Building an engine so big, what were they thinking? It's metallic madness I tell you!

It was designed by italians engineers that needed some power for alps freight trains, but only the belgian approved the prototype for being built

Your engineers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn't stop to think if they should.

Normal locos: limited by traction or tractive effort This Chad: *limited by coupler strength*

Belgians minds when designing a train: MOAR WHEELS MEANS MORE POWER

Engineer: "We need money to build this quadruplex steam engine" Official: _stops writing at desk_ "What-why the Hell would you want to build something like that?" Engineer: "Shits and giggles" Official: Engineer: Official: Engineer: Official: "Ok"

this is what you get when you have a drunk engineer who is somehow the smartest in this feild, and let him go wild.

Imagine seeing this giant loco in action. That would be a sight to see

“Hey we should make an engine with 2 fire..” “HELL YEAH” “…and more than 20 dri…” “HELL YEAH” “..but it’ll be too big for…” “HELL YEAHHHHHHHH”

Thank you for not saying what part of Belgium this champion came from.

Didn't know that we built one of the biggest steam engines in the world!It's always cool to learn new things about my country's railway history 😄

Such a shame it isn't around today anymore as someone in Europe catching a glimpse at the Big Boy is a bit difficult in person so seeing this would have been amazing. Unlike the Triplex, this thing worked amazingly. Such advanced technology for the day, connecting all the segments together and making it so powerful it broke the coupling, but that just proves that it was good. I didn't know it was rebuilt into two smaller locomotives, but sadly even those didn't made it into preservation

Reminds me of the PRR's Big Liz electric prototype, a locomotive so strong that it would rip couplings.

Great video on "Le Mastodont"! There is an article in EisenbahnJournal 2004 describing the loco which might help: The article explanied that it was built by Georg D.Wulf in Belgium with the Italian designers Attillo Franco and Piero Crosti to test their new preheating design using the "waste" from cylinders and funnel. That's why they placed a second boiler infront of the main boiler. It was tested successful, but the Italians changed the design to have the second boiler placed under the loco and the funnels at the cab, like German railways BR 50.40 or the FS 741, therefore eliminating the need for a lenghty articulated loco. It reduced the need for coal as the water was preheated, but the U-turn of the exhaust led to acid forming in the boiler tubes and costly replacements. It never caught on outside of Europe.

"HEY SMITH IM BORED WANNA BUILD A F*CKING UNIT" "Why not John were on coffee break." -How I imagine the conversation went.

I was at a rail museum in PA and it finally struck me, these things are absolutely massive and were amazing creations as creative as any art. One had a top speed of 120MPH. Seeing how much mass and how many linkages, my mind can't register that. Just amazing.

Belgium was actually quite good at building large and powerful designs, some were the largest engines of their type in Europe, like the type 12 4-4-2 Atlantic, type 5 2-8-2 Mikado and type 1 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives. The type 5 were flawed locomotives and only 5 were built, but still had 20 service years. The type 1 at 212 tonnes/467,400lbs total weight , 44,000lbs of tractive effort and developing up to 3200hp was not much short in numbers from the PRR K4, one of the more famous classes of 4-6-2 in the US.

3:19 *your local Hungarian actually getting heart attacks from looking at this here*

Bunch of people all caught the "Screw it, why not?" bug at the same time. A kind of madness if you will.

I'm Belgian and I always wanted to know more about this thing, marklin better make a model of this thing at some point ngl

I love how much emphasis you put on “ACTUALLY WORKED” near the end!

Thats happens when the answer to your question is "Yes"

"Science isn't about why, its about why not"

Very interesting, but, "of all places, Belgium"?! Don't forget Belgium gave us the Belpaire firebox, Walschaerts valve gear, many splendid beers and Eddy Merckx, to name but a few.

As a Belgian train enthousiast it didn't know we build such a behemoth of an engine.

The next derail valley mod indeed thanks

That is a truely strange locomotive.

I’m sorry, but WHAT?! What on earth is that monstrosity?! Fascinating.

As a belgian I'm shook

They must of been high when designing it. They locked themselves in the drawing office with a big bag of coke and said "we're not getting out of this room until its all gone!" This was the result!

This is like the second video on KZfaq I’ve seen of this beast.

Belgium had strong railway engineering and construction history, until the two wars came along. Cockerill went over from England and opened a factory.

This happens when you deliver a truckload of Duvel to Belgian Engineers and let them go mad.

I so wish this one was preserved

Someone PLEASE MAKE A MODEL OF THIS

This is quite interesting. Some commenters point out that the design was intended for alpine use, which makes sense.

Please do the less known LNER locomotives there's many I have not even heard off

It’s like they took a Duplex, and mixed it with a Fairlie at either end, with a Flexi-boiler for good measure

The fact that the Belgian Quadruplex actually worked compared to the shorter Erie and Virginian Triplexes and PRR Duplexes makes me believe that weird train designs only work when built in Belgium.

Belgium: builds biggest engine at a time Rest of the world: Why? Belgium: Yes

Belgium government: So.. you made this engine because you could? the inventor: *Y E S*

Being a Belgian myself, I consider this a prime example of the quality of Belgian politics: a total waste of recourses and nobody knows why and whodunit 😛

it was probably amazing to have seen this engine in action

Absolutely bonkers engine!

Wild! I have never heard of this thing. I know of museum railways though that already consider a Meyer locomotive to be too complex with its four cylinders.

