and if you could get the fire hot enough...I mean hotter than the blazes of hell and tarnations...well yes, you might be able get her up that fast.
British engineer: well we have a train 🚂 that gets up to 125.
Marty: all right! What do you call it?
British engineer: we call it the mallard 🦆. It could hit 100 💯. Even while pulling cars 🚙.
Doc: that’s great 😃 thank you 🙏🏼!
British engineer: your welcome 🙏🏼.
The flying scotsman has a top speed of 100mph so ye is possible
The best part about British locomotives is that they look rather unique, especially in regards to their liveries. American locomotives more or less look the same with a few exceptions.
The locomotive in this video can only get up to 35 mph before a dangerous swaying motion starts. If it weren't for that, you could determine her max speed based on the diameter of her driving wheels. This locomotive wasn't built for speed anyway, but rather for the strength to haul heavy freight trains on the steep D&RGW Narrow Gauge system.
@@e-mananimates2274 let's just agree that out ancestors made some beautiful fucking machines. God rest their soul's.
Due to its nature this absolute beast will never stay clean, but that’s what makes it full of romance. This dude has such a valuable skill and I hope he passes on to more people
DR Frankenstein never got as close to creating life as this young man!
Who do I have to kill to get his job?
@@roadmasterz excuse me what
@@justdont3998 it's a joke/sarcasm
mclazers
Wow!!! Just Wow!!!
Having been to the Colorado Railroad Museum many times, I and my kids have probably been pulled around the tracks by this very locomotive quite a few times times.
Since the museum only does a live steam day for one weekend every several months, I'm humbled and inspired by the herculean effort it takes to pull these steam-ups off! Hats off to everyone who makes this happen!
Man, you preparing and starting this Steam locomotive, I must say, you are the salt of the earth!
Who in their right mind would thumbs down a video like this? Reasons escape me.
Well, you know those diesel/electric locomotive people. The rivalry is intense. 😉
Yep
Modern people who don't understand beautiful old machines.
So right. The inability to watch this and peek back into a time that was different, that required true journey/master-level trade experience without reliance upon AI or computer control, is telling. Only an imbecile would disapprove of an opportunity such as this (a well-made video without agenda, unimaginative narration, and soulless music).
The people who inventid this machines where true genius and the groundlayers for all modern technic,all respect to them.
You are one fortune young dude to have the opportunity (and job) to fire such a machine.
i wonder if in 150 years there will be a video about how to fire up a car with a petrol engine :D
internal combustion engines will still be around and commonly used in 150 years. Don't think that ICE won't keep getting better like everything else.
In the future ICE technology might be so great we all have our own mini power plants that are just as efficient as the big ones but require far less maintenance and thus eliminate the grid entirely. Same engine under the hoods and next to our homes to produce the power we use.
Within 150 years everything is stopped, destroyed by nature…. Maybe???
törment to vffrrr
What, you never watched 'Cold Start' video's before?
Those zerk fittings make me happy. No BS trying to get them to take grease. The tiny pieces of crap we use today were meant to fail. The old saying, "They don't make em like they used to." is in full evidence here. Great video.
Thank you, for sharing this piece of history with us.
Cheers from Denmark
Fantastic video enjoyed it very much and thank you for NOT using, time lapse, fast forward and music.
Kroghs Machine shop I hate stupid music in the background
My Dad was a loco fireman back in his days. Now I know what he did every day.
Fascinating video. I remember so well when two of us were sneaking into a local goods yard through a broken fence deep amongst a huge area of terrible stinging nettles in the UK and then after getting to know the workers we eventually were having tin mugs full of piping hot strong tea and condensed milk (very different to what I was used to) in their sheds and talking about trains to the tough guys that worked there and after many weeks we finally watched and sort of helped two guys firing up and then having a short ride up and down on a shunting train when I was 12 years old, over 63 years ago. I can still remember that unique smell of smoke, engine oil smell of steam, coal dust, orangey water and other unique aromas that a 12 year old train fanatic loved. This video brought back memories of that time and all the steam engines coming and going that my friend and I used to love to watch and then underline their numbers in special train spotting books. We’d either cycle over 10 miles here and there, or take a cheap ticket train journey to distant main London stations for a day and buy platform tickets so we could talk to the engine drivers and see the big engines up close . The great time I had hurtling along in a first class carriage when I was 10 from London to The north with my nanna started it all as I watched the huge engine pulling us.
I'm going to tell you steam engine lovers experience of riding these big machined not quite often during my employment from 1971 to 1975
as goods guard in Pakistan (Rawalpindi). I'm friendly to driver as in chilly Winter it feels good to ride with driver and enjoy the nicely brewed tea prepared by fireman. Though it's not legal to leave the brake van but hey who cares in 3rd world country.
