4-8-8-4

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A Big Boy locomotive. This example is Union Pacific 4014. Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming July 2023.png
A Big Boy locomotive. This example is Union Pacific 4014.
4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement WheelArrangement 4-8-8-4.svg
4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement

A 4-8-8-4 in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, is a locomotive with a four-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. Only one model of locomotives has ever used this configuration, and that is commonly known as "Union Pacific Big Boys" after the railroad that operated them. [1]

Other equivalent classifications are:

The equivalent UIC classification is refined to (2′D)D2′ for simple articulated locomotives.

A similar wheel arrangement exists for Garratt locomotives, but is referred to as 4-8-0+0-8-4 since both engine units swivel.

4-8-8-4 Big Boys were only produced for the Union Pacific Railroad. Twenty-five such engines were built between 1941 and 1944, numbered 4000 to 4024. Eight of these locomotives survive, seven of which are on static public display at various sites in the United States. Union Pacific announced plans in August 2013 [2] to restore No. 4014 to operation for use in mainline excursion service. No. 4014 underwent restoration between 2016 and 2019, and completed its first post-restoration test run on May 2, 2019. [3] [4]

The UP Big Boys were an expansion of the 4-6-6-4 "Challenger" type articulated locomotive. Adding four driving wheels increased the pulling power of the locomotive and reduced the need for helper locomotives over steep grades. Although their wheels were an inch (25.4 mm) smaller than those of the Challengers, they were still able to sustain similar high speeds.

Other American railroads considered buying 4-8-8-4s, including the Western Pacific Railroad, which already rostered large 2-8-8-2s and 4-6-6-4s, but diesel locomotives were gaining popularity and soon were able to displace these Big Boy locomotives.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallet locomotive</span> Articulated locomotive with compound steam power

A Mallet locomotive is a type of compound articulated steam locomotive, invented by the Swiss engineer Anatole Mallet (1837–1919).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific Big Boy</span> Type of American simple articulated 4-8-8-4 locomotive

The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whyte notation</span> Code for arrangement of locomotive wheels

The Whyte notation is a classification method for steam locomotives, and some internal combustion locomotives and electric locomotives, by wheel arrangement. It was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte, and came into use in the early twentieth century following a December 1900 editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-8-8-4</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

A 2-8-8-4 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation, has two leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. The type was generally named the Yellowstone, a name given it by the first owner, the Northern Pacific Railway, whose lines ran near Yellowstone National Park. Seventy-two Yellowstone-type locomotives were built for four U.S. railroads.

The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements, sometimes known as the German classification or German system, describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is used in much of the world, notable exceptions being the United Kingdom, which uses a slightly simplified form of UIC, and in North America, where the AAR wheel arrangement system is used to describe diesel and electric locomotives. In North America, the Whyte notation is only used for steam locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lima Locomotive Works</span> Defunct locomotive manufacturer

Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shop's location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Erie Railroad main line, the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line and the Nickel Plate Road main line and shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-8-8-0</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

In the Whyte notation for classifying the wheel arrangement of steam locomotives, an 0-8-8-0 is a locomotive with two sets of eight driving wheels and neither leading wheels nor trailing wheels. Two sets of driving wheels would give far too long a wheelbase to be mounted in a fixed locomotive frame, so all 0-8-8-0s have been articulated locomotives of the Mallet type, whether simple or compound. In the UIC classification, this arrangement would be, refined to Mallet locomotives, (D)D. The type was sometimes called Angus in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-6-4</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotive wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-4 is a locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of six driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. All 2-6-6-4s are simple articulated locomotives.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-10-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle.

A 2-8-8-2, in the Whyte notation for describing steam locomotive wheel arrangements, is an articulated locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck. The equivalent UIC classification is, refined to Mallet locomotives, (1'D)D1'. These locomotives usually employ the Mallet principles of articulation—with the rear engine rigidly attached to the boiler and the front engine free to rotate—and compounding. The 2-8-8-2 was a design largely limited to American locomotive builders. The last 2-8-8-2 was retired in 1962 from the N&W's roster, two years past the ending of steam though steam was still used on steel mill lines and other railroads until 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trailing wheel</span> Unpowered locomotive wheel located rear of the driving wheels

On a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle (wheelset) located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels is usually located in a trailing truck. On some large locomotives, a booster engine was mounted on the trailing truck to provide extra tractive effort when starting a heavy train and at low speeds on gradients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-8-8-2</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-8-8-2 is a locomotive with four leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-6-6-4</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

In the Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-6-6-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has four leading wheels followed by two sets of six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels. 4-6-6-4's are commonly known as Challengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 9000 Class</span> Steam locomotive class

The Union Pacific Railroad 9000 Class was a class of 88 steam locomotives, built by ALCO for the Union Pacific between 1926 and 1930.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-8-8-8-4 has two leading wheels, three sets of eight driving wheels, and four trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-8-0</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

A 2-6-8-0 steam locomotive, in the Whyte notation for describing locomotive wheel arrangements, has two leading wheels, a set of six driving wheels, a set of eight driving wheels, and no trailing wheels. These locomotives usually employ the Mallet principle of articulation, with a swinging front engine and a rigidly attached rear engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific Challenger</span> Class of American simple articulated 4-6-6-4 locomotives

The Union Pacific Challengers are a type of simple articulated 4-6-6-4 steam locomotive built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from 1936 to 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad until the late 1950s.

In Whyte notation, a 4-6-6-2 is a steam locomotive with four leading wheels in an unpowered bogie at the front of the locomotive followed by two sets of driving wheels with six wheels each, followed by two unpowered trailing wheels at the rear of the locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leading wheel</span> Unpowered wheel at the front of a locomotive

The leading wheel or leading axle or pilot wheel of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located on a leading truck. Leading wheels are used to help the locomotive negotiate curves and to support the front portion of the boiler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 4014</span> 1941 American steam locomotive

Union Pacific 4014 is a steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific (UP) as part of its heritage fleet. It is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" type built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at its Schenectady Locomotive Works. It was assigned to haul heavy freight trains in the Wasatch mountain range. The locomotive was retired from revenue service in 1959 and was donated to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; thereafter, it was displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

References

  1. "Union Pacific Big Boys". SteamLocomotive.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  2. Union Pacific Community Ties. "UP: Big Wheels Not Yet Turnin'" . Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  3. Trains Magazine. "Union Pacific Big Boy: Rebirth of a Legend" . Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  4. Union Pacific Community Ties. "America Celebrates the Transcontinental Railroad" . Retrieved 3 May 2019.