The company that ordered a new type of steam locomotive called it the Wasatch. Except for a few company bean counters the rest of the world called it something else. What? How many of them were there?
Quote from: SteamGene on March 18, 2007, 06:43:03 PM
The company that ordered a new type of steam locomotive called it the Wasatch. Except for a few company bean counters the rest of the world called it something else. What? How many of them were there?
UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boys.
25 were built.
Scot
and...............
It was built by alco
4000 class
They were built between 1941-1944
25 were built
Top speed was 80 mph
Only 2 of the 8 surving big boys are indoors
133 feet long
16.4 feet high
539.6 tons
Tractive effort is 135,375 lb
It takes 5 diesels to do the work of one big boy
The firebox was 20 feet long
It had Boxpok wheels to make the ride comfortable
The big boy got its name when a builder chalked big boy on its firebox
Quote from: HOplasserem80c on March 18, 2007, 07:19:35 PM
It had Boxpok wheels to make the ride comfortable
Did it also have light weight side rods and main rods? "Light weight" being a relative term, of course. As I understand it, roughness was a result of dynamic imbalance between the wheels and the rods. Making just the wheels lighter would not seem to be a cure. For a smoother ride, I would think you would need lighter rods as well.
There is an excellent set of drawings of a boxpok wheel at this link:
http://www.5at.co.uk/Drawings/Wheels/Driving_wheel_Boxpok.pdf (http://www.5at.co.uk/Drawings/Wheels/Driving_wheel_Boxpok.pdf)
here is another "what is it?"
what are those weird tower things alongside the PRR T1?
(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/scottychaos/PRR.jpg)
Scot
Those are standpipes to refill the water tank of the tender. Most yards had them, with the water coming from a water tank some distance away.
Gene
Scot,
Water filler pipes/columns (maybe)?
Pennsy didn't use oil fired steam did they? I can't imagine what else would be put into Pennsy steam tenders using those kinds of structures, other than water.
HOplasser,
Hey fella' ... you did a great job on your answer to Gene. Lots of good information and very readable. Thanks!
lanny nicolet
Quote from: SteamGene on March 19, 2007, 01:03:24 PM
Those are standpipes to refill the water tank of the tender. Most yards had them, with the water coming from a water tank some distance away.
Gene
nope! they are not standpipes for water.
Scot
I've never heard of a standpipe for coal, but this is the Pennsy, so expect the non-standard.
Gene
Quote from: SteamGene on March 19, 2007, 01:51:32 PM
I've never heard of a standpipe for coal, but this is the Pennsy, so expect the non-standard.
Gene
not coal either!
Scot
Are they for sand? ???
Quote from: Alex V. on March 19, 2007, 08:38:41 PM
Are they for sand? ???
nope! not sand either..
we have covered all the things that go into a steam engine,
water, fuel, sand.. yep..the things that go
into a steam engine.
Scot
Gene
Tank car filling stand pipes??
Nelson
Are they for washing the locomotive?
no, and no.
we have covered the things that go into a steam engine,
water, fuel, sand.. the things that go into a steam engine.
(thats a hint! ;)
Scot
There are 8 in the photo so the loco is probably a red herring. Spouts for filling oil tank cars?
Nelson
That is for channeling the smoke out of the locomotive to a central stack. It is to help control the smoke over Chicago.
(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/scottychaos/PRR.jpg)
Quote from: Dr EMD on March 19, 2007, 10:13:21 PM
That is for channeling the smoke out of the locomotive to a central stack. It is to help control the smoke over Chicago.
(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/scottychaos/PRR.jpg)
*ding* we have a winner!
yes, those are PRR "smoke collectors"! (http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/Smileys/default/shocked.gif)
they would be moved over the stack, and suck the smoke away to a different location..
gotta love that Pennsy..
Scot
Never woulda guessed it! That's wierd.
I guess it's possible they are steam washers. That would explain that strange rounded end and the configuration in pairs. Like I said, on the Pennsy, anything non-standard is possible.
Gene
Quote from: SteamGene on March 20, 2007, 09:11:18 AM
I guess it's possible they are steam washers. That would explain that strange rounded end and the configuration in pairs. Like I said, on the Pennsy, anything non-standard is possible.
Gene
Gene,
scroll up 3 messages! ;)
Scot
Makes perfect sense since the PRR never got into the oil fired steam business to limit smoke like most other east coast and midwest railroads had to do in the cities.
Electrafication in the east eliminated smoke problems for the PRR in cites like Phily, Baltimore, DC and New York. But all the big cities in the industrial north east and upper mid west had anti smoke laws by the end of the thirties or so.
And we act like being concerned about the invironment is a new idea.
This is a major reason why many roads in these areas dieselized their passenger service first. Early on smoke laws where often relaxed in industrial areas and stricker down town where the passenger terminals where located.
The loco in the picture, and presumably the yard it is in, are primarily for passenger service.
Sheldon