The Golden Spike Locomotives

The preparation period before bringing the locomotives - famous Central Pacific "Jupiter" and Union Pacific "119" - out for the public to see. May 1st is the opening day of the operating season and this is the first time for 2012 that both locomotives were out together for the public to see since the close of the season in 2011. On this day the regular staff was training a volunteer fireman.

[@Maniacguy2777]

Looking at this heavenly steam Loco makes me feel I'm in dreamworld.

[@anormalworldofairportsplay4296]

Beautiful.

[@christianholbert6228]

I notice how quiet these engines are on videos, I know that there's nothing to these engines, 1850s technology, no injector, no dynamo, no butterfly door, no large brake system, just a good ole pump driven by piston action, oil head lamp, a little shovel of coal to get going, and a simple independent brake to slow the girls down, I just love it, I'll have to take a look at them for myself one day, thanks for this great video!

[@DRGW168]

The reason these locomotives are quite partly is because they are not "working hard." A light locomotive regardless of size rolling on level track will not make much sound. There are injectors on these locomotives now and this locomotive has both an independent brake stand and a train brake like all "normal" or modern locomotives have. These locomotives are more modern than what people may think they are, they have to be, in order to be safe. Locomotives of this time period in regular service only lasted a couple of years before they were wore completely out.

[@armagonarmagon3980]

A developer for DLC for Train Simulator by the name of Smokebox is making models of these two engines for the game. He told me that the injectors on the original engines were worked off of the cylinder cross head, thus enabling the engines to only inject water into the boiler while they were in motion. If stopped at a station, let's say, for a period of time, and the boiler needed to be filled with water, the crew would either run the engine up and down a short section of track or grease the rails and spin the wheels.

[@DRGW168]

Armagon Armagon Yes they were called "Crosshead Pumps." These locomotives in the video I believe have both functional crosshead pumps and injectors. Negative on the spinning of the wheels, that would be a sure way to be fired as an engineman, so no one ever did that. And yes if they were low on water they would have to do that however keep in mind as you move you use steam and the vacated space means the water will flash into steam using more water so almost always they would prepare a water level for a station stop. Running high water and sitting was better than low water and starting. That and locomotives at this time did not use very much steam (water) while sitting, there was no dynamo, no air compressor, no steam heat, etc. The only way an engine was using water was if the throttle was leaking a little and that is common on any dome throttled locomotive.

[@GreatBasinCarShops]

If they have injectors, I have never seen them used. The crosshead pump is used to top off the water every time the locomotives move so that there is no need to use the injectors during a normal operating day, even in the morning.

[@DRGW168]

If they are under 49 CFR 230 regulations they have two functional injectors. They may not use them if they do not have to, but they are there.