The Train That was UNBELIEVABLY Loud It Got BANNED

This locomotive was so loud it sounded like a jet engine on rails. With 8,500 horsepower and turbine exhaust estimated at around 120 decibels, the GE GTEL “Big Blow” may be the loudest locomotive ever built. It could haul massive freight trains over mountain grades that stopped conventional diesels—but its insane power came at a brutal cost. So why did one of the most powerful locomotives in history disappear almost overnight? In this video, we break down the engineering behind Union Pacific’s legendary Big Blow gas turbine locomotive, explain why it was so deafeningly loud, and reveal why its record-setting power ultimately wasn’t enough to save it. From turbine mechanics and fuel consumption to maintenance nightmares and rising operating costs, this is the full story of the loudest locomotive ever built. Chapters 00:00 Why The Big Blow Was The Loudest Locomotive Ever Built 00:34 What Was The GE GTEL Big Blow? 00:48 How The Big Blow Gas Turbine Engine Worked 02:02 How The Big Blow Started Its Turbine Engine 02:45 Why The Big Blow Was So Loud 03:29 Big Blow Decibel Level vs Diesel Locomotives 04:50 Big Blow Horsepower and Performance Explained 07:14 Why The Big Blow Was So Expensive To Run 07:29 Bunker C Fuel and Heated Tender System 08:24 Big Blow Maintenance and Turbine Blade Problems 09:39 Why Rising Fuel Prices Killed The Big Blow 11:19 Retirement of The Big Blow Fleet 12:13 The Last Surviving Big Blow Locomotive 12:51 Big Blow Legacy and Why It Failed #locomotives #bigblow #gasturbine #engineering #unionpacific #trains