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Offline ShannonN  
#1 Posted : 14 January 2020 17:17:22(UTC)
ShannonN

Australia   
Joined: 14/08/2016(UTC)
Posts: 492
Location: Maryborough, Qld
10 Largest Locomotives ever built

"Few machines are as impressive as locomotives, with their sleek appearance and staggering hauling power. Steam-powered locomotives were the first type of locomotives built, ushering in a new industrialized era with promises of more efficient cargo hauling and passenger travel. These locomotives were often extremely durable, with some of them even running to this day.

So just how large can steam locomotives get? There are plenty of different factors that can be taken into account while determining a locomotive’s overall “size,” including everything from length to traction effort and horsepower. Today, however, we’ll be ranking the 10 largest steam locomotives ever built according to their weights in order to see how they compare.



10 Largest Steam Locos
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Offline river6109  
#2 Posted : 15 January 2020 02:57:45(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Apparently the strongest European fast train steam loco was from Austria and produced under license in Rumania.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BB%C3%96_214
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
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Offline H0  
#3 Posted : 15 January 2020 08:55:47(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
The Top 10 list shows the Big Boy as second. I've heard that the Big Boy is not the strongest steam loco, nor the longest or heaviest. Still it is an impressive loco and an impressive model.
Thanks for sharing the list.

Originally Posted by: river6109 Go to Quoted Post
Apparently the strongest European fast train steam loco was from Austria and produced under license in Rumania.
Wikipedia writes they were the strongest of their time. Makes me wonder if there was a stronger one later on.

Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
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Offline ShannonN  
#4 Posted : 15 January 2020 10:07:31(UTC)
ShannonN

Australia   
Joined: 14/08/2016(UTC)
Posts: 492
Location: Maryborough, Qld
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
The Top 10 list shows the Big Boy as second. I've heard that the Big Boy is not the strongest steam loco, nor the longest or heaviest. Still it is an impressive loco and an impressive model.
Thanks for sharing the list.



I think there is always going to be some controversy or debate on many aspects of the biggest, longest most powerful etc. Every country has its favourite locos and wants to promote them all.

Same as the record speeds recorded, some say other trains did 150 mph but was not recorded as a record attempt etc. All the steam era trains are magnificent regardless of position on the worlds best whatever list



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Offline bph  
#5 Posted : 21 January 2020 23:35:01(UTC)
bph

Norway   
Joined: 04/08/2018(UTC)
Posts: 985
Some BIG Russian locomotives are also worth mention

Like the P38 2-8-8-4 (lightweight version of the Yellowstone)


and the class AA20 4-14-4

Note the middle 3 drive wheels are flangeless.

For further reading: 8 of Russia’s strongest, fastest, and biggest steam locomotives



And for narrow gauge, the Henschel 2-8-8-4 is worth mentioned. Henschel built 4 for a Brazilian railway
http://vfco.brazilia.jor.br/vapor/locomotivas/locomotiva-Henschel--2-8-8-4-num-1307-EFCB-Goias.jpg They were the only narrow gauge locomotives of this wheel arrangement. They had the largest boilers ever used on a narrow-gauge Mallet.
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Offline dickinsonj  
#6 Posted : 14 February 2020 01:50:39(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
The Top 10 list shows the Big Boy as second. I've heard that the Big Boy is not the strongest steam loco, nor the longest or heaviest. Still it is an impressive loco and an impressive model.
Thanks for sharing the list.


The Big Boy was one of the most successful large steamers, but not the largest by several measures. The Yellowstones and the Y-Class were massive in both size and power but they were drag locos that pulled long ore/coal trains at very low speeds. Several steam locos made more drawbar HP than the Big Boy and a few were longer, although I would need to do some research to enumerate them.

What is so impressive about the Big Boy is that even with all of that power they were able to safely run up to 130 kph and were capable of occasional operation at even higher speeds. They were normally used to pull long and heavy trains over mountainous terrain at high speeds without a helper. The technology that allowed a large articulated loco to run so fast with good tracking was developed by ALCO and UP with their very successful Challenger. UP then went on to expand on the Challenger concept to create the Big Boy and a shop worker with some chalk made history with his flippant name for this beast.
Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
Offline DaleSchultz  
#7 Posted : 14 February 2020 01:53:38(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
seems to be the biggest US locomotives. Typical.
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
Offline DTaylor91  
#8 Posted : 14 February 2020 04:02:37(UTC)
DTaylor91


Joined: 31/08/2007(UTC)
Posts: 414
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Originally Posted by: DaleSchultz Go to Quoted Post
seems to be the biggest US locomotives. Typical.


I've often wondered though, were US steam locomotives larger in general than most locomotives of the same type used in mainland Europe? Assuming that most of the models I have are at least close to being accurate in scale, the few remaining US steam locos I have are noticeably larger than similar German steam locos I own. For example, the brass Southern Railway (US) Ps-4 I own, which is based on the USRA Heavy Pacific design, is larger in every dimension than my BR-01. My guess is that the tunnels initially dug in Europe were never enlarged over time, and locomotives had to be built to fit, while tunnels are much less common in the US, and those that were built were either dug larger initially or enlarged later.

Maybe one day I'll start another thread, and take some photos...
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Offline jerdenberg  
#9 Posted : 14 February 2020 10:07:19(UTC)
jerdenberg

Netherlands   
Joined: 10/01/2005(UTC)
Posts: 1,011
Location: Den Helder, Noord-Holland
Indeed, most publications explain the size difference between European and US rolling stock by the difference in available space. See the article about loading gauge on Wikipedia.

Jeroen
Figomima division, UP; mostly figment of my imagination yet.
Offline TEEWolf  
#10 Posted : 18 February 2020 01:31:01(UTC)
TEEWolf


Joined: 01/06/2016(UTC)
Posts: 2,465
For me is the biggest loco at this list #10. Exceptional a new class of locos: the electrical steamer!

The Norfolk & Western wh(Y)-class!LOL LOL LOL

https://commons.wikimedi...(1918)_(14778733323).jpg

https://largest.org/technology/steam-locomotives/

Wonderful.
Offline bph  
#11 Posted : 18 February 2020 11:44:08(UTC)
bph

Norway   
Joined: 04/08/2018(UTC)
Posts: 985
Originally Posted by: TEEWolf Go to Quoted Post
For me is the biggest loco at this list #10. Exceptional a new class of locos: the electrical steamer!

The Norfolk & Western wh(Y)-class!LOL LOL LOL

Wonderful.


Its not a new class, the Swiss have actually done it

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/swisselec/swisselc.htm
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/swisselec/swisselec6.jpg

The www.douglas-self.com is actually a quite interesting site, espesially the Unusual Locomotives page
Some examples:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/hex/biggerboy.gif

The only locomotive ever built with non-circular wheels:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/polygon/onward%20polygon.jpg

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/chimney/No50%20crampton.jpg
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