Working rail roads and their tracks.

[BravoXray]

Link to the move "Big Boy" starring Ed Begley as a Union Pacific engineer operating a Big Boy in the period when diesel was beginning to displace steam power.

 

[BravoXray]

Wow.
kinda sad seeing it just sitting there, though

Like a sleeping giant.
But yes, kind of sad.

There's a big articulated locomotive on display on the west side of Duluth at Proctor. It's on Highway 2 at the top of the climb up from crossing the river, in front of the Protor Golf Club. It's a Baldwin class M-3 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone, built in 1941.
I stopped and looked it over many years ago on a trip to Grand Rapids, MN. An impressive and amazingly complex piece of machinery. Of special interest were the flexible ball joints in the high pressure steam lines going to the front engine. The Walschaerts valve gear was interesting also. Was still in pretty good condition back then.
It was used to haul iron ore from the mines in the iron range to the docks. The plaque on it said it had over a million miles on it when it was retired.

Link to Google map: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.742...4!1sq0WTHJGWtN8ix0p9F8YMsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[Keweenaw County Yooper]

These Yellowstones were just as impressive as the Big Boys.

 

[MossRoad]

Like a sleeping giant.
But yes, kind of sad.

There's a big articulated locomotive on display on the west side of Duluth at Proctor. It's on Highway 2 at the top of the climb up from crossing the river, in front of the Protor Golf Club. It's a Baldwin class M-3 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone, built in 1941.
I stopped and looked it over many years ago on a trip to Grand Rapids, MN. An impressive and amazingly complex piece of machinery. Of special interest were the flexible ball joints in the high pressure steam lines going to the front engine. The Walschaerts valve gear was interesting also. Was still in pretty good condition back then.
It was used to haul iron ore from the mines in the iron range to the docks. The plaque on it said it had over a million miles on it when it was retired.

Link to Google map: https://www.google.com/maps/@46.742...4!1sq0WTHJGWtN8ix0p9F8YMsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

View attachment 701211View attachment 701212

What a beast!

 

[Hay Dude]

When we were the biggest and the brightest

 

[ArlyA]

Like a sleeping giant.
But yes, kind of sad.

There's a big articulated locomotive on display on the west side of Duluth at Proctor. It's on Highway 2 at the top of the climb up from crossing the river, in front of the Protor Golf Club. It's a Baldwin class M-3 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone, built in 1941.
I stopped and looked it over many years ago on a trip to Grand Rapids, MN. An impressive and amazingly complex piece of machinery. Of special interest were the flexible ball joints in the high pressure steam lines going to the front engine. The Walschaerts valve gear was interesting also. Was still in pretty good condition back then.
It was used to haul iron ore from the mines in the iron range to the docks. The plaque on it said it had over a million miles on it when it was retired.

Link to Google map: Google Maps

View attachment 701211View attachment 701212

Thanks for posting these guys! Next time we are near Proctor MN, we'll stop by there. My in-laws reside 2 hours NE of there so we are in Duluth, several times a year.

 

[caver]

This came up in suggestions. They even have some film footage for the last 10+ minutes.

 

[BravoXray]

If you want to see the interesting Garrett articulated locomotives they used (some are still in use) in South Africa, check out this video. Also, most of SA's railroads are narrow gauge, with 3ft 6in rail spacing.

 

[MoKelly]

If you ever get to St. Louis, this is a pretty interesting place to see old railroad cars.

MoKelly

 

[BoylermanCT]

I’ve been drawn to the smaller articulated engines that ran on the smaller lines.