NYC 4-8-2 Mohawk L-4a & L-4b

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
21

Just one last question.

Would these engines have a territory limited to a specific area or is it reasonable to expect these locomtives to have ranged into PA, Del and Maryland or even further away from NY state?

22

The New Central System ran from NYC and Weehawken, NJ on the east end and Chicago and St Louis on the west end. It went north into Canada in several locations and south into Louisville, KY and West Virginia. It had branches and subsiduaries that when down into PA and all the way to Boston, MA.

Engines could migrate between divisions. So they could end up anywhere that they could physically run on the Central.

The NYC never ran in DE or MD so they’d never be there.

23

The picture below is of L4b in Boston. / No Date given

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s3130s.jpg

I noticed from picutures available that the smoke lifters were installed between 1945 and 1946 when the engines were in class repairs.

24

Thanks for the picture, CAZEPHYR. I definitely like the look of the Boxpok drivers over the Scullin drivers.

Since the smoke deflectors were added to the L-4s not too much after their initial release (2+ years), I’m sure that’s why BLI will be including them on their models.

Tom

25

Tom

If you go to fallen flags, they have about twenty five pictures of the L4a and b class with and without smoke lifters, with both types of drivers.

They also have pictures of most of the other class NYC steam.

CAZEPHYR

26

FYI: I just received some additional information from BLI about the smoke deflectors

Hi Tom,

We will be building our Mohawks with smoke deflectors. However, they will either be removable, or we will offer a certain number of the models without smoke deflectors. We have not decided yet.

Sincerely,

Matthew Williamson

Broadway Limited Imports, LLC

I’m hoping the latter. Robert Bogie over at the Yahoo! NYC-Railroad forum commented to me recently about this very issue with what Key Imports tried doing back in the 80s:

Key Imports was caught out by this when they did their second run of L-3 & L-4 class mohawks in the mid 1980’s. They did the models as built, but tried to be “clever” and provided optional deflectors, plus one style of shield for the air compressors. Only problem was, with the running board not extended to be level with the front of the smokebox, when you put the deflectors in position, the ladder from the runnin

27

Do we have a good Scullin equipped engine shot? The previous picture was a story worth a 1000 words WOW!

28

Safety Valve,

The last two drive wheels on #3149 show the Scullin drivers: (Click pictures to enlarge)

#3133 shows all four drivers being Boxpok:

Tom

29

Tony’s Train Exchange Lists four versions of the L-4a & b but it is hard to determine what driving wheels will be offered with what model number! The little selection box doesn’t allow a full description of what is offered.

Tony’s lists a # 1285; 1286; 1287; 1288 Can anyone tell me what the differences will be on these model numbers? I hate to order one and not know what I’m getting! If BLI has some kind of flyer or handout why can’t they post it on their website in a .pdf so I can see exactly what it is that they are offering?

Lately these manufacturers make a vague announcement of future products and they want us to commit to a big cash outlay for their “limited run” exclusive products but they are elusive about exactly what it is that we are buying! I have paid premium prices on some offerings only to find that a year or so later that these same items are available at “blow-out” prices that are less than half of what I paid for their “Limited Run” items…

Order NOW so you won’t be left out! Maybe GM should try this ploy, give us $30,000 and we will make some kind of automobile sometime in the future and when we get it done… it’s YOURS!

OK… I guess I’m ranting here but it sure seems like the days of walking into ANY hobby shop and buying, say, an Athearn Blue Box locomotive knowing that if you don’t buy it right there-right then you can still find one years later at some other hobby shop for about the same price.

30

Ed,

BLI just put this up on their web site a couple of days ago for the hybrid:

1285

NYC L-4a Mohawk 4-8-2, #3101, Boxpok drivers, Louvered pump shield, Sound/DC/DCC, HO

Late 2007

$450

1286

NYC L-4a Mohawk 4-8-2, #3124
31

Thanks Tom!

As luck would have it, I ordered the #1287 with Scullin Disk, NOT what I wanted, I’ll have to contact Tony’s and see if I can change it to the #1288!

I’ll take a peek at BLI’s website… hopefully more info will be forthcoming.

I also ordered a Streamlined Hudson, again very little info available but I don’t want to be left behind!

32

Ed,

Yea, my original order also had the Scullin drivers. Once I compared the two, I switched my order to the Boxpok drivers. The Scullins would probably look better (or at least more appropriate) on a more streamlined locomotive like the Hudson.

Tom

33

What is the diff between the pump shields?

34

Saftey Valve,

From my understanding, here’s pictures of the different pump shields:

“Louvered” (See shroud just below the headlight and smoke box)

“Screen” (See “bulls-eye” target in similar shroud)

Tom

35

The following pictures show three of the numbers BLI has listed. BLI is doing the version with the large shield and smoke lifters which is post 1946.

L4a with boxpok type

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s3101s.jpg

L4a with Scullen Drivers

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s3124s.jpg

L4b with Scullen Drivers

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s3149s.jpg

L4a shows original pump shields without smoke lifters

BLI is not doing this version if all have smoke lifters post 1946 era

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-s3109ahv.jpg

36

CAZEPHYR,

If you read the response above that I received from BLI, they are “planning” to make a few Mohawks with either the smoke shields removable or leaving them off altogether. The latter is what I’m hoping for.

Tom

37

Tom

That is interesting. If the smoke lifters are removable, the pump shields would probably still be the large type only as modlified. It would not be easy to change the shields back to the orginal type without offering a completes set of pumps that could be interchanged.

Thanks for the update.

CAZEPHYR

38

I decided on the #3101 with the Boxpok drivers and louvered pump shield. I’m hoping that they will choose that one to leave the smoke shields or lifters off of.

Tom

39

Broadway Limited really should offer a version without smoke shields. (Lifters?) in order to be complete in thier run. That way it will compete against other manufactors and thier mountains.

These NYC Tenders. Massive coal and light on water… these are track pan engines arent they?

40

Yep. The ratio of water-to-coal storage capacity in the larger Mohawks (i.e. L-2s, L-3s, and L-4s) was pretty small, in comparison with the entire length of the tender. I just got my “Steam Engines of the New York Central” in the mail yesterday that pretty much verifies this. Since so much of the New York Central was water-level or flat, track pans could be used over the 960 miles between NYC and Chicago to replenish dwindling supplies.

I also found out last night that a 4-8-4 Niagara could burn up to 1-ton of coal in a 15-mile stretch.

Tom