Does anyone know the difference between light mountain and heavy mountain steam engine? Is the tender powered on a heavy mountain steam locomotive? I am noticing they are more money, but no stores really seem to explain why.
This is a USRA term. Light engines have no more that 54,000 lb axle loading. Heavy engines exceed that figure. The larger boiler is the most noticeable external spotting feature. Here is a web link with more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USRA_standard
In HO or N scale models I have not seen any powered tenders in the current crop of USRA type models.
Jim
Thanks!
Back in the day, the “light” USRA locomotives traded off pulling power for lighter weight. Light weight was needed to operate over secondary trackage, branch lines and spurs where the bridges and culverts could not support the weight of a “heavy” locomotive.
In fact there is picture on the web right now, showing a bunch of wrecked tank cars dumped in a creek a little south of Philly. You can see broken bits of bridge sticking out of the water. Clearly the bridge was too weak to hold up under the weight of the loaded tank cars.
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so, my light mtn. in NP is still ok to be pulling a 5-6 car NP two tone green train?
once I get a dome car.
grrrrrr… no two tone green NP F units in N scale
Living only a stones throw away from the tank cars sucking out of the Mantua creek near Philly, so far the investigation has not said anything about the bridge being too weak. So far all the investigation had revealed is there was a signaling confusion prior to the train entering the bridge. Apparently the engineer entered the code to cross the bridge 3 times, each time receiving a red light. Then the engineer radioed for advice and was manually given the go ahead to cross against the red light. In my experience there is no such thing as a coincidence in these types of circumstances.
Oh, and the section of bridge in question is a swing bridge, meaning red signal would have indicated the bridge was open.
Keep forgetting to include all the details! The conductor got out and inspected the bridge and reported it was fine and on this the permission was given and the train proceeded. Out had been speculated that the bridge was damaged by hurricane Sandy.