Well, its about as official as you are gonna get.. UP 3985 retired.

[peteski]

And don't forget the issues with the wheelbase too. Ten coupled drivers are gonna be trying to "straighten the bends" a good bit more than a simple 6 axle truck will.

I always thought that long-wheelbase stem locos had some lateral play on their driver axles

[johnb]

I always thought that long-wheelbase stem locos had some lateral play on their driver axles

some do, but a good articulated loco is still easier on the track than a Santa Fe, Texas or a Decapod

[Chris333]

Easy on track>? The abandoned line 1/2 mile down the street from me was built as 3' gauge and later converted to standard. Near the end of their life B&O was using EM-1's on this line to haul coal. This photo is half way between me and Lake Erie:


So that is 2-8-8-4+2-8-8-4+2-8-8-4     It just happens someone from my town was there the day this photos was taken and shortly after the 3rd car back broke a coupler. So there is also a photo with these 3 EM-1's pulling 3 cars. They were pulling up the 1.46% grade shown here: