I would value any info regarding the prototypical running of a 2-8-8-8-2. It was used on the Erie and Pennsy rails in the 1940’s and that’s about all I know. I am prarticularly interested in its use as a coal hauler for Pennsylvania. Any corrections comments or leads would be greatly apriciated.
RBG080
there is a bit of information on google about it. seems like they were pretty much mediocre at best. firebox and boiler were too small for all those cylinders. kind of like having a lawn mower motor in a mack truck.
grizlump
Thank you I was wondering about that myself do you model the triplex
There were only 3 Erie triplex steam engines(2-8-8-8-2) and they were used as helpers on Gulf Summit for the most part. I am not sure when they were retired, but I suspect they became scrap iron by WWII. The PRR(Pennsy) never owned a triplex type of engine.
The Virginian railroad also owned a triplex type engine(2-8-8-8-4), and it was sent back to the builder after 2 years and rebuilt into 2 conventional steam locomotives. I doubt if any of the triplex engines were running as late as the 40’s.
Jim Bernier
Your Pennsy reference is not to a triplex but rather to what is called a duplex-drive locomotive, primarily the famous–or infamous depending upon your frame of reference–T1. Unlike the Erie Triplex lokes which were articulateds these duplex-drive lokes were solid frames but with the propulsion split into four instead of two drive mechanisms. A 4-8-4 became a 4-4-4-4. These lokes had several advantages but the long wheelbase created several disadvantages and they became royal headaches to the operating department. I recall reading somewhere that these T1s were so slippery that they required a pusher to get away from their service stop at Crestline, Ohio. Having to tie up a switcher to provide a shove every time a T1 came through the station didn’t endear them to the operating department.
The Southern Railway had a couple of duplexes. They placed older Consolidation frames/drivers/cylinders under the tenders of Mikados, resulting in the 2-8-2+2-8-0. The tenders’ drivers were smaller than under the boilers, and I understand these duplexes were used as helper locomotives where their high tractive effort could be used in combination with their low-speed-only capability.
Westside imported HO-scale models of the prototype two or three decades ago.
Mark