Two of my older steam loco’s have blind middle drivers. I’ve always just assumed that the model makers did this to help the locomotives negotiate tighter radius curves. I never realized that prototype railroads did the same thing. I was studying a photo of Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR 2-6-0 #5 on http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=158 and I noticed that it’s middle drivers were also blind. Did all the railroads do this with all their locomotives? Or was it dependant on the terrain, and type of track the locomotive would be used?
I’ve not seen many class I photos with blind drivered locos. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
I would imagine that the mainstay of the blind-drivered locos belonged to shortlines, or maybe smaller roads that couldn’t fir in the broad curves that the larger class 1’s could. Might also be a factor of being able to afford widening the ROW in mountainous terrain as well…
There is a now unused Mikado 2-8-2 that was in logging service in northern Vancouver Island until about 15-20 years ago…I think, but it was in excursion service until the early part of this century. Its middle two sets of drivers are blind. I must confess that I did not notice before I walked away from the locomotive. Then, as my wife and I traversed a frog 50 meters behind the locomotive, I stopped and had a good look at the turnout. I guessed it was equivalent to a #4 or something, very sharp. I turned to my wife and said that there was no way a Mike was going to cross this turnout unless…and I retraced my steps to find that I had missed the blind drivers. [:I]
Here is the turnout
and here are the drivers on the Mike
Interesting. I never thought about needing blind drivers for going through turnouts. (real or model) Learn something new every day I guess.
Prototype steamers had blind drivers. Even 0-6-0’s. 2 LNE 0-6-0’s had blind center drivers to get around the curves in Catasaugua. PA. One is preserved, blind drivers and all, at Union, IL. many larger engines or 5 coupled engines also had blind drivers.
Dave H.
Blind drivers were quite common on large locos belonging to class 1 railroads. A good example are the PRR I-1 2-10-0s - they were delivered with the middle three coupled wheels flangeless. But the development of lateral motion devices made blind coupled wheels less common on more modern power.
Cheers,
Mark.
The Little River 4-6-2 has blind center drivers.Treads may be wider so not to drop down.