10 Of The Biggest Steam Engines That Have Ever Been Created!

We delve into the fascinating world of the most colossal steam engines ever built, showcasing their incredible power, innovative engineering, and historical significance. From the legendary Union Pacific's Big Boy, an engineering marvel of the 1940s designed to conquer the Rocky Mountains, to the British Railways Class 9F, the pinnacle of steam power in Britain designed for heavy freight with exceptional efficiency, each locomotive tells a unique story of technological advancement and the pivotal role steam engines played in shaping modern railroading.
Discover the might of the Chesapeake & Ohio H8 Allegheny, the elegance of the Russian P36 class, the adaptability of the South African Class 25NC, and the unparalleled power of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Q2 Duplex. Marvel at the Canadian National Railways U-2-c "Super Mountain," the streamlined Southern Pacific GS-4, the potent German DR Class 45, and the innovative New South Wales Railways Garratt 70 class.

[@up3982trainmaster_challenger]

Big Boy was a nickname for the Wasatch class the Union Pacific had ordered from ALCO (American Locomotive Company). Also in the industry we don’t use horsepower instead we use tractive effort.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Thanks so much for your comment ! It’s always enlightening to learn the specific terms and historical details from those more familiar with the subject. Your expertise is much appreciated!

[@Plokman040]

That was indeed meant to describe them, but that was for their wheel arrangement. 4-6-2 are called Pacifics, and 4-4-0 are American wheel arrangement. Big Boy has been the Class name since the chalk plans.

[@up3982trainmaster_challenger]

@@Plokman040 I have been in this industry since I was 3-4 years old, I have read and watched many train related things. If you are saying that I am dumb then I can write or say ALL of the information that you want.

[@up3982trainmaster_challenger]

@@GigaGearGalaxy No problem, always like sharing my info.

[@Plokman040]

@@up3982trainmaster_challenger Never meant to offend, my comment was never calling you dumb. I was saying they were going to be called Wasatch, and that you pointed out perfectly. My comment was had any other locomotives this wheel arraignment, they too would be Wasatch type locomotives. Much like 2-8-4 locomotives are under "Berkshire" or a 2-6-0 is a "Mogul" I was adding to your info on the 4000 class, and if I sounded like a know it all I am not trying to. I respect others, unless they insult me. You didn't and I respect your insight, oddly enough I started my Railway study at around 3-4 yeas of age. But that is study as in I want to know more about locomotives. Really I can't stress enough I meant no harm. 😲😞

[@SaltyDani_Ma]

German Baureihe 45....footage from Baureihe 01 (express passenger engine) Baureihe 41 ( close but not quite) and a Baureihe 52 ......please for the future, use more footage of the engine that is talked about. it brings only confusion to unknowing and inexpierienced whatchers. for example you said 2-10-2 wheelarangement while showing the BR 01 wich has a 4-6-2 frame.

[@CrazyStraightWhiteBoomerDude]

Ah, you might want to tell the folks in AI that a steam locomotive "always" has a tender to carry water and fuel...

[@muir8009]

??? Apart from when it's a tank locomotive...

[@ANTHONYEASTMENT]

there may be longer and stronger loco then the BIG BOY but none are better over all. l will always love the BIG BOY.

[@luislaplume8261]

The S1 class of the Pennsylvania R.R. of which only one was built in 1939 for the 1939, 1940 New York World's Fair in NYC my old hometown was longer and it was also the biggest streamlined steam locomotive ever built. 😊

[@user-uc9tj5uh8x]

Солидарна, это СУПЕР ПАРОВОЗ😊❤❤❤❤

[@SimplyRailways125]

My personal favourite is the BR 9f as a British rail enthusiast

[@user-uc9tj5uh8x]

А мой это Большой Мальчик 4014😊❤ хотя Летучий шотландец тоже безумно хорош😊❤

[@nssrrailfan6443]

Much better! Amazing work. I am sad however that you did not have the DM&IR Yellowstones. They were 5 ft away from being the world's largest steam locomotives! You definitely should've added them.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Thanks so much! Much appreciated ❤️ and thanks for coming back! Apologies, there are so many out there , I can try to include them in a future video. ☺️

[@russvoight1167]

I couldn't agree more, three of the Yellowstone's have been put on display. Two Harbors, MN, Proctor MN, and at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth.

