jethat posted:The Big boy was not the biggest nor was it the most powerful or the most successful. I think its cool they restore one. I dont like the fact that the restoration comes at the expense of other equipment in the historic UP steam shop. including 3985 witch IS actually the most successful (based on number built) Articulated design of the steam age.
I wouldn't say the Challenger type is the most successful articulated design; the number made does not directly constitute whether the design is successful or not. I would say the best articulated steam locomotive designs come from the N&W. The A's were smaller than the Challengers, but had up to 126,000 lbs of tractive effort, which is almost as powerful as the Big Boys. And don't even get me started on the Y6's...
