Message Areas - "Largest locomotive EVER?"

Train-Sim.Com Message Areas

"Largest locomotive EVER?"

Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
Previous Topic | Next Topic Conferences General (Protected) Original message
AggieTrainEngineer (12 posts)
Aug-28-01, 10:35 AM (EST) "Largest locomotive EVER?" Does anyone know what the largest locomotive EVER is/was? I'm looking for 3 categories:1. HP
2. Length
3. WeightAlso, this includes locos from all around the world. Thanks! Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Table of Contents

Subject Author Message Date ID RE: Largest locomotive EVER? fhornuk Aug-28-01 1 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Kuchinator Aug-28-01 2 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? tryagin Aug-28-01 4 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-30-01 17 There was a steam engine JMB Aug-28-01 3 RE: There was a steam engine milwaukeefan Aug-28-01 5 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Matt Vince Aug-28-01 6 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? derekmorton Aug-28-01 7 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? derekmorton Aug-28-01 8 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Gixxer86g Aug-28-01 9 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? milwaukeefan Aug-28-01 10 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? jerseycentral Aug-28-01 11 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? derekmorton Aug-28-01 12 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? 525cj Aug-29-01 13 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? 525cj Aug-29-01 14 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-30-01 16 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-30-01 18 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? icsd20 Aug-31-01 22 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? BillKunert Aug-29-01 15 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? ferroequine Aug-30-01 19 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? sniper297 Aug-30-01 20 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Walt Aug-30-01 21 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-31-01 23 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Walt Aug-31-01 24 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-31-01 25 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Walt Aug-31-01 26 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-31-01 27 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? Walt Aug-31-01 28 RE: Largest locomotive EVER? cjmaclean Aug-31-01 29

