MTH 4-8-8-4 Big Boy

A review of MTH's latest 3-Rail O-Scale Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, #4014, with Proto-Sound 3.0 and the new smoking whistle effect. More videos on the Eric's Trains KZbin Channel and at www.ericstrains.com

[@matthewschilling1289]

I bought my car for $1000. I love how expensive these are, and how I can not afford them. Fun watching them though.

[@file1man]

Matthew Schilling rail king big boys,mth's regular line sb $350 not $650 and the premier line $650 not $1200- mth is killing the hobby

[@vicdoesgaming7570]

yea and how much is the lionel verison? last time i checked it was 3k$

[@jonathanerickson1543]

file1man ass much as I value the MTH premier steam engines. A lot of the MTH products just simply don’t hold a light to the quality of Lionel’s top of the line engines. Unfortunately 1 Lionel engines could buy 2-3 MTH engines.

[@MrLunchHour2]

file1man yeah but Lionel has a way better sound system. Mth recordings sound like they were recorded with an iPhone

[@kaleoswalt5750]

@@jonathanerickson1543 i agree to disagree i think mth is great quality and also cheaper than lionel

[@scoutabout2309]

Thank you Eric! As always, your reviews are outstanding. I very much appreciate the time and effort required to make them possible. My compliments.

[@andredizon5805]

26:07 Man look at that overhang!

[@jsallscales7856]

The Notorious Marshall if you want overhang, go check out his review on the Pennsy S1, the plow and cab hang completely off the track

[@GMan9029]

IMO, I always loved mth whistles and this is no acceptation, one of my favorites!

[@ChuteMi-df2es]

This is one of my all time favourite steam locomotives, along with the Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 H1b Hudson 2816, also known as Empress. Her restoration began in 1999 and she was finally completed in 2001. The year I was born. They’re both beautiful locomotives.

[@vijayalakshmipandian6169]

Wow! The Engine and the Whistle sounds so Sweet!

[@Stupidhead-et1je]

Status update : 4014 is back in service!

[@michaeljbrennan3728]

4012 going under renovations in Scranton Pa at Steamtown USA.

[@Tyronedaman4114]

@@michaeljbrennan3728 Cosmetic only

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

They did an excellent job on this for sure

[@masonmitchell5560]

Eric I love your videos they are awesome!

[@sdmodelrailroader800]

the big boy is one of my favorites this is my top 3 steam locomotives big boy daylight and 844

[@fawnathefox9600]

Love the spaceballs refrance!

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks, most people don't get it :)

[@SeaboardStudios]

Can you run the Union Pacific 844 And with the union pacific passenger cars

[@RonnyTheEngineer]

Hi Eric. I recently uploaded a video for my KZbin Channel. It's about a heavyweight passenger coach that runs on 042 curves to 027 curves. Do you think that it's possible for a lionel legacy big boy to be able to negotiate the 027 gauge curve with a little bit of adjustments?

[@The2000ss]

That is a really nice train. I like MTH trains, they are a good value for your money.

[@hideandwatch9931]

watching this video makes me want to dig out my 1947 o gauge 726 and find a transformer for it

[@TobyPasman]

Ed Dickens of Union Pacific said that they're hoping to have UP 4014 steamed up by 2019 in time for the 150th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike.

[@gunrunner7224]

Toby Pasman im gonna try going for that. hell id quit my job in a heartbeat to see 4014 come out on its own power.

[@frederickhurst8813]

Tru dat double Tru

[@zepp2582]

When is that in 2019?

[@CypressDeer]

@@zepp2582 Real soon, actually. It's gonna be in may. If you go to this page and scroll down a bit you'll see the schedule. www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm#

[@zepp2582]

Uncle Ron ok thx

[@chainsawcharl1e677]

Love that staggered chuffing! There must be more to converting to 2-rail than just flipping a switch on the tender. All of the axles would need to be swapped out with those that had scale flanges. Are the 2-rail axles included?

