If you had to vote to decide what was the strangest yet relatively successful steam locomotive, what one would you choose? Successful didn’t mean that they had to run for 20 years, but also didn’t run a few runs and were cut up shortly after. I don’t know if I should vote yet, perhaps let some posts pile up, but I will say that my choice will come from a western road.
Steve
Does it have to be a North American Steam locomotive?
The Garret was probably the strangest yet sucessful locomotive in Africa, very weird and wild looking. For North America, my vote would go with the John Henry made by the N&W to revive steam locomotive design… can’t say it was relatively successful though, due to break downs and extensive service requirements.
I’d say the SP Cab Forwards, but they were SO successful they should probably be disqualified. I think the Garrett should also be disqualified. It was not used in North America (or Europe?), but very successful elsewhere.
How about the double Forney? Cab in the middle, boiler out each end, all on a rigid frame with an articulated engine under each boiler. And great big racks along both sides of each boiler to hold the wood or sugar cane used as fuel. Never used as mainline big time steam, but some what popular as a plantation engine.
I would say a Heisler. Strange looking beasts but very successful power on logging roads.
Mark
Hi Mark,
If You are a fan of Heislers, do You know about the Sumpter Valley Ry? They have a 3’ narrow gauge wood burning Heisler, and it is part of their “Engineer for a Day” rental program. It’s not cheap, but the only Heisler that I know of that you can rent, and actually get to RUN it. I am reserved for the Engineer for a Day program in July, but most Likely I will be running the Mikado, as that is pretty well into fire season to be running a wood burner, but they have it noted that if conditions allow, to use the Heisler. Next Year, I will try to get an earlier reservation, so as to be more likely to run the Heisler. I went to Ely, NV last year and ran the Nevada Northern’s 4-6-0 #40 and their SD-9. If You ever get the opportunity to do a rental program, I’m sure that You wouldn’t be disappointed.
Doug
Rather than the double-Forney, only used on plantations but reproduced in quite a few numbers, how about the Festiniog (excuse spelling) similar double-Fairley in Wales. Just like the double-Forney, except two pivoting driver sets, and similar with center cab between two boilder and fireboxes. (Or did it have just one firebox under the cab?) And still in operation. Even hauls people! Was in common carrier service. Picture accessable on their website whatever it is. And only one built! I think I did get to ride behind it when visiting Wales in the summer of 1962.
Thanks for your reply’s! Ok my vote goes to the Sante Fe 2-6-6-2 Prarie Mallets with the hinged boilers. These dated from about 1910 ~ 1930. These beasts were some of the ugliest steam locomotives I have ever seen. They ran for many years, and some were even then rebuilt into simple 2-6-2’s. I have to go and dig it up, but somewhere I have an article from a back issue of Trains that covered these unique locomotives. They were powerful brutes, with abnormally tall drivers for Mallets at the time that allowed them to run much faster than you would think.
Steve
Sante Fe had (64) 2-6-6-2’s but only 7 of them had hinged boilers. They also had (10) 2-10-10-2’s but all were unsuccessful.
There were some rather unusual short lived designs in the U.S. Sante Fe had (2) 4-4-6-2’s Great Northern had 2-6-8-0’s. The Pennsylvania RR had (26) 4-4-6-4’s and (1) 4-6-4-4. Let’s also not forget the triplex. I admit not all of these are successful but they were unusual.
If you cast your eyes outside North America then you will come across small, quaint locos which are, and in some cases, still very sucessful.
There are many likely candidates and there will be others, hopefully, who will add to the list.
The locos which come to mind are the cog locos of the mountainous areas of the world, particularly Switzerland, the Lartigue system of the Listowel and Ballybunnion in Eire which ran for many years and has recently been restored in a small way. There were many unusual, often unique industrial and tramway type locos which had very long lives.
I always thought the camelbacks were a strange looking thing but from what I have read about them they were very good at what they were designed for Larry
They were also to be found in France Larry. They were maids of all work and lasted well. They got over there as part of WW1. Known as “hunchbacks” if memory serves me right.
The 2-6-6-2 class of Cab forwards, after numerous derailments caused by excessive front overhang and the inabilty of the single pilot truck to compensate they were soon converted to 4-6-6-2’s as such they were extremely sucessfull lasting until 1948.
Dave
Here is a design that was very successful but way before its time. This engine worked for several years and its performance was better than a standard engine of its weight. For some reason the the Shaw Balanced engine rode off into obscurity. No additional copies were ever built.
Just think if someone had of remembered this design in the late 20’s or early 30’s. It is essentially a duplex without a separate set of drivers.
Possibly huge maintenance demanding accuracy?
Some of Col. Emerson’s water tube boilered locos on the B&O were somewhat strange in appearance,kind of British looking.The B&O had quite a few experimentals,from 4-4-4’s,a 4-4-6-2,several Hudson and Mountain types,and No.5600,a 4-4-4-4 duplex that predated the Pennsy T-1.The second set of cylinders faced backwards.
The Garrett was an unusual looking steam locomotive used until the end of steam, most were built by Beyer Peacock of the UK. The LMS and the LNER ran Garretts in the UK, and they were very popular machines in South Africa, and Australia where they were locally built, New Zealand railways ran two machines as well. Some were even built in France for the Moroccan railways. We have an imported and fully restored South African Garrett here in New Zealand at Mainland Steam, Auckland.
I have been looking for a picture of it but the C B& Q RR had modified a 4-4-0 American type locomotive with a cab on the front for the track inspecters to ride, the engineer and fireman worked in the regular cab with the inspectors riding up front Its the only one of that type I have ever seen Larry
I remember seeing photos of other Inspection Locomotives of this type and specifically recall seeing one that the Pennsy had but can’t for the life of me place where I saw this picture. Such engines were reserved for use by the brass hats, division supers and higher.
Mark
The B&O Grasshoppers,Crabs and Mud Diggers appear to be strange even for the time period of their construction.Many of these types lasted over thirty years so would be considered successful.
I think Shays would have to qualify here. The first time someone described one to me (I had never seen a picture), I was thinking “WHAT? It has the boiler OFF-CENTER? and the ENGINE HANGS on one side…??” but “Successful?” Yeah!
/Lone