Meanwhile, take break from the regular blogs and have a look at the ALCO UP Steam aka the Big Boys.
"The gradient in nations were 1.6% and these steam hunks of 6500 HP, handled heavy rakes just single handed and sometimes twins, whereas here, we have 0.5% gradient and triple WAG-7's or twin EMD's are used to banking/braking n hauling too."
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Union Pacific...
more... Big Boys (30 Minutes) Charge out of Cheyenne and Laramie and blast up Sherman hill with these kings of steam-the largest, heaviest steam locomotives to ever run in the western U.S. You'll see spectacular scenes of Big Boy doubleheaders, some with UP turbines.