[@vicdoesgaming7570]

seems like mth totaly improved the sound system my bigboy is a 3.0 but it was an early 3.0

[@MrLunchHour2]

Vic does gaming I disagree the whistle has no echo to it and the chuffing sounds are terrible. They’re price is a great selling point but Lionel legacy rail sounds blow mth out of the water.

[@NinjagoGuy416]

4014 is expected to hit the rails again by 2019.

[@Andrew74488]

MTH should come out with a remodeled dcs remote to accommodate the quilling feature.

[@palmettostaterailfan7019]

If you have the DCS App it's easier

[@williamchisholm6702]

I like this better than the Lionel and a grand cheaper with a freight set or passenger set 5 lbs heavier for some reason

[@Porschedude8]

Beautiful Eric! Thanks loads!!

[@realdavidii]

MTH Big Boy V.S. Lionel Vision Line Big Boy

[@nayastellini2610]

do you plan on getting the NKP 587 this September? great vid!

[@unifrax5]

You really need to try using the smoking whistle with the MTH app or Mark S's program on a computer. The other controls are active in these apps. With the remote, it's locked up using the whistle.

[@TobyPasman]

So, Union Pacific is doing the same treatment to 4014 that they did to UP 3985 back in 1990. Like 4014, 3985 was originally built to burn coal.

[@TrainWizardProductions]

I definitely agree that the smoke is more visible than the Vision Line Big Boy which I have. I imagine that the smoking quillable whistle may be easier to operate on the DCS app than the remote. You would then have access to speed control and everything else at the same time as the whistle

[@redbuzzardbass]

One thing I do like is that the MTH gets the pilot correct, unlike the Lionel. If you look on the Lionel at the side rails above the lead truck there are 2 things that look like radiators (1 on each side) on the Lionel, while they were on some Big Boys they were not on the 4014. Otherwise I'd say the details on the Lionel are far superior.

[@bigharryyy03]

The radiators were on Big Boys #4000-4019. They were not present on #4020-4024

[@The20thCenturyLimited]

is that a new track where the California zephyr cars are parked or have I just never noticed it?

[@samuellongo7299]

Freaking awesome!

[@nathanburke1224]

you should do the mth premier sp 4449 daylight

[@Horzpwr]

Anybody watching this on the day 4014 runs for the first time?

[@miscellaneousyoutube5399]

Me

[@danethanor]

I saw a good documentary on youtube about the restoration of the Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy and it explained the reason that particular engine was chosen. First it was located in California's dry climate, so corrosion was minimum. Second, it was the last to be overhauled and converted to fuel oil before being decommissioned in 1959.

[@ChuteMi-df2es]

The Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 Hudson, or better known as Royal Hudson, is also beautiful. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Wolfe’s Cove, Quebec, on May 17 1939. They wanted to take a tour from Quebec City to Vancouver, British Columbia by rail so CPR chose the 4-6-4 Hudson 2850. She was later renamed as the Royal Hudson by permission of King George. A year later, 2820-2859 and 2860-2864 were built as Royal Hudsons. They were given Royal Crowns on the running boards, and were the first and last locomotives outside of the United Kingdom to be given royal status.

[@RailFoxMedia]

U had a typo in the description

[@mattwalden4020]

Hi Eric what about Double heading the Lionel and MTH big Boys so we can compare the differences in details and sounds?

[@choochoo3985]

Love your video's. I have only a couple O Gauge so the Great-grandchildren can operate trains, not my HO. A point in history when the crew talk about how much easier it is with oil, not having to shovel coal. NO ONE SHOVELED COAL IN THESE EXCEPT TO START THE FIRE. Coal was blown into the fire box using steam. Thanks again for sharing these videos. Very professional.

[@byates59]

AWESOME engine and review Eric! But I like the Lionel JLC / Vision line engines better, mostly because of the chuffing sounds! Thanks bro!

