4-4-0 modern?

[sparkyjay31]

What is meant by the modern label on the Spectrum 4-4-0?  What is modern?  1900?  1920?  Obviously this is not a 1850 example, but can someone please elaborate?

[Pacific Northern]

From the Model Railroader review of the 4-4-0 is the background information.  The same explanation in a shorter form is included in the Product section of this web page.

"American Standard. By the latter half of the 1800s, locomotives with a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement were so prevalent in the U.S. that they were classified as the American Standard or American type. A surge in new locomotive designs in the early 20th century quickly made the 4-4-0 obsolete, and few new Americans were built after 1900. Many 4-4-0s remained in service on Class 1 railroads through the 1920s and on short lines into the 1950s.

A "modernized" American. The prototype for the Bachmann 4-4-0 is Maryland & Pennsylvania no. 6. American Locomotive Co.'s Richmond Works delivered this engine along with two identical locomotives, nos. 4 and 5, to the Ma & Pa in 1901. These 4-4-0s were similar to other modernized American-type engines built for several other railroads around the country.

The model's dimensions match drawings of Ma & Pa no. 6 published in the March 1965 issue of Model Railroader. Cab style, stack and dome arrangement, piping and other details also match prototype photos of no. 6.

The drawings show no. 6 with piston-valve cylinders that were added to the locomotive in 1924. Some of the Bachmann 4-4-0s also have these cylinders. The sample we reviewed has the earlier slide-valve type but has other features of a modernized 4-4-0, such as a steel cab, and an electric headlight."



Roadname-specific details. Our sample came decorated and detailed as Maine Central no. 84. The Bachmann engine has a tapered boiler and dome and stack arrangements similar to modernized 4-4-0s found on the MEC as well as other roads. The model has roadname-specific details, such as the cab type (wood or steel) and the headlight type (with or without visor), and bell, headlight, and classification light arrangements.

Our MEC sample has a factory-installed solid pilot and coal bunker. Two different types of user-installed spoked pilots as well as a footboard pilot and wood and oil bunkers are included.

[richG]

Steel cab vesus wood cab. Electric headlight & generator versus oil headlight to start wirh. Others may comment.

Rich

[sparkyjay31]

Am I reading correctly that this would be an accurate representation of an early 1900's 4-4-0?

[richG]

That is what this Bachmann product listing says.

I have seen a similar one, #494 at White River Junction, VT. It was not under cover at the time and look pretty weathered along with the caboose. It was built in 1892.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=

#494. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1690

http://cvrr.railfan.net/494Pages/494hstry.html

Rich

[ebtnut]

The "original" version of the 4-4-0, with the slide valves, wood cab and oil headlight, represents a fairly typical moderate size American from the 1890-1900 period.  On the Ma & Pa, Nos. 4 and 5 retained the slide valves and wood cabs, but did get electric headlights.  No. 6 got rebuilt with superheater, piston valves and the steel cab, making it more "modern" in appearance.  No. 6 lasted until the end of 1951 before being sold for scrap. 

The essential difference between these engines and the earlier mid-19th Century locos is the firebox.  From about the 1840's until about the 1880's the firebox was located between the frame members, making it fairly narrow and limiting its heat production.  Advances in design led to setting the firebox on the top of the frame members, essentially giving it about an extra 8-10 inches of width.  This resulted in having the boiler mounted higher off the frame.  As the century neared its end, designers began setting the firebox above the drivers, allowing it to get even wider.  The dawn of the 20th century saw the development of the trailing truck, which allowed a wide, deep firebox without getting the boiler too high.   

Understand, of course, that up through this time period locomotives were all hand-fired.  With the development of the trailing truck, the limit on locomotive design became how much firebox area the fireman could handle to keep the engine from losing steam pressure.  Automatic stokers began coming into prominence after about 1910, which then allowed fireboxes to get much bigger, need four wheel trailing trucks (or 6-wheel in some cases).

[Davy]

The 4-4-0 was the "early on" favorite because the design was hard to foul up.  It did fall out of favor because of size limitations, but it seems like there are always exceptions to the rules, and the Chicago and Illinois Midland is one of them.  They used a 4-4-0 on their Peoria-Springfield train until the end of service in the '50s.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Until trains got long and rolling stock got heavy (steel), the 4-4-0 always was a good general-purpose locomotive.