Howdy all. Can someone tell me what the most popular steam locos of the 20th century were that pulled passenger service in the US ?. I know there was the 4-4-0 American, the 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler, the 4-6-2 Pacific, the 4-8-2 Mountain Type, the 4-8-4 Northern and the 4-6-6-4 Challenger. So what have I left out ?..
Tracklayer
NYC used different versions of the J3, 4-6-4, Hudson.
When you say popular you fog up the scenario. Practically every design has been used, especially since the beginning of the end for steam. N&W pulled an excursion with a Y6b, and VGN once used an 0-8-0.
You have listed most of the most recognizable, plus the 4-6-4 Baltic [8D] that Tigerstripe added. N&W pressed the 2-6-6-4 into passenger service in the war years, but I would not classify that as nearly regular as the UP Challengers usage.
Ah. The 4-6-4 Hudson… I can’t believe I forgot that one. Thanks tigerstripe.
Tracklayer
Thanks Virginian. That’s interesting. I’m going to have to see if I can find photos of the N&W 2-6-6-4 on the web or in my books. I’m sure there are probably others that I’m unaware of as well.
Tracklayer
The UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy pulled a few passenger trains - but that was a rareity. 0-6-0’s pulled a lot of them - in the yards! Probably every type of steam engine pulled a passenger train or two at one time or another, but your original list plus the 4-6-4 probably covers the “most popular”.[8D]
Also, lets not forget the obscure 4-4-2 Atlantic. If I’m not mistaking, it set a speed record back in the early 1900’s that held for a long long time. Ken
Most common was the 4-6-2 Pacific.
The D&RGW used the L-105 4-6+6-4 locos for passenger service too. Here’s some links:
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00010797
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00010809
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00010810
Don’t know that they would count as “popular” but they were cool!
Consolidations and Mikes have pulled as many passenger trains as all the others combined…maybe.
In general 4 wheel leading trucks are associated with passenger traffic because the 4 wheel trucks allowed a higher speed. The largest, 4-8-4 and articulateds were used more for high speed freight and less for passenger service because their increased power was not needed for most passenger trains. Of course in a pinch, anything available could be used and shortline/branchlines with slow speeds anyway could use a freight locomotive.
At the beginning of the 1900’s Americans, 4-4-0, Ten Wheelers, 4-6-0, and Atlantics, 4-4-2, dominate. These are replaced by Pacifics, 4-6-2, and Hudsons, 4-6-4, in the 20’s and 30’s, especially on premier trains. But all, even the Americans, were used into the 1950’s on shortlines, branchlines, and non premier trains.
Enjoy
Paul
Don’t forget the Milwaukee Road’s “Hiawatha Hudsons”. Regularly run at 100+ mph speeds!
(I would love to see an old video clip showing of these trains whipping by at those speeds!)
I don’t know either way, but where did you get your info on Big Boys pulling passenger trains? The reason I ask is because I saw a thread in regards to Big Boys and someone stated that Big Boys never pulled any passenger trains (something to the effect that they weren’t equipped to do so and the UP would have never wasted that resource on pax trains, I believe). Again, I don’t know either way, but it would be interesting to know for certain that Big Boys did in fact pull a passenger train or two.
The NW J Class locomotive was designed by NW engineers and built by NW workers in the Roanoke Shops. Fourteen of the streamlined 4-8-4 Js were built
Dunno about the Big Boy, but the Challengers with the elephant ears, the grey ones, did pull revenue passenger trains…if pax trains could ever be called revenue generating. [:-^]
The question about the normal passenger power is one topic, but how railroads used their available power to pull passengers trains is still another topic and was not limited except the locomotive had to have steam lines to be assigned to pull passenger trains.
Even the Santa Fe used the 5011 class Texas locomotives on passenger trains in certain areas of the railroad. On page 181 of The Santa Fe Early Diesel Daze book, 5011 is pictured pulling the Grand Canyon out of Belen New Mexico and 5023 is pictured on the second section that day.
Union pacific used the Challengers as regular power out of Portland for many years.
I had read that big boys may have been used on a few troop trains during the WW II.
Almost any locomotive might have been used for protection power in case of break downs of regular power.
The L&N had several of the Big Emma’s with steam train lines that were used for passenger power for the Kentucky Derby trains.
The bottom line on passenger train power is speed was important and not all freight and not all engines could keep the schedules, but were used as protection power at certain points on the main lines.
The PRR used to keep two each H10’s 2-8-0’s in Effingham at the coaling tower as protection power. One was pointed east and one was pointed west. If a K4 or T1 was having problems, the little H10 would be coupled onto the front and head for St. Louis or Indianaplis as needed. No one ever said they were on time with the H10 on the head end. &n
Did the Big Boys have steam lines? I realize CAZEPHYR noted that they pulled troop trains, but I suppose if the Big Boys didn’t have steam lines, the UP could have used a steam generator cars of some sort (I am not even sure if the UP ever had any steam generator cars).
PS The Challenger was called the Challenger because that is what it was built to haul, the UP Challenger passenger train. I’ve never seen a Big Boy in passenger service, but in WW2 they would use whatever was avalable so its not outside the realm of possibility, more likey they would have been used in passenger helper service as they never strayed far from their assigned territories.
Depends entirely on the terrain! NYC’s Hudson 4-6-4- was used on its water level route but GN used really big S-2 Northerns (4-8-4) with 80" drivers. jc5729
A picture of the tender of the 4024 on page 69 of the Big Boy by Kratville clearly shows the steam train line. I can not be sure that all of the Big Boys had this installed, but this particular tender had the steam line installed. I have all of the Streamliners from volume one to the present and I seem to remember reading they did pull some troop trains durning the war, but not regular numbered trains. &n