[@micahmocnik3387]

Hey bill i just wanted to let u know i love your trains! you and eric are my favorite! your videos are good and you have great trains! -Micah

[@nickltrains6952]

I enjoyed seeing the new UP Big Boy. I liked the crew talk. It seems the whisel smoke is blown to the front of the locomotive.Where the Lionel flow of smoke is vertical. Probably that's why the MTH has a better flow of smoke. Anyway that's one hobbyist opinion. Eric I see you added more buildings on the layout. The Mattress Factory is it a flat building? If it is where did you purchase the building? As always you have a wonderful train layout. Have a great day. Greetings from New Jersey

[@sleeves_rail_archives]

Nice review! I believe those things you were confused about early in the video is what they call the "after coolers". I'm not sure what the purpose of the after coolers were but the after cooler pipes could be viewed by the handrails that's go up the pilot of the engine. In fact, your Vision Line Big Boy has the after cooler pipes viewed from sides I believe. That's how the first 20 big boys looked after being delivered to the UP in 1941 but they were moved several years later behind the number plate on the front of the engine.

[@guyintheshado]

please do an MTH vs Lionel big boy review.

[@Ericstrains]

Sorry, not gonna happen.

[@guyintheshado]

ericstrains I have to ask why

[@Ericstrains]

People want me to compare them because they want to know which one is better, but it's not a fair comparison. The Vision Line big boy is a $2500 engine where they've thrown in the kitchen sink as far as technology and features go. The MTH big boy is a $1500 engine is very nice for the money. It's sort of like asking someone to compare a Rolls Royce to a Honda. It's apples and oranges, and which one you decide to get really comes down to how much money you want to spend.

[@guyintheshado]

ericstrains I understand where you're coming from, but you're probably one of 3 people (maybe) in the USA that have both. Maybe premise the video as a for fun, because I can, or "keep in mind the price different". or maybe even premise the video "the $1000 dollar difference between two amazing model big boys". I just don't want to have to play both of your videos on 2 different computer screens to get a visual comparison.

[@NERRP2017]

ericstrains 1500 is still too much, for me waaaay outta my price range

[@TheCrewChief374]

So Eric, do you know if one of the voices for the crew talk is Ed Dickens the director of steam operations for Union Pacific?

[@cnwtrains]

the quilling whistle effect on the MTH big boy is easier with the MTH Wi-Fi unit through your device

[@spadesofpaintstudios1719]

Great video man I wish I could own one

[@billblendick9780]

Of the MTH and the Lionel models, which one of the two is more authentically accurate and reproduced ?

[@Ericstrains]

That's a question that brings a complicated answer. MTH and Lionel both have their pros and cons, and there really is no wrong choice. But here goes.. MTH: Generally speaking, MTH models are more prototypically accurate and have a more consistent build quality than Lionel. The consistent build quality, however, does come at a cost. The build quality is more consistent because MTH does not innovate as often as Lionel. When they find something that works, they stick with it for a long time. Therefore, an MTH model from 10-15 years has more or less the exact same features as one made today. MTH sound effects are also usually very prototypically accurate, but the sound quality is not nearly as good as Lionel. Lionel: In general, Lionel models are not quite as prototypically accurate as MTH and their build quality is not as consistent. The build quality issues, however, are largely due to the fact that Lionel is a BIG innovator. They are always making changes and adding new features. When they find something that works, they try to make it even better the next time around. So with Lionel, you will get a lot of cutting edge cool features that nobody else has. The Vision Line is the ultimate example the forward thinking cutting edge feature development that Lionel is known for. But again, that cutting edge mentality does make their models a little more prone to problems than the more conservative MTH models. Lionel models also have far superior sound quality...the best in the hobby, period. In the end, it just depends on what you want. There's no wrong choice. I buy both MTH and Lionel models and I enjoy them both for the different reason. Hope this helps.

[@billblendick9780]

ericstrains Thank you for the comparison.

[@idubbbsjr5774]

Get the Lionel 2-10-10-1

[@shnimmuc]

Both the Lionel and the MTH are wonderful. Your review was very well done and unprejudiced

[@andrewgallousis]

Great review, thanks! By any chance do you plan on picking up the new premier MTH Santa Fe Northern 2900 class? I'd love to see you review that one.

