Does anyone know about the 4-4-4-4 locomotives proposed for the C & O and Texas and Pacific Limited by ALCo (I think)?
~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~
More likely but I don’t know it was probably Baldwin following the building of the PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 engines. The logic was that smaller cylinders and shorter rods reduced weight and cylinder size and thrust while maximizing steam work ratio. Several railroads tried the T-1’s but nobody else built duplicates. i know N&W wasn’t impressed. The Franklin rotary valve problem gave them a bad reputation. The double sets of drivers with the additional cylinders betwen them gave them a longer rigid wheelbase which some attribute the slipperyness to. Once up to speed they were capable of running 14-16 car trains at 100mph and more. I believe C&O did have one experimental engine but they had some very successful 2-8-4s or 4-8-4s that could be dual purpose. One of the PRR’s most successful late engines was the J class which was basically built from C&O T-1 2-10-4 prints so they had a good engineering staff on the C&O who were on top of engine design. The dual drive rigid wheel base ideae must not have fit their understanding of their needs.
The 4-4-4-4 was a bit too slippery starting trains. But it did have a awesome top end and power. The PRR J1 is perhaps the most powerful non articulated locomotive out there.
Actually, the most powerful non-articulated locomotive was Pennsy’s Q2, not their J1. The Q2 came close to 8000 horsepower on Altoona’s treadmill.
I know about the T1, and all of its problems, and how theoretically, it would be better than a 4-8-4 Northern.
I saw two actual proposal prints the other day at work of 4-4-4-4’s, and I want to know if anyone has anything on them. Instead of having the sharki***1 look, they had more of a Cincinatian look, with a bullet like nose, and pedestal tender, like of a 4-8-4 NYC Niagara. That is the extent of my knowledge.
~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~
B&O had one, a 4-4-4-4 with a cylinder layout similar to a PRR Q1 - rear cylinders under the cab. It was not repeated.
Yep, I know that one too. The Baltimore and Ohio 4-4-4-4 “George H. Emerson.” It was actually a watertube boiler experiment, and the first duplex drive locomotive built in North America. It was truely an oddity for its time. Double stacks, backwards mounted valve rods on the second set of drivers. I have a print of it somewhere.
~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~