Erie Triplex

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Does anyone have pictures of the Erie Triplex working (not a builder’s photo) that they can post?

Can anyone identify the following details on the Erie Triplex?

  1. The horizontal cylinder on the front of the engineer’s side of the cab, near the top with a pipe to the boiler top turret enclosure.

  2. The piece, located under the right side running board forward of the cab, which appears to be two cylinders connected to each other.

Did the Triplex ever get electric lights and if yes, where was the generator placed?

2

Try fallenflags http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/

and scroll to the alphabetical listing for the Erie. I’ll take a guess and state that the pipe you are describing would probably be the steam feed to the rear engine, and the twin cylinders would be the cross-compound air pump for brakes.

3

Thanks Selector. l tried Fallen Flags but they only have builder’s photos. However, if you look at the photos you will see the detail parts I am referring to. The cylinder on the cab front connects to the turret on top of the boiler and does not look like a steam line. There are two cross compound air pumps on the left side of the boiler toward the front of the engine so I don’t believe that the twin horizontal cylinder parts under the running board on the right side are air pumps.

4

This page on steamlocomotive.com http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/eriep1.shtml has links to photos and other sites for it.

Enjoy

Paul

5

Okay, I have a better idea of what you are describing…I think. The twin horizontal tanks are air tanks fed by the cross-compound. I believe that air compressed by the pump(s) has moisture content that will condense as the air cools, which it will do over time. The water is not desired in the tanks since it takes up volume, and can’t be used in the brake system. So, there are intercooling tubes that are stacked under the running boards on several types of steamers (I believe the UP Challengers and Big Boys had them behind the grate atop the pilot), for condensing out the water, and then the clean air is held in the horizontal tanks.

I would have to see a photo of this other thing you talk about…sorry.

6

I don’t think they are air storage tanks because they have irregular shapes. Also storage takes are generally much larger and smooth in contour. Look at the pictures of #5016 on Fallen Flags and you will see what I mean.

7

After a really careful look at the engineer’s side of Matt H. Shay, I see (from the front):

  • A section of heavily-sheathed steam plumbing that connects something inside the smoke box to ???
  • A brake air storage tank, rather slender.
  • A power reverse, cylinder end forward.

There is a second air storage tank, partially hidden by intercooler coils, under the stepped-up section of the running board.

The long slim profile of the air tanks might be driven by the limited clearance available next to that big boiler and the steam plumbing under it.

The pipe from the turret appears to enter the front cab wall above and inboard of the cylindrical shaped ??? Lacking a complete plumbing lines drawing, I won’t even hazard a guess.

Sure is a big piece of machinery. Too bad it didn’t have a firebox to match.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)