[@chrisbruce5711]

Will you ever do the PRR T1 Duplex

[@brandon_2002]

me gusta. ponlo en vivo el proximo

[@amberstjohn834]

Question me and my son bought lionel o gauge train sets but we went downstairs to put them together but they keep having electricity problems and I am looking for answers

[@TechnoYacy]

I gotta say it’s better then Lionel But anyone 2019?

[@Josephcavagnaro]

I prefer the rail king version I don't own any o-72

[@DanielChannel57]

I think the Lionel Vision Line version is so much better, especially with its sound. It has a lot more bass in its chuff as I expect in a monster steamer like Big Boy. That and the whistle sounds more smooth, mournful and haunting, especially with the echo effect they put in, which still gives me chills and goosebumps listening to it.

[@jimbos1567]

I agree. The MTH is a nice engine, but can't hold a candle to the Lionel Vision Line.

[@Ericstrains]

DanielChannel57 it also costs a lot less than the vision line big boy, so it's not a fair comparison.

[@DanielChannel57]

Sorry, Eric. It's just so weird to see two models of the same engine of the same number on the same layout. So I feel that this video invites that comparison.

[@Andrew74488]

I prefer MTH for the price, but their chief lacks the bass of the Lionel steam engines

[@matthewrotchford]

Daniel, it's fair to compare them, but you have to take in consideration that the price difference is $1000.00 that leaves for a lot more extras that can be included. It's like comparing my Imperial BigBoy to the Premier one.

[@diearnal]

Hi Eric. In case you were probably not sure of the stuff in front of the Big Boy below the smokebox. The history of that the Union Pacific built aftercoolers and put them behind closed doors on the front of the locomotive.

[@kstrains]

Very nice review! Little surprised by the functionality of whistle steam not working with the regular whistle but I guess MTH had choose with DCS which whistle could use smoking whistle. In my opinion I would have liked having the smoking whistle function with the regular whistle button since I use it more over the Quilling whistle.

[@TweetsieRailroader]

Couldn't you of bought another road number? Like the 4012? Since you already got the Lionel Vision Line 4014?

[@JerryDoesThings_1604]

good vid! keep it up!

[@vijayalakshmipandian6169]

Nice Set Eric! But you didn’t show how to do the bell.

[@rickystrainvideos3041]

Great video, Eric! Can you do a comparison video showing the Lionel Big Boy next to the MTH Big Boy? That would be neat. Thank you.

[@MrLunchHour2]

My only complaint with a lot of mth whistles is that they don’t have a great echo sound like Lionel. As soon as you stop pulling the whistle it seems like the sound is cut too quickly

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Compare it side by side with the Lionel version. Then couple them up back to back and do a tug of war. I have a bunch of can motor 86 and newer Lionel 4-4-2's and was going to make my own 4-4-4-2 or maybe a Garratt, but got sidelined by Lyme disease in the last three years. I was going to use the existing axles, wheels, gears and can motor but build new chassis frames and position the motor behind the 2nd drive axle so it all would clear a swinging boiler. Hopefully I can feel good enough to build something. I have a video of a crude dummy coupler I added to the front of one of those Lionel 4-4-2's.

[@JamesBond-sv7bf]

i really like how much he gets into details

[@mjc6184]

Very nice model, but still those "toy-like" chuffing sounds seam to detract from the overall execution of the model (my humble opinion of course). That being said, MTH does appear to be improving the clarity and bass of their steam sound sets, particularly in the new SF 4-8-4 Northerns that have been hitting the shelves. In any event, very nice review Eric, looks right at home on your pike!

[@nwi_railfan5245]

Nice

[@Rebel9668]

He was talking about shoveling coal. I don't think they shoveled it originally because it had a screw auger that fed the coal in.

[@redbuzzardbass]

They didn't shovel coal in the original, it did have a mechanical stoker. I could tell you model of stoker if you like.

