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Those Giants of Steam
A good look at steam from Germany (West and East), Austria, Poland, South Africa, Zimbabwe and USA, with pertinent information on some of the biggest and best of each country, together with beautiful photography.
After preliminary opening scenes, the videotape looks first at Germany where we are treated to a parallel run of two of Germany's most powerful steam locos, the DB's 41 360 and 01 1100 and an interesting glimpse of the operation of German colour light signals. Views of the 3 cylinder 01 1100 continue as it operates alongside the Rhine River. The next loco is preserved 03 001 based at Dresden on the DR, seen accelerating a passenger train as some gravity shunting proceeds in the background.
Poland is next with class PT47. Only two of these 2-8-2s remain in regular service and No 112 is captured on a stopping passenger service. There are views in the cab, from the cab, and lineside including some very nice steel lattice viaducts.
Moving to South Africa, a 2-8-2 potters about on the REGM, a gold mine near Johannesburg. Several narrow gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratts are also seen working both in the yard and out along the line. Garratts of classes 15A and 20A with six coupled and eight coupled drivers are covered in Zimbabwe, where coaling methods can be by anything from a shovel to a huge coal stage.
Its 1990, and in South Africa NC class 4-8-4s are still at work. One passes another, and accelerates in a truly majestic scene with the steam and smoke billowing to the heavens!
Austria is next with the 33 122 4-8-0 express passenger loco, seen racing by and working hard across a beautiful stone viaduct among lush green forest scenery. 310.23, a 2-6-4 with 2210mm (7' 3") drivers is seen next, then a 17C, to our eyes a most unusual looking 4-4-0 with outside frames, outside eccentrics, and a massive dome atop the boiler.
In East Germany, claimed to be the fastest steam loco running in the world today is DR's 18 201 with 2286mm (7' 7") driving wheels. It is still permitted to run up to 180 kmph (112 mph). There are two scenes, the second racing by at high speed. Steam is always spectacular in cold weather, and DR's class 44 2-10-0 is no exception.
USA in spring 1991 is the location for the next series of big engines, with Southern Pacific's Pacific 2472 double heading Daylight 4449, resplendant in the Orange colour scheme, crossing a long low viaduct. 4449 alone on the daylight cars is next seen in a series of views with once more, the steam condensate hanging in the cold air. Now follows Union Pacific Challenger 3985 with a look at the sophisticated cab equipment then lineside as she blasts away on a special working through the Rocky Mts in Utah. Finally triple heading as UP 8444, banks Challenger, with a diesel cut in ahead of the rest of the train in a series of run pasts to conclude this videotape featuring giants of steam. PQ A