Hot Water Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Stimpson Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I've read all the comments here by people
> talking
> > about 4014 being "pushed". So I listened
> > carefully as it was climbing Archer Hill. That
> > diesel was doing *nothing*. It might as well
> have
> > been a paperweight. 4014 was pulling itself,
> its
> > tender, two auxiliary tenders, the diesel, and
> 21
> > cars. Yeah, it's not what would be considered
> a
> > full load for a Big Boy, not by a long shot.
>
> Especially since those 21 freight cars were
> empties, contrary to information posted on
> Trainorders. Poster "waterboy" flatly stated that
> those 21 cars were "loaded with 100 tons of
> cement", which is/was NOT TRUE. I had someone from
> the UP run the train consist through their
> computer, and all 21 cars were empty, thus at
> about 30 tons a car, they totaled about 630 tons.
>
> But
> > no, it's not being "pushed".
> >
> > The one thing the diesel was doing was sounding
> > its horn, repeatedly. Memo to the guy in the
> > diesel: We did not come here to listen to your
> > horn. You aren't the show here. Just lay off.

Right you are Jack. I knew they were empties from observing the various videos. The bolsters were riding high in the truck side frames and the coil springs were not compressed. Watching the various videos of her progress yesterday reminded me of a great old blues tune. I took some liberties with the last line:

"Well, I'm drifting and I'm drifting, like a ship out on the sea
Drifting and I'm drifting, like a ship out on the sea
Well, I ain't got 'nuff tons baby,
to make a decent load for me"