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic
Messages in this topic
fhornuk (31 posts)
Aug-28-01, 10:46 AM (EST) 1. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Unfortunately I don't know any of its vital statistics but I believe that the Russian State Railways built a massive 4 - 14 - 4 steam loco with a 6 axle tender (2 6 whel bogies) in the mid 1930s. Probably not the largest loco ever built but it must have been an impressive sight!Cheers,Bill Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Kuchinator (40 posts)
Aug-28-01, 11:57 AM (EST) 2. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" they got an old tea kettle loco at steamtown in scranton PA which they claim to be the largest ever. its HUGE, itsa Union Pacific and they say it weighs a million pounds. thats all i can remember about it. im sure there is info on the net about it. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
tryagin (118 posts)
Aug-28-01, 12:26 PM (EST) 4. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" I've NEVER heard the Big Boy called a "Tea Kettle"--The image doesn't jibe. These engines were huge! 4-8-8-4 pulling a 10-axle Centipede tender. And then the Duluth,Missabe & Iron Range had 2-8-8-4's that could pull about a million ore jimmies!(well, close anyway)Love to talk trains,Tim
Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-30-01, 04:54 AM (EST) 17. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Here's two photos of the Soviet monster loco you mentioned. This was the class AA-20 ("AA" meaning Aleksandr Andreyev, a leading revolutionary). Built in 1935, she was a "one-machine class" only, though, because in operation several serious flaws became obvious. For one, she was simply too long for the rail yards and turntables of her time, and she also had severe curve-running problems - because she had a RIGID frame and was NOT articulated!As for her size, she was some 33.73 meters long and boasted a maximum of 3,700 hp. Maximum speed was 44 mph (70 kph).(linked from www.skyrocket.de/locomotive)D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
JMB (8 posts)
Aug-28-01, 12:24 PM (EST) 3. "There was a steam engine" that had 3 sets of drivers the third set of drivers were under the tender. It was like a 2-8-8-8-4 or a 4-8-8-8-4. I seen a brass engine that was said to be modeled after the prototype. The description said that only a few of these engines were built and they were not used for long due to the amount of coal they used and the length of the loco. Must of have a he11 of time trying to find a turn table big enough. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
milwaukeefan (232 posts)
Aug-28-01, 04:46 PM (EST) 5. "RE: There was a steam engine" they were 2-8-8-4s and a 2-8-8-2 for the Virginian. the others were 3 for the Erie, and they were but in the teens. They had the 3rd set of drivers under the tender, along with the trailing truck. There main problem ( had many) was that the boiler was WAY to small- it had a boiler about half the size it shouldve. plus the steam was reused to much- it went through all the cylinders on the left side ( 3! ) and THEN over to the 3rd cylinder on the right! thats four cylinders, while the other sides steam only had to go through 2, so there was some severe problems with the sides having an equal amount of force Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Matt Vince (25 posts)
Aug-28-01, 05:11 PM (EST) 6. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" I don't know about steam locos, but the most powerful electric loco in current service is MTAB's IORE double unit loco. It produces about 15500hp and they're up in Sweden.See http://hem.passagen.se/plf66/typer-sv/mtab-iore-ram.htmlThe largest diesel loco - now thats a different story. Is it a single engine loco? or do double diesels (eg DD40X) count. I think the largest single engine production loco is EMDs SD90MAC, at 6600hp, closely followed by the GE AC6000. There may be double engine units which are more powerful.
Matt Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
derekmorton (91 posts)
Aug-28-01, 06:13 PM (EST) 7. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" The dd40'3 was 6600hp
The sd90mac are 'only' 6000hp Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
derekmorton (91 posts)
Aug-28-01, 06:24 PM (EST) 8. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Try here.http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/largest.htmlDerek tm4@leder.com.au Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Gixxer86g (184 posts)
Aug-28-01, 08:12 PM (EST) 9. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" LAST EDITED ON Aug-28-01 AT 08:14 PM (EST)In the Aug. 1984 issue of Trains magazine there's an article titled "Hitler's Super Railway".The gauge was to be 3 meters.The Big boy could have fit inside one of the passenger coaches.There is a drawing of an 8-8-8+8-8-8 steam engine with 118" drivers.It's over 300ft long! Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
milwaukeefan (232 posts)
Aug-28-01, 09:13 PM (EST) 10. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Yeha that acticle was incredible... the coached were like 3 levels and HUGE! I gone through all trains from 1959 to present, its such a great magazine. Trust me AC6000s and SD90s are both 6000hp and when you here two AC6000s accelate from a stop youll think there alot stronger than SD90s Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
jerseycentral (324 posts)
Aug-28-01, 10:52 PM (EST) 11. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" is that due to a 4-cycle vs. a 2-cycle (is that what the GE is on or is it a 4-cycle also?) Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
derekmorton (91 posts)
