Rick
I was cruising ebay and saw a 1978 Tenshodo Great Northern L1 2-6-6-2 with backhead detail,now one would assume it to be factory installed but the really strange thing was that it clearly shows 2…not 1 but 2 firebox doors! Is there anyway to find out if this is prototypically correct? In all my 63 years I’ve never come across such an arrangement
Really Weird lol.
While I can’t speak specifically for GN, 2 firebox doors would not be that unusual for an older engine that was built before stokers became manditory above a certain wieght. In an engine w/ a wide firebox (especially those in the East built for use w/ anthracite) this would facilitate laying an even fire.
Well I guess that would make sense,the Great Northern L1s were certainly hand fired , I had just never saw anything like the 2 firebox doors before…Ya learn something new every day.
Interesting…Veeery Interesting!
Thanks for the input.
I agree with Jim. In the early days, the GN used the class Ls, (both L-1 and L-2) as mostly mountain helpers. These locos were large enough to require a pair of firemen working together to keep these beasts in steam. The Ls were all retired by the 20s and converted into class O-5 and O-6 Mikados, so they may never have gotten power stokers. Even on the NP, the class W-3 Mikados were not built with stokers. They had to be retro-fitted after they began killing firemen-and this was in the 20s and 30s.