Tag Archives: steam

The New ‘Bachmann’ N-Scale 2-8-8-4 Steam Model Is Blinking Gorgeous & Very Alluring.

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by Anura Guruge
on October 21, 2023

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Click to ENLARGE.

Yes, I still have a working (but very rudimentary) N-Scale layout in my office. But, I haven’t used it in years.

These days I am getting rid of my toys — & I mean my REAL TOYS — since none of the kids have an interest in them.

So, I can’t justify buying any new kit. But, I would love to cradle this baby in my hand.

It is beautiful. {Do you get the feeling I like trains. You are NOT wrong.}

Plus, I have a N-scale 4-8-8-4 ‘Big Boy‘. I used to have 2. I sold one a couple of years ago.

I just wanted to share this with you. ENJOY.

IF You Like Trains, You MUST Watch These ‘YouTube’ Videos Of ‘UP 4014 Big Boy’ Helping Out A Stalled Freight Train — Pretty Special.

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by Anura Guruge
on July 13, 2023

Frame grab from YouTube video BELOW.
Plenty more YouTube videos. Check them out. I have watched about 4!

I have a thing about the ‘Big Boy‘ — special place in my heart. Lucky enough to have seen the one on display, i.e., ‘UP 4012‘ at ‘Steamtown USA‘. Maybe, with luck, I still might get a chance to see one working.

YouTube knows my penchant for the ‘Big Boy’. So, ‘Big Boy’ video recommendations are frequently displayed on my ‘Recommended’ list. I happened to see the heading about it HELPING a stalled freight train. Had to investigate. Had a look. It was cool. Yes, I FastForwarded over the boring bits & just watched the action. It was good. I then searched for more & watched a few others.

Wanted to SHARE this with YOU — in case YOU, like I, like trains. I feel bad for those that don’t. Must be something wrong with them.

IF you like trains, especially STEAM, check these videos out. You will NOT be dissapointed. Most of them are fairly well ‘produced’.

‘Hunter Valley Steamfest 2023’ In Australia: 4 Steam Trains Racing — Blinking, Bloody Brilliant.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 19, 2023

Frame grab from YouTube video BELOW.

Google it. They have a Facebook page (left) & their own website.

There is also a TON of YouTube videos — some better than others. I am still searching.

This is BLOODY brilliant. 4 parallel tracks with 4 steam locomotives. Pretty heady stuff for train lovers (like I). Wow, wow, wow.

I am AMAZED that I have never heard of it given that I have been an avid, committed train buff all my life.

One of the videos from the 2023 Steamfest came up on YouTube as a ‘recommendation’. Given that I watch at least ONE train video per night, YouTube knows what will get my attention. I was BLOWN AWAY.

I have watched about 6 of the videos — though I will confess that I am still looking for a ‘better one’. I want a mini-documentary of sorts — with a commentary explaining what is taking place. Yet to find that. If YOU do, please let me know.

I was struck by these 4 points in particular:

1/ I am a TOTAL SUCKER for Beyer-Garratts. So, that one of them, the 6209, is a Garratt, alone would have been enough to get me hooked.

2/ At least two of the trains had HUGE water tenders coupled to the engine. I have not seen that before. Must be an Australian thing. I am going to check that out. Interesting.

3/ Two trains, from what I can see, had ‘modern’ diesel locomotives at the back — & there are clips of the train being pulled back by the diesels. Not sure what that is all about.

4/ Quite the set-up with 4 parallel tracks. I need to learn more.

IF you like trains, especially STEAM, check this out. You will NOT be dissapointed (bar from the non-documentary nature of the videos).

India’s 12,000HP “WAG-12B” Electric Locomotive.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 2, 2023

Click to ENLARGE. For this post on ‘Facebook’.
Click to ENLARGE & read here. Wikipedia link.

The post shown at top appeared on my ‘Facebook‘ timeline last week (no doubt because I belong to a number of train-related groups). It immediately caught my interest — especially the claim that it was the MOST powerful & that it was ‘homegrown’. I made a note to check on these when I had the time.

Yes, I did do some quick checking. Both claims are what I think of as “Indian truths” — they have to be taken with a large grain of salt since they are not exactly true.

Wikipedia, to its credit, has a list of the “World’s Largest Locomotives” — some of them, by their sheer nature, also happening to be the “Most Powerful“. The WAG-12 is listed as the LARGEST but in terms of horsepower (HP) there appears to be at least two Russian locos that supposedly produce 17,000(+) hp.

But, I enjoyed the few minutes I go to look up this stuff. I love trains — or to be really truthful I love train engines. Train carriages, whether passenger, freight or caboose, doesn’t move me. But, I love all engines.

THREE (3) main things I learnt, & if & when I have time I sure plan to look into these more.

1/ That Russia & India made such big, powerful engines — way, way bigger than anything being built in the U.S. That is pretty amazing.

2/ That steam engines could deliver more power than diesel, diesel/electric or electric locs. Wow. Had no idea.

3/ That there is some difference as to the power — to the wheels — delivered by steam compared to the other methods. I really need to understand this better.

Just wanted to share this with you. Hope you find it interesting & maybe even useful.