Aug-28-01, 10:59 PM (EST) 12. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" The ac6000 is a 4 stroke as wellhttp://www.getransportation.com/general/apps/freight_rail/technology/engines.htmDerek tm4@leder.com.au Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
525cj (51 posts)
Aug-29-01, 01:25 AM (EST) 13. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" >In the Aug. 1984 issue of Trains MagazineDoes anyone know where I might find this issue? I would really like to read this article. I checked Kalmbach Publishing's web site for a back issue, but the Aug 84' issue is not available. Would anyone be interested in selling me a copy?If anyone can help, email me at JUG@P-47.COM
REAL PLANES SPIN PROPS AND DRIP OIL
REAL TRAINS DRINK WATER AND BREATH STEAM CDP Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
525cj (51 posts)
Aug-29-01, 05:10 PM (EST) 14. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" The most powerful (HP) locomotive that I know of is the UP's Gas Turbine engines. They put out around 9500 HP. Above there was a reference to an electric loco that put out 15000 HP. I have never heard of this, or anything like it, but I am sure it is real and I would love to see it.BTW, The 2-8-8-4 mentioned above is called the Allegahney (not sure how it is spelled). REAL PLANES SPIN PROPS AND DRIP OIL
REAL TRAINS DRINK WATER AND BREATH STEAM CDP Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-30-01, 02:26 AM (EST) 16. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Here I have a pic of the IORE, the (obviously) world's most powerful loco to roam the rails at this time. These machines are a joint project of Germany, Switzerland and Italy (I think) and are used on the Swedish iron-ore line from Kiruna to Narvik in Norway, and also from Kiruna to Lulea. Note the automatic couplers between the buffers - these are Russian ones. They chose automatic couplers for those ore trains because they are so heavy, the conventional hook couplings used in Europe wouldn't have been able to withstand the pulling forces. One such ore train can be as much as 80 cars long, each of which weighing over 100 metrical tons! Hope that helps...
D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-30-01, 05:02 AM (EST) 18. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" A follow-up...You can find more info about the Swedish ore railroad here:http://www.mtab.com/mtab_eng/frameset3.html
For some technical data on their rolling stock, click on "Ore Line" to the right, then on "Rolling Stock".And, the IORE's maximum power is 10,800 kW/14,688 hp ...!
D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
icsd20 (10 posts)
Aug-31-01, 07:53 AM (EST) 22. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" I recall the C&O having Allegheny type locomotives, but they were 2-6-6-6s. Not the best picture I've seen. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
BillKunert (64 posts)
Aug-29-01, 06:49 PM (EST) 15. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" LAST EDITED ON Aug-29-01 AT 06:50 PM (EST)This is off the subject but I heard an interesting fact today. A 100 car train only has a total rail contact of 2 square feet. Not much for something weighing about 25 million pounds.
Bill Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
ferroequine (3 posts)
Aug-30-01, 11:24 AM (EST) 19. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" within rail fan circles this surpasses discussions re the meaning of life, the creation of the universe and in MD the best beer to drink while eating hard crabs. The heaviest US steam loco is the 2666 allegheny it is also the most powerful HP wise at 7500.
The big boy is larger size wise by 7ft. the erie triplex previously mentioned has both these beat but was unsuccessful.
next arguement what was is the best loco ever - we all know there is no discussion, it is the GG-1 Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
sniper297 (311 posts)
Aug-30-01, 11:36 AM (EST) 20. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" I'm gonna have to look it up in some of my WW2 books, but the largest ever PLANNED (not built tho, due to unforeseen consequences of invading Poland) was Herr Shicklegruber and his Nazi buddies were gonna make the railroad version of the autobahn, with 15 ft track guage and monster engines and cars. Imagine what a railway gun woulda looked like on that! Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Walt (115 posts)
Aug-30-01, 12:49 PM (EST) 21. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" How about the PRR (US) FF1. That was a 2-C+C-2 jackshaft electric, one of a kind. It was nicknamed "Big Liz" by the railroad men, and was just too powerful for the rolling stock back in 1917. After constantly pulling out couplers, she was assigned to helper duty pushing freights out of Philadelphia's Greenwich yards up the grade to Paoli. Then one day she pushed so hard that cars stared popping out of the middle of the train like toothpicks, and she had so much power that the engineer never noticed until he could see them! Big Liz was given early retirement.HP - 7640
Drivers - 72"
Weight - 516,000 US pounds
Tractive force - 87,200 pounds
Starting tractive force - 140,000 pounds.
Built - 1917 in PRR Juniata shop. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-31-01, 08:50 AM (EST) 23. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" This is the FF-1, right? Hey, would somebody make this one for TS??? I'm curious if I could reproduce those couplers ripping out and the cars popping out of the middle of the train !
However, as we're talking about big electrics anyway, how about somebody doing the Milwaukee Road's EP-2 Bi-Polar??? Ugly as hell from one point of view, but then again, surely a loco with character, eh ("Streamlinin' ??? We don't need no stinkin' streamlinin' !!!) ???

