I've been thinking about this and could not figure it out. isn't a triplex bigger than the big boy? or did they just not count it at all due to it being like a failed experiment? So is the triplex the biggest steam engine? what about garrets? they seem to be bigger too. Unlike the triplex, these actually made many runs and are still used today. Thanks for the info.
"Bigger" is one of those terms that will stir up an endless debate. It can mean number of driving wheels, overall length, total weight, tractive effort, etc.. Locomotive manufacturers each had claims to the biggest locomotive using their own standards for judgement. It also can be at the time the locomotive was produced. The Triplexes were built about thirty years before the Big Boys. Lets just say the ones you mentioned are definitely in the largest catergory.
jettrainfan,
As ALCOS4EVER pointed out, bigger in what sense?
Most powerfull? Not the Big Boy or the Triplex
Heaviest?
Longest?
No one loco is king of all three.
Go to www.steamlocomotive.com and read up on biggest/fastest and heaviest.
Sheldon
Alright, thanks for the info!