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Boy, did that first post bring out the skeptics in the bunch!!! I'm
not even sure it's gonna happen, but in the interest of reporting what
we know here, I'll give you some more information that we've gotten from
the producer and director of "Big Boy".
First, the movie company looked into using models of the locomotive
or pushing a dead Big Boy around with diesels and adding the smoke and
steam later. It was determined that the computer and model-building work
needed to make either of these options viable would cost more than
restoring an actual Big Boy.
Why not use the Challenger? Well, with a move title of "Big Boy" a
Challenger ain't gonna cut it.
Now for some speculation on my part -- Like most of you, I have my
doubts that the locomotive will go on the publicity tour to California.
However, there are plenty of wide-open straight pieces of track in
Texas, so filming the movie down there is certainly feasible. And a
conversion to oil isn't entirely out of the question, either. After all,
this engine won't be pulling 100-car freight trains -- it has to just be
able to move itself and maybe a couple of support cars around. It won't
take a lot of steam to do that.
I'm not sure how a Big Boy's weight compares to a Challenger, but
the important thing is often not total weight, but weight on each axle.
With two more axles than the Challenger, the weight-per-axle ratio may
be close. And granted, a Big Boy is much longer than a Challenger, which
will rule out turning it on almost any turntable. But actually, for
turning on a wye, look at the Big Boy vs. the Challenger in three
sections -- the wheelbase of each set of drivers and the tender
wheelbase. I'll bet that Centipede tender causes more turning problems
than the wheelbase of the drivers.
For anyone who has questions about this project, drop me an e-mail
at my personal mailbox, [EMAIL PROTECTED], and I'll ask the questions
to the producer as we talk to him about the project. I'll combine the
most interesting questions and answers into an occasional SPORRS post if
everyone is interested. The producer is definitely railfan-friendly, so
I'm sure he'll be anxious to answer questions. Once again, direct your
questions directly to me, so we don't clutter up the SPORRS mailbox.
Steve Barry
Railfan & Railroad
Newton, NJ
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