[@bradenstrains243]

Andrew Jackson lol imagine putting enough coal in the firebox to keep it 70 mph

[@railfanjackson4531]

Lol yeah that would be impossible. In fact a single fireman could barely shovel enough coal to produce enough steam for the whistle. That was a proven fact stated in the UP'S Last of the Giants film.

[@railfanjackson4531]

Mind you that even on massive locomotives like the Big Boy or the Allegheny the fireman still needed to shovel some coal into the firebox when the engine is being fired up. That is so that the crew could get a good enough fire started to start producing steam. The stoker screw (screw auger) was typically used once they got a good start.

[@jonathanerickson1543]

Did the big boy ever operate much over 60mph?

[@lilah66]

I am 69 and one of my most cherished memories was being at my grandparents in Kane PA. and the sound of the steam engines entering town coming up the grade (2700 ft. above sea level) and on the wooden trestle. So much has changed since I was a kid and my Lionel super O gauge and ZW transformer. Is it possible to take the sounds from the engine and use a good audio system to reproduce them?

[@Ericstrains]

Not sure, probably.

[@Gordons1888]

That whistle is just ugly

[@diearnal]

I'm a huge fan of your videos and the reviews you do on o scale trains. It is a real nice hobby. I've been into o scale trains since 2007 and I enjoy them very much. I reside in Scranton, PA. Keep up the reviews. You are very precise!

[@bernie604]

its missing the boiler hand rail,i just noticed that,and it broke the beauty of it

[@INDYNOIR1]

Eric I have beautiful sounding Union Pacific diesels running about 1/2 mile from my house and I can't find any horns that sound like these modern diesels. Any recommendations on Lionel models that most represent modern diesels. Nothing I hear has that blast power. The Dash 9 is the only thing I've found with that blast power, like that one, but it's the wrong tone.

[@greenblueBonnieFNAFakaJL]

The galaxy railways BIG ONE train

[@有紀護]

4014

[@rowancollins9558]

Great Video Eric it's thankfully out the MTH big boy is finally reviewed, need thought id see the day. By the way could you try to review the rio grande or milwaukee road f units soon?

[@garyjust.johnson1436]

You really need about 200 foot radius to make this engine look good on the track. Otherwise the boiler will swing out and knock over lamps in the next room. Great video, awesome engine!

[@rail-ryder7135]

Its great that it has whistle steam, but WHY CAN'T IT BE THE MAIN WHISTLE BUTTON?

[@Rebel9668]

They should have given one of the crew figures a white hat so you could tell which one was Ed, LOL!

[@MatthewTheRBXMan]

thanks for everthaing like if you agree

[@FG01]

Great review... Still prefer Mths Alleghenies from a while back.... Regards ..Frank from Oz...

[@salahmed1890]

the ash pan Wheels on the Firebox are missing on this model because Union Pacific will convert 4014 to oil firing

[@mariacalicchia3009]

you missed the part when you check out the bell and crew talk sounds

[@Ericstrains]

maria calicchia no I didn't

[@micahmocnik3387]

hey eric i want to know what does a scale dummy coupler differ from a o scale dummy coupler?

[@ArnavKhode]

The bell sounds like 3985, but it fits well on 4014!

[@BellaZuikaku4785]

I don't know Eric... I like that Big Boy 4014.... But from the Lionel vision line I like it alot better then the MTH version

[@JakeT-nh5bh]

Lionel vision line is $2500 this is like $1000 I’d hope it be better

[@file1man]

Originally missed the $1600 price for this MTH big boy, my apologies to you eric but in five years this hobby will reach even fewer people than it does today because these prices are insane I have 40 MTH engines mostly premier three of which were bought new and I have 10 lionel all of which were bought new but many years ago- few under 50 yrs old can or will or should spend $1600 on an engine.kline is gone & mike wolf's mth pricing model will kill mth and end this hobby

[@file1man]

actually running these trains with your son or daughter is a lot more fun than watching this well done video-but a $1600 premier engine or a $600 rail king big boy is insane and selling us $250 sets with no detail& poor quality and not to be seen locally is shortsighted & insulting. I fear this mth led hobby is done very soon

[@Ericstrains]

Please watch the entire video before commenting on what is and what is not in the video. The retail prices are discussed at 28:42. The prices are not high because they are greedy or stupid..they are high because these models are expensive to manufacture. It's the same reason why you could buy a car for a few thousand dollars in 1960 but today a new car costs at least 15K. The stuff is expensive to manufacture.