[@nssrrailfan6443]

@@russvoight1167 Yeah. I know. I volunteer in the railroad museum.

[@joshbreck3489]

bro the DM&IR Yellowstones were the chads of the american midwest no contest

[@MarkBerg-tk8js]

Yes the biggest by 5 thousand traction

[@Mark_The_Railfan]

Pennsylvania Railroad S1, was one of the biggest steam locos.

[@pclassproductions228]

Just some random train chap from Australia here to politly correct some of the info that was wrong on our garretts. They're the 60 class not the 70 class (ironicly the 70 class is a tiny diesel shunter down here). They have a 4-8-4 + 4-8-4 wheel configuration instead of 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 and they only have one boiler across their 2 sets of wheels.

[@davidrayner9832]

And it's spelled Garratt.

[@user-pd2ym8lj6j]

amazing thanks for sharing

[@reinhartreuschel5499]

And there are some equally powerful engines: What about the SNCF 242 A1 with more than 6200 PSi in a loco only half of a 'Big Boy'?

[@adventuresinmodelrailroading]

Virginian 2-10-10-2. So big, it had to be disassembled for delivery. Denver & Rio Grande Western K80 or K90 class ( I can't remember). They were standard guage 2-8-0s that were rebuilt as 3ft narrow guage 2-8-2s, making them among the largest narrow guage steam locomotives in the U.S.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

They were so big, they needed a map just to find their way around the tracks!

[@bear470]

The Rio grande engines were k36 and k37 engines

[@adventuresinmodelrailroading]

@@bear470 That's right!

[@railfandryan192]

I like how it shows one of the steam locomotives in ho scale and g scale that’s a scale for model trains

[@heatherjenkins1009]

You should make a video on the world's biggest diesel locomotives

[@Missiletuna7]

So you are just going to skip the Jawn Henry, it’s STEAM Turbine.

[@martinanschutz7410]

Russia: P38, a 2-8-8-4 with 16 wheel Tender. GB: LNER Garrett 2-8-0+0-8-2 six cylinder loco. Germany: BR 45 is big, and a big failure. The Boiler was really bad construction. BR 52 condens version

[@martinanschutz7410]

is longer by 3 feet. But the longest was a BR 17 with a long range coal dust Tender, 44,2 m

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

I love your comment! Thanks for sharing! There is so much to know about these amazing machines !

[@user-uc9tj5uh8x]

Можно и побольше информации про наши русские паровозы вам показать.😊

[@ticearpey3235]

I would’ve included the SP Cab Forward instead of the GS Class.

[@ilikeminecraftgaming9331]

The GS-4's gotta be my favorite,as SP4449,the sole survivor of it's class,is my favorite locomotive.

[@IronHorsefan1869]

You forgot 9000 of the Union Pacific, it had a 4-12-2 configuration and was the biggest non articulated locomotive in the world, the S1 was also sizeable

[@joshbreck3489]

bro the 9000s are super underrated

[@IronHorsefan1869]

@@joshbreck3489 They deserve a spotlight

[@muir8009]

I saw 9000 when it was next to 4014 and was chambering all over them. Tbh I was considerably more impressed with the size and look of the 9000. Maybe as Big Boy is, and has always been, plastered over and in everything it just doesn't hold itself so well...

[@IronHorsefan1869]

@@muir8009 I love Big Boy, it's my favorite surviving UP Artic steamer but 9000 is my favorite of the Non Artic giants of the UP, simply because f it's flying pumps and unique wheel base

[@Just_andy588]

0:20 just looking at “big boy” right away you’re just like damn

[@NashRailfan]

It’s funny how he didn’t even mention the DMIR Yellowstone M-3/M-4 class which changed the way freight was hauled forever. Not only was it a 2-8-8-4 with 6,000+ horsepower, 142,000+ lbs of tractive effort, but it was a few feet short than the Big Boy. Despite its shortness, the Yellowstone was still more powerful than the bigboy

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Thanks for your comment and information! I am always on the look out for more machines to learn about.

