Videos

Duration:

4 minutes, 16 seconds

Steamtown's rangers receive a lot of questions about the Union Pacific "Big Boy" No. 4012. One of the most common questions is "what goes on up in the cab?" Join Ranger Alan as he provides a virtual tour of the locomotive's cab and learn just what a few of those red valves do!

 

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  How Does It Work? Diesel-Electric Engines

  Unlike Steam locomotives, diesel-electric locomotives have all of their moving parts hidden, encased in a shell of steel panels and doors. This begs the question: what's going on inside that steel shell? Join Ranger Alan on a journey to explore under the hood of Steamtown's diesel-electric locomotive No. 514 and find out what powers the engine.

  Duration:

  6 minutes, 31 seconds

 

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  Big Boy No. 4012 on Turntable

  On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 employees and volunteers at Steamtown National Historic Site returned the Union Pacific "Big Boy" No. 4012 to static exhibition following an extended cosmetic restoration. As part of the move, the engine was brought out onto the turntable and rotated into the correct position.

  Duration:

  2 minutes, 30 seconds

 

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  Timelapse of Big Boy No. 4012 returning to exhibition

  On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 employees and volunteers at Steamtown National Historic Site returned the Union Pacific "Big Boy" No. 4012 to static exhibition following an extended cosmetic restoration. This timelapse video shows the final moments as the engine chugs along to its new home. Due to the nature of the event and the staffing required to safely relocate this engine, social distancing was not always possible and all participants were wearing face masks.

  Duration:

  13.413 seconds

 

A mechanic lights a gas ring surrounding the steel wheel and tire of a steam locomotive

NPS Photo

Powerpoint Presentation

Replacing the Tires of a Steam Locomotive

In March 2007, we had the opportunity to capture images to create this PowerPoint presentation (1.53MB) which explains the process of how a steam locomotive's tires are changed.