[@file1man]

Eric, you miss my point which is Mike"s mth business model does not concentrates on serving people who are willing to spend $400 on well built, long lasting, well detailed railking models so that the model train experience survives and is passed on to our children. Instead Mike's mth model concentrates on expensive models selling to a select few rather than using their good designs with good practises and sell to the mass market. I have 40 mth engines and many cars because I appreciate the hard work mth puts in their models but mth's choices do not grow the market in a long lasting, best for usl way. I was there when mth forced dealers to do a minimum$10,000 order whether or not the dealers local business could support the order. There are now very few dealers left . I was there when mth electronics were so poor that a dead battery caused reset problems. It took lionel to fix the electronics 3 years before mth finally made the small changes to the electronics. What we are after is for mth to share the wonder and good fun of the model train hobby at price points that help both mth and those of us still in the hobby

[@file1man]

Also, I remember visiting 2 separate mth dealers who both said that wanted to place $4,000 orders for models that suited their local customers and would likely sell in good time but that mth required them to order $10,000 minimum stipulating that these dealers buy some larger, very expensive engines as part of that minimum order quantity. Just seems so short sighted by mth to the detriment of mth and us. Well, it is years later and these 2 dealers are long gone, regretably

[@JC-ie1sm]

file1man Lionel's prices will kill the hobby. They want $1700 for a 4-8-4 and over $2K for an Allegheny or Big Boy. MTH keeps their prices on big steam around $1500-1600 at the most.

[@vicdoesgaming7570]

just if my big boy had a dcs decoder but it was an early proto 3 so it didnt come with one

[@SimonOfFortune]

(obligatory "first" comment) I've been waiting for this ^-^

[@Xpninjadan]

DimensionPizza You aren't first

[@SimonOfFortune]

Xpninjadan Wow you really showed me

[@Xpninjadan]

Neat

[@choochoo3985]

So large, yet the speaker is still in the tender? I'm 76 and remember steam locomotives and the sound came from the locomotive. It really did/does! Someone tell MTH! Please?Also the rails on the pilot on the real thing have diagonal braces on the aft vertical station. Not on the MTH!

[@Ericstrains]

choochoo3985 the reason why the sounds come from the tender on the model is because that’s the only area of the engine large enough to contain the sounds system. That’s standard practice in model railroading.

[@captainflamflam4220]

What if there was a 4-8-8-8-8-8-8-4?

[@hambb]

That boiler would stick out so much when rounding a curve

[@Maximilian7992]

Hey Eric, do you have an average track curve size or at least a main one?

[@stephenswift5531]

This engine looks like the real union Pacific 4014

[@brok3nD1am0nd45]

WOOHOO! ANOTHER BIG BOY REVIEW!

[@brok3nD1am0nd45]

Also, it would be cool to see the doubleheader of Lionel's Big Boy and this one. Another fantastic review from Ericstrains himself!

[@503railfan]

Welll, 6 months till the AC-9 gets made and I hope you will make a review for it

[@NERRP2017]

This is a premier right?

[@MrLunchHour2]

I wish Lionel would add the doors on the cab of the 2019v2 model instead of curtains.

[@cordellbailey6944]

hey buddy i hand made a union pacfic turbire in ho scale

[@transportationproductions1794]

I see you have 2 Big Boys, Eric! 1 Lionel and 1 MTH.

[@bobart1790]

Saw the real deal in action yesterday in Northern I’ll. What a site.

[@TheRealEasyA]

It won't be long now. :) 4014 is stripped ALL the way down and it should be done within the next 3 years if not next year.

[@silverstatehighiron]

Alex Crawford Should be done 2019.

[@jacobfitzgerald6050]

do a video about a day with Eric what happens when you record and after