[@mikepowell2776]

Similar in configuration to the NZ 70 class were the East African Railways 59 (Mountain) class - 4-8-2 2-8-4 Garrats. At 103 feet in length and weighing over 250 tons, they were the largest and most powerful metre-gauge steam locos ever built. They weren’t fast but they could go over anything you didn’t particularly want to go round hauling 1000 tons. Doubl-headed, hauling water and oil tank wagons, twenty-four saloons and a luggage wan, they looked and sounded amazing! I haven’t seen one for tw-thirds of a century but can still remember them.

[@muir8009]

Just to add: the official length of the Cape gauge GMA is a whisker over 137', so 4' longer than the Big Boy.

[@bohemianh]

BR 45 is as awesome loco! Southern Pacific loco is great!

[@paperkobe6121]

Ah yes, I do remember seeing 7029 and 7040 at the NSW Rail Museum back in February. Both such a Majestic sight with that beautiful "70" Inscribed on them. Its a shame we'll probably never get to see 7042 get out of that field at Forbes. Only a mere fool would call them a "60" Class. (You had a bloody shocker, mate)

[@Interlinebus]

6029 and 6040!!

[@danielmkubacki]

Cool Video.

[@melaniemartin4017]

PRR T1 AND S1 have left the chat

[@ethanpiscitello188]

I’ve actually seen both a C&O Allegheny and an UP Big Boy before. They’re just as big as they look!

[@andrewdaniel9944]

I think these are the best steam trains but the Southern Pacific has the BEST ones, especially 4449

[@ivodiemko4135]

in the german dr class 45 i see a 4-6-2 wheel arangement so you made a mistake in either the pictures or the wheel arangement. edit: i double checked you had the wrong pictures

[@user-xr9fw2gz4c]

Big boy is my favorite steam train

[@yeoldeseawitch]

Wow you have absolutely no taste do you?

[@user-we9wz2xd4r]

Bruh Bigboy is always there for your honor. He is always the good 4-8-8-4

[@user-xr9fw2gz4c]

​@@yeoldeseawitchwhat do u mean?

[@maxwellwalcher6420]

How about NYC 5406 for the New York Central for the 30th Steam Spectacular Program.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll definitely consider it!

[@Just_andy588]

Surprised you didn’t add the 611

[@StephentrainboyRailfanbrony]

I love the daylight

[@claudioperez8432]

big boy mi favorita , tengo una a escala H0

[@verstehenrefulgente4993]

On January 29, 2023 in Blair Nebraska 4014 pushed a stalled freight train up the hill, pulling it safely with its own passenger train. This showed the true power of steam engines and the freight train was more than 115 freight cars long

[@muir8009]

Funny you mention the true power of steam engines when there were lots of steamers more powerful than big boy, and of course just one of those modern diesels would outpull a big boy any day of the week

[@drtnrao57]

Good

[@EliasLarsson-ck6qn]

There was a locomotive 8 feet longer than the big boy that was scrapped. It was the PRR S1

[@muir8009]

Even the narrow gauge GMA was longer than big boy at over 137' so about 2 feet shorter than the S1, and of course the single unit M1 was 154', so plenty longer than the S1

[@raizamutalib2100]

If you come to think of it, doesn't the Russian P36 look like their rival country's locomotive, the Niagara?

[@trainliker100]

The first engine shown in the Southern Pacific GS-4 sequence is a 4-8-2 Mountain and not a GS-4. And at 7:29 is shown another 4-8-2 mountain No. 4342 which was a class MT-3.

[@3RTracing]

and no mention of a locomotive that was more powerful than the Big Boy by a considerable margin the Great Northern R2

[@Triple7Productions806]

I hate to be corrective, the German locomotives are smaller than the US and British engines. The weight doesn’t decide, the length and height does

[@muir8009]

In what ratio? The African gma is longer than a big boy but much lighter, and the Soviet loading gauge is much larger than the mean US?

[@dewasaswita5994]

The 9F

[@alexsidoroff4084]

Из десяти 7 лишние - только Big Boy, Allegheny и PRR Q2 относятся к самым большим, и еще штатовских паровозов можно штук 15 добавить.

[@joshuagoodfellow1719]

The NSW Garratt is a 60 class, not 70.

[@nickpilgrim853]

Your spot on 👍🏻 AD60 class

[@user-vk6vz3he6p]

y6b was bigger than a8 by width

[@suparman0148]

UNION PACIFIC TRAIN IS THE BEST.

[@osmariobrito7776]

Colossais!

[@user-uc9tj5uh8x]

Отличный обзор паровозов. Жаль,что не говорю по английски😢 я из россии и страстно интересуюсь этой темой😊

[@user-pk5ol9sq1y]

you got the dr class wrong it's a 2-6-2 not a 2-10-2

[@verstehenrefulgente4993]

Fun fact: there was two other locomotives that were supposed to be built but weren’t it was the quadruplex and the quintuplex first will start up with the quadruplex. It had a wheel arrangement of a. 2-8-8-8-8-2 this had 36 wheels correct me if I’m wrong meanwhile the Quintaplex had a. 2-10-10-10-10-10-2

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Amazing ! I love the community chiming in and teach me and the rest new facts. Thanks for sharing !

[@muir8009]

Only two? You forgot the virginian 2-12-12-2-12-8?

[@verstehenrefulgente4993]

@@muir8009 sorry I didn’t know about that

[@muir8009]

@verstehenrefulgente4993 there's lima drawings, stupid thing which lima would've charged like a wounded bull for. It was more a 2-12-12-2 with an extra 12 wheeled drive unit under the fore tender like a triplex, and an 8 wheeled trailing truck. Just a mess basically. And like most railroads were discovering it wasn't just getting bigger locomotives that solved problems. N&W finding that the addition of an extra tender obviated any need for higher horsepower locomotives. Both Virginian and N&W discovered that replacing 60' rail lengths with continuous welded rail meant 3 geeps could do the same as the much more powerful Allegheny, less rail joints = less friction. Never found drawings of the quadruplex, which undoubtedly would've been a Baldwin sales talk. The only quintaplex was of course the Belgian thing, but the quint seems to be more an oft repeated idea more than anything: a fun thought though...

[@user-is1fi2iu7h]

hopefully Roblox Ro scale Central Railway will add this soon😢

[@markkeister6057]

What about the challengers?

[@eriktheerietriplex]

Largest I know of is the PRR S1 at 140 feet and 6 inches long as a 6-4-4-6 rigid frame

[@muir8009]

C&O M1 was a whisker over 154', and was a single unit loco, but as a steam locomotive S1 was longest, although that tender helped a lot

[@Interlinebus]

The New South Wales Garratt is a 60-class locomotive with a 4-8-4+4-8-4 wheel arrangement. 6029 is preserved in operating order and is the largest operating steam locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere. Sadly, this video is full of inaccuracies and poorly matched live sequences. A bit more thorough research and editing would be in order!

[@user-is1fi2iu7h]

3:42

[@user-lu2jg3yz3b]

Yes. I. Saw. In. Pomona. Calif. Very. Often the. Retired big. Boy. Would never ever. Believe one day. It. Will run. Again just. Luke in a sematary. Nobody up would ever rise. Again. But. Big boy. Dit. It .thank you. Restorer s. Folk s

[@muir8009]

Saw it at Pomona too. All I could think was how lucky for a restorer as it was in such good shape and had always been well looked after

[@MatthewLee-fo3me]

No love for the Pennsylvania S1? Which was technically longer than Big Boy by 8 ft.

[@muir8009]

So was the narrow gauge GMA, and of course the single unit M1 which was 20 ft longer than big boy

[@Austriantrainguy]

You have forgotten all the duplexes, you didn´t even include europes biggest steam engine.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Next video 😉 I will add it to my production list, if you have any more suggestions I would love to hear them !

[@rayunseitig6367]

ok

[@user-rb6ez4zd8x]

Where is Titanic?

[@TheWarbonnet660]

Bro forgor UP 900 4-12-2 💀💀💀💀

[@BelarusianPolkovnik]

P38?

[@skfaiz7008]

You forgot N&W j class 611

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

There are so many steam engines to still explore! I would love if you could give me more engines to review!

[@coltonsorensen3459]

A lot of the locomotives you showed were unrelated to the ones you were talking about 🤣

[@sirbarongaming2138]

Russia's p-36 4-8-4 locomotives aren't all that strong Their tractive effort is somewhere in the 30000+ lbs of force whereas other engines of this wheel arrangement outclass it in every way

[@user-in8vv7ko5s]

YOU FORGOT THE DM& IR YELLOWSTONES!!!!!

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Next drop 🤓

[@CHANGCHENG2023]

令人可笑的是，BIG BOY 后面挂着内燃机车，是防止车坏？

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

Okay this is DEFINITELY clickbait, what the FUCK is that thumbnail? The Alleghenys had a slight problem: poor adhesion. theres more weight on the 6 trailing axles.

[@joshuachamberlain9725]

Tf was that engine in the thumbnail

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Southern Pacific GS4

[@luigisansonse2029]

stupefacente big boy

[@alexanderardin4730]

9f I’m British 🇬🇧

[@andrewyoung749]

9fs arent even the biggest or most powerful in the uk, so not anywhere near in competition for a global contest...

[@MARKMCFREDERICK]

What about; the "CHALLENGER" & "Y-3s"? Very disappointing.

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

I’ll add it to my future list!

[@SoldierFox1393]

I love the U2G, U2E and U2C class steam locomotives and all of them are siblings, they are very good 4-8-4 steam locomotives. I will say Canadian steam is very underrated but im actually glad that they got some spotlight for once!

[@acersalman8258]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@robertgift]

Nix the stupid music and allow the locomotives to be heard when possible. Sometimes wrong information. DO OVER

[@TheBenjaneer1]

Do you know the big boy should be number one not number 10 bozo

[@muir8009]

Why?

[@TheBenjaneer1]

@@muir8009 It is bigest bozo

[@muir8009]

@@TheBenjaneer1 no it wasn't. Bozo.

[@TheBenjaneer1]

@@muir8009 You are so wrong

[@TheBenjaneer1]

L

[@user-rk7dm3ss3h]

Info is almost all wrong

[@GigaGearGalaxy]

Thanks for the comment but I had done extensive research scraping all the data from google. Sorry it didn’t meet your expectations.

[@user-rk7dm3ss3h]

@@GigaGearGalaxy no totally fine don’t mean to upset you at all some websites can be very confusing and tricky but you did get lots of information correct too everything is fine it’s the websites I promise you i can totally understand

[@user-rk7dm3ss3h]

For the most part you did well

[@user-rk7dm3ss3h]

One more thing for your kindness and forgiveness I decided I’m subscribing it’s the least I can do plus I could understand you definitely researched it though like I said lots of websites about steam are not that good but instead just a bunch of outdated lies so I totally understand keep up the work I look forward to your next video if I may ask can you please make a video about steam locos in North Carolina please thank you and forgive me

[@user-rk7dm3ss3h]

Please under

[@chrismurnane6389]

Steam Engines,like all other man made objects are manufactured !!! NOT CREATED!!!

[@IslandWanderer]

The first one was created then all the other ones are manufactured

[@EngineerDaylight]

Go get your morning cup of coffee

[@swagzoneus]

Big Boy was a nickname for the Wasatch class the Union Pacific had ordered from ALCO (American Locomotive Company). Also in the industry we don’t use horsepower instead we use tractive effort.