Wow! I've seen a lot of unusual locomotive designs but this is the first I've ever heard of this one, that I can recall. It's cool to know that unlike most unusual locos, this one actually worked and worked well. But I'm sure maintaining it would have been costly.

One point hardly mentioned; look at the diagrams in 1:20 of the firing positions. To one side of the opposite boiler, with air and light from only one side (no through cab) and out of touch with the driver. They must have got unbearably hot, like Bulleid's Leader 0-6-6-0. Quite surprised that they found firemen who would work them and that the unions didn't object. I suppose you save one driver (but no firemen) compared to two separate locos.

Might it have been to pull larger loads like railway guns? Those were popular concepts at the time, and might have been on the minds of industrial planners given belgiums experience in wwi

In America at least there were a number of locomotives prior to the Big Boy that were longer than the 2096. The C&O T1, PRR J1, and N&W Class A come to mind right off, and probably also the Union Pacific Challengers as well.

Why not is as good of a reason as any. The history of it really intrigues me especially the parts of when it fell under Nazi and Soviet forces. Can you imagine in an alternate timeline that this engine, and potentially more like it, would be used by the axis forces into the Cold War. Very unlikely, yes, but its fun to think about.

This loco shouldn't exist, and yet it does............. And I love how batshit crazy it is

They were thinking like Jeremy Clarkson. "POWAAAAAAH!"

I am from belgium and the only knowledge I have of Belgium steam are those wierd streamlined 4-4-2 (i think) and older German designs. "Prussian" I think they were called. How did we even made this? What?

An absolute behemoth of an engine

I think it should be “Belgium’s” not just “Belgium” in the title.

Some people commented "First" Dude, you literally watch like few seconds of the video. What are you doing?

Given that it was Belgium, it was probably done to be a work of art.

_Hits blunt_ _Necks a shot of Everclear_ "A'ight, hear me out."

The fact the Belgian twelve is already too big for modern rails gives that engine no chance on our current tracks.

we dutch often say the belgians are crazy, but we didn't think they were even capable of such a thing...

Its pretty much a mix between a Garrett, a double Fairly and a Mallet.

Thanks cobber, cheers mate.

This beast could have been an absolute banker given its immense power and as it didn’t need to turn around.

The word:in a great depression Mienwile belgium:

Why do i feel like saying: "Rebuild it and run it on the main line!"

Alternative title: The Worlds Biggest Steam Locomotive You Never Heard Of.

I would love to see this in 00 gauge 😂

Belgium: fuck it, L O N G B O I

a online friend told me about this- and now there is a video- WOAH

Its just a Big Boi of its own.

Unlimited Horsepower!

That isn‘t an Engine. THAT IS A BATTLESHKP THAT RUNS ON RAILS.

Absolutely digging the use of Metallic Madness Zone (Past) from Sonic CD (JP/EU)

It’s beautiful.

I want to make one of these nowadays

Oliver Bulleid on steroids. If it required two drivers and two firemen with two boilers it would be more practical to use two standard engines as a double header. The option of double heading when required and using each engine on different duties when needed seems a better option. I wonder what André Chapelon would have thought about this creation? Having a one-off loco, such as the British LNER Garret, and other similar types of engines, creates the problem of spare parts for maintenance and overhaul. How were the boiler tubes cleaned every couple of weeks, or so, if the length of the cleaning rods were unable to gain access to the front tube plate? It's a pity it wasn't preserved for posterity.

Nice video! Yes, Douglas Self has some interesting locomotives and pictures on his website.

Cool Steam Engines And Really Big Too I'm Impressed 😮

Belgium is a small country. We like to compensate: Look up Belgian Draughts, Belgian Blues and Flemish Giants... and you'll understand.

That's a beautiful engine. Bet it would work else where better like on a mountain railway in America or the open tracks with lojg runs.

Belgium, man, Belgium!

That's a lot of freaking Wheels!!! 👍🏻🇺🇸

I was looking for that loco for sooooo long

Amazing machine, even more amazing that it did work well ( even as speed was low ) This is the first time that i hear of this engine.... notwithstanding that I'am a native Belgian..

Such a cool locomotive

It's just really cool

Imagine they find both of them in an abandoned railway shed in central Poland in perfectly good condition lol

Actually it looks like a good hump switcher. Some of the largest U.S. steamers were put in that service as diesels replaced them on the mainline.

I think Lionel or any other model train brands should make something like that for Ho scale or any other bigger scale.

this is so big that I bet it can crush flying buffer beam or even united state 4-4-0 tender engine

Sounds like the Orkks from warhammer 40k made a steam engine

🔥🔥🔥 the sonic cd ost goes hard af

Good video, like !

I think it was built to haul really heavy trains on the Vennbahn Raeren St Vith .

For your next video can you do a video on Trojan ( the gwr 0-4-0) that only has like two siblings and only one of them survived? And also while for the joke maybe considered him being related to Percy? And ask for the thumbnail you can slap on a Percy face on Trojan :) Could be interesting to know. But this is just an idea from me.

metallic madness is perfect bgm for this

I'm convinced the golden age of railway innovation is over. This is amazing.... useless, but amazing lol

That could eat a Terrier for breakfast.

"Yeah!! Double the staffing costs! I love it!" - whoever approved this engine

You've not mentioned the thing, but yep, there are complicated articulated joints for fumes, and water, and steam between the main body and the two water-tender-heaters. This thing is complete madness.