Just saw a brass model of a NYC Niagara# 5500, what a beauty, this is one nice looking locomotive, almost (pretty close) as good looking as a CPR Northern 4-8-4 3101. The Niagara has the most unique tender I have ever seen, it’s pretty classy, can anyone tell me what that 1/2 round tank is at the rear of the coal load?? now if I could just scrape up $850.00 u.s.(that’s $11,000 in Hudson Bay Pesos) I would buy it
Hmmmm, doesn’t the Niagra basically have a variation of the UP “Centipiede” tender? If so it’s not that unique. Then again, I’m probably wrong…
Hey, why spend a small fortune on the brass and pick up a BLI Niagra instead? (about $550.00 cheaper)
By the way, the 1/2 round tank behind the coal is for water, I believe.
I had thought that the Niagara had an extended Centipede tender. It has a bit more overhang than the UP version did.
I believe that the round portion immediately behind the coal load is just there to keep the coal from shifting back onto the tender deck, while continuing with the rounded shape that begins with the cab roof. This is only a guess, so don’t hold this to absolute truth.
The Niagara was a squadron of compromises flying in very tight formation!
First, it was squashed down to a height of only 15’ 2" by the clearances in New York Central’s Hudson River tunnels north of Harmon.
Then the wheelbase was held to less than the length of a 100 foot turntable, resulting in that ten foot overhang at the back of the tender.
Like most NYC passenger power, it was rigged to take water on the fly. That ‘hump’ at the top of the coal bunker is at the top of the water channel, and redirected the incoming deluge down into the tank. All of those little pipes sticking out of the frame are air vents, without which the incoming water would have blown the deck right off the tank.
The combination of tight clearances and a huge boiler resulted in some strange arrangements with accessories. The whistle was mounted next to the stack, in a horizontal position. The stack itself was only about two inches high. The safety valves were mounted in an ‘inside out’ dome below the line of the boiler top. The turbogenerator was under the running board, and the bell was under the pilot.
A cost comparison was made between a Niagara and a 2-unit passenger diesel, and the diesel squeaked out a lower operating cost per mile. Years later it was realized that, for equal performance, the diesel should have had three units to match the Niagara’s 6000HP. By then the Niagaras were history.
Chuck
As usual, superb responses to a question, the tender has 4 wheels, then 10 (in a centipede pattern) then the big 10 foot overhang. So that water tank thingy is for on-the-fly water eh? I wondered what was different about this locomotive and Chuck answered the question, I went back to the photo and it’s evident about the low profile for tunnel clearance, this gives it a very unique profile, it almost makes the engine look like it’s doing about 85 mph, now I’m waffling my loyalties between the Niagara and the C.P.R. Northern. Niagara, say, that’s pretty close to Viagara, is there some coincidence there??? thanks
I have the BLI model, and it is a very nice locomotive. Regrettably, the tender is in FL right now for warranty work due to a short. I expect it back in time to run on my newly revamped layout.
Tatans, you could have two locos that run well on 22" curves for the price of one brass S1b that may need some work, and decoders, and sustantially larger curves. In fact, Outlet Direct has them for about $240, fully warranted.
Just my opinion.
-Crandell