Just some ideas...oof, I guess the Bi-Polar would be a real polygon hog...
D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Walt (115 posts)
Aug-31-01, 09:35 AM (EST) 24. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" LAST EDITED ON Aug-31-01 AT 09:42 AM (EST)That's Big Liz all right. Must be when she was on the way to the scrap pile - note that the drive rods from the jackshafts to the drivers have been removed.The story about the train buckling in the middle is mentioned in two books that I have. One states that the engineer didn't know anything was wrong until he started passing wreckage on both sides of the track, and even then it was several seconds before he realized that his locomotive was the cause. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-31-01, 09:49 AM (EST) 25. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" These disks where the rods connected to the drivers were called "jackshafts"??? Gee, I see...here in Germany we call them (literally translated) "blind shafts".Here's a pic of a German old time electric which I believe is roughly similar to Big Liz. That's our class E 91 (later 191). She was originally used for freight hauling as well, and later relegated to helper duty on mountain grades in Southern Germany. Not too shabby either, I think...however, she had "only" 3,000 hp D.M.
Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Walt (115 posts)
Aug-31-01, 01:26 PM (EST) 26. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" The jackshaft is the idler shaft that transmits the rotary motion of the motor(s) and changes it to horizontal thrust of the driving rods that connect to the driving wheels. On your photo of the German E91 it is clearly visable as a red disk ahead of the driving wheels, on the photo of the PRR F1 you can see the eccentric crank and counterweight ahead of the drivers where the driving rods have been removed.Jackshaft electrics were only popular briefly in the US in the early days of electric loco development, but were quite popular in Europe, especially the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, Austria, Southern Germany and Northern Italy because of the advantages they offered in mountain railroading and heavy snow.As with just about everything, there were advantages and disadvantages to the design vs axle-hung motors.
1. The drive rods linking the wheels prevented individual wheels from slipping if one lost traction. Of course this is of no concern today with anti-slip controls.
2. The design allowed the motor(s) to be mounted in the body of the locomotive. In the early days, horsepower was directly related to motor size, and one or two large motors could produce more horsepower than a group of smaller axle-hung motors that were limited to the space available under the locomotive (the FF1 had four big motors, a pair straddling each jackshaft).
3. The motor(s) and jackshaft could be rigidly mounted to the locomotive frame, with the vertical deflection of the drive wheels taken up by the drive rod.
4. The motor(s) were higher above the ground, and less likely to suck in dirt and snow which create chaos with electric motors.The disadvantages were primarily related to maintenance. First of all, there were the side rods and drive rod bearings to maintain (and a horsepower loss due to friction). Then there was the considerable work of removing the body to change a motor, whereas an axle-hung motor can be changed in a couple of hours without disassembling any other part of the locomotive. Finally there is wear and tear on track and bridges due to the pounding of the drivers, just like a steam loco. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-31-01, 02:22 PM (EST) 27. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Interesting info about those jackshaft electrics. I may sound stupid now, but when you spoke of the FF-1 as a "jackshaft" electric I had assumed "jackshaft" was a nickname of some sorts ...Anyway, here's a photo of the (probably) most famous jackshaft electric, the Swiss Ce (later Be) 6/8...also known as the "Crocodile" . In its original form (they were rebuilt in later years), as seen on this photo, they apparently even had two jackshafts per driver set.
D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Walt (115 posts)
Aug-31-01, 04:21 PM (EST) 28. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" The Swiss Ce is certainly the most famous of the jackshaft electrics, thanks in part to Maerklin's model that has been a best-seller for over 50 years. But PRR also had a "Crocodile", type L-5. PRR's were 2-B+B-2 configuration. The first one had a body very similar to the Swiss Ce, the remaining 28 had higher hoods that were the same height as the cab roof. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
cjmaclean (249 posts)
Aug-31-01, 04:44 PM (EST) 29. "RE: Largest locomotive EVER?" Yeah, Märklin...my model RR was from them as well...I hope I can build a new layout one day...About their HO model, I think I remember that for the "Millennium" they had run a special edition of that model. What was "special" about this one was that the body was made of pure platinum, the wheels and rods from silver, and in place of the head and tail lights it had diamonds and rubies. The price? About $ 30,000 a piece, I think it was. If I consider that they are selling REAL decommissioned GG-1s for less that $ 10,000 now...or so I have read some days ago on this board.D.M. Remove | Alert Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Lock | Archive | Remove

Lobby | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic