Big Boy at Steamtown
My dad and I went to Steamtown USA in Scranton, PA to see the #4014 Big Boy steam engine. It’s the biggest, most powerful steam engine in the world. It has stopped in Steamtown USA for some maintenance before it heads to Philadelphia for the July 4th celebration. It will be the 250th anniversary of the formation of the United States!
Steam engines 4014 and its sibling 4012
The engine was huge! There were two workers performing some maintenance while we were there. The Big Boy made the workers and the ladder next to the train look tiny.
Maintenance of the Big Boy
There are actually two engines that each push 8 drive wheels. The total power output is over 7000 horsepower. The engine weighs 600 tons.
The front engine and three of the drive wheels
The rear engine that pushes the left rear four drive wheels
It’s really mind boggling to think about the forces involved in driving these wheels with superheated steam pushing on a double acting piston.
4 out of the 16 drive wheels.
The big boy with “America’s 250th” regalia
