Posted by Galen [104.23.211.67] on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 07:48:45 :
In Reply to: Re: O/T Case 150 Steam Tractor - Real Torque posted by Keith in Washington [172.68.22.200] on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 18:41:24 :
I will disagree on this. Boiler explosions were not that common since operators were keen to keep an eye on the water level in the boiler. As long as the crown sheet was not exposed you were ok and not tying down the safety valve set at a prescribed pressure to pop. Bridge collapse was more frequent. Steam lost out on the railroads due to the obvious economic advantage of diesel with lower labor input. UP Big Boy running today (largest steam locomotive built in the US) is a testament of power and glory. Union Pacific RRd never took steam locomotives of their roster and proudly runs their engines all over the west and soon the east for the 2025 celebration.
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