C&O 4-8-4 and 4-6-4 Trailing Trucks

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have a couple of brass C&O 4-8-4 and 4-6-4 steam engines. The versions that I have are the Gem/Olympia 4-6-4 L2 and 4-8-4 J3a and then I have a NJCB 4-6-4 L2 Baker Valve and a Overland Models 4-8-4 J3A. When I was comparing the 4-6-4’s and 4-8-4’s the other night I noticed that the trailing trucks on the 4-6-4’s and 4-8-4’s were different. On both Gem models the trailing truck wheels were the same diameter, but on the Overland and the NJCB models the rear wheel on the trailing truck was actually larger than the front wheel.

Which is prototypically accurate?

Thanks,
Kevin

2

C&O 614 (4-8-4) has different diameter trailing wheels. Likewise, the plan of the C&O 4-6-4 in Steam Locomotives (MRR Cyclopedia, Vol 1) shows that the trailing wheels were 42 and 44 inch diameters. Both have the step-side trailing truck castings typical of booster-equipped locomotives.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

3

Chuck,

Thanks for the info. I had been searching the web but I could not find the diameters.