Thank Allah that I was not riding one of the CWD which collided with another head on killing one driver and vansorter
I visited the scenes because I worked the relief train guard . While my driving back home town Pesadina, Texas on highway 6, I stopped at the sight of semaphore signal and approached the owner of the property who was up on a ladder
Just to share my unbelievable experience
Now I am elder and retired and love watching vlogs of trains
Jamil Hussain Dina Jhelum Pakistan 11th, April 2023
The locomotive itself IS the anti-theft device.
Don't want your car stolen chain it to anti theft train
If nothing else, then when that *dynamo* starts spinning, everyone within 1/2 mile will know something's up.
Don't want your car stolen? Convert it to steam power!
@@josephrutha1060 like this!
ruclips.net/video/rUg_ukBwsyo/видео.html
@@Justsomedude2004 or just drive a manual transmission xD
Almost as complex as getting my wife in the mood.
Now that's funny, I don't care who you are. If your a guy and married I dare you not to crack a smile.
Brilliant
youre doin it wrong....
I'd rather fire the locomotive...
LOL
As a retired Boiler Technician from the Navy... this was Very Entertaining!
Amazing job, we are all glad someone took the time to train you on every aspect of running this train. It shows in your confidence. Thanks for posting.
I always wondered why they referred to the "operator" as engineer. Now I clearly see why... still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor... 💗
I never really stopped to think that a steam [oco carries a generator to provide electricity for the trains lighting.
That's the original meaning.
Engineer is literally "one who works with engines", originally siege engines at that, catapults, wheeled battering rams and such.
A locomotive “engineer” is a legacy title. They are mechanics and operators in one. He couldn’t calculate the Specific Entropy of the system he is operating.
aleksander suur You couldn’t be “more” wrong. An engineer is; a professional (degreed) individual who invents, designs, analyzes, builds, and tests machines, systems, and structures. NOT someone shoveling coal into a furnace, lol!
No wonder they went to diesel! Still, the wow factor is high!
ltcajh Diesels may not have quite as much plumbing, but they do have a lot of heavy gauge wiring in them.
@@michaelmurray11189 wiring, believe it or not, is easier to manage than plumbing. Less to worry about.
Very impressive, You are indeed one of a kind skilled personnel.. Shows how much you care of your machine. Thanks for your presentation. Enjoyed watching.
This is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a long time. When people used their brains and built these incredible machines
I envy this Young Man as he has the knowledge that no two bit nitwit pea brain will ever imagine to have in his life other than getting a high score on a video game. This Young man maintaining this mechanical marvel should be well rewarded for keeping a very essential piece of history alive. You can tell with every maintenance obligation he has pride and is thinking about every single thing he is doing for that engine.
Thank You Young Man for your caring and emotions for the work you do to keep these machines running flawlessly.
And what gives me Goose Bumps is the different whistle blow signals. It's like the engine is speaking, asking and telling you what you he wants to do next.
The "slow fire" is pretty normal for coal. It doesn't burn like wood, and it's not under heavy draft while the loco isn't moving. What you are seeing is gases outgassing from the coal, and burning in the air above it. When in motion, there is a much heavier draft, and these gases are drawn up faster and further and combusted in the combustion chamber and firetubes. When the fire is cool and not under draft, a lot of the gases don't ignite at all, and just go up the chimney, which is a major reason for the thick smoke while the locomotive is getting up steam. Even opening the firebox doors allows a cool blast of air to cool the area over the fire, and a black smoke cloud is released. Another good reason to keep the fire hot, because you are loosing 15-20% of the BTU content of the fuel up the chimney if you don't keep the fire hot enough to fully combust these gases. Anyway, that's what a coal fire under minor draft from below looks like. Nothing abnormal about it.
SIde note, I thought it was much better to put on frequent single or double scoops of coal than to shovel big heaps onto the fire like that? That's in normal operation, and maybe it's different, but it seems like you could get the same benefits either way. Apparently putting a bunch of coal on cools the fire down, with the same poor results as described above, so it's best to put a small amount on, give it a few minutes to ignite and heat up, before adding more. Of course, maybe you have a lot of other stuff to do to get ready, so you can't stand there shoveling coal in every 4-5 minutes like you can while under way.
Holy Christ balls that’s a long comment.
Awesome Galore *Holy Christ Balls* Lmao. I Love Humanity.
Reminds me of booting widows 95
Shout out to Winblows 3.11 Workgroup clique!!!
Ha
It’s more like windows vista
Yeah .it was such a pain pressing the button...
Does no one remember CP/M, before hard drives? Osborne 1 rules!
Very impressive! So much work is involved. Love that a young person is caring for this locomotive ❤️
That guy looks so young and yet so experienced.
Really enjoyed this video .
Straight into my favourites.
Thanks for sharing