I looked on MTH’s website and I believe it stated that the L3c version was freight only. If this is true, what about the other versions that MTH has made? And which of these engines still had classification lenses engines in place in real life?
I was watching this really neat video about Mohawks and Hudson in the NYC Ohio Division, and many of the class lights still remain in place, while others apparently had their lamps removed.
As for my layout, I am modeling the 1940s, mostly steam very few diesels.
Which MTH version of the Mohawk do you think I should go for?
I noticed that MTH and BLI have no class lights on their mohawks which is fine with me, and I noticed that there are little etches in place where apparently the lamps were removed on the front of the engine.
But the problem is, at what year were these removed amd on what engines?
I almost forgot, I am not a fan of those elephant ears on the L3c, so I’m thinking of getting the L3b, but was this version used for freight?
And btw, this is a pic of Lionel’s Mohawk (I have no idea which version) but whats up with the class lights on this? MTH doesn’t have any, who is more prototypical?
The Mohawks were mighty engines. They stuffed the tender full of coal and run off water pans between rails with a scoop. And they can get up and run.
The Class Lights were for nighttime work. Flags by day. That is the way I see it. Certain lights for specific trains. I may broadcast my ignorance but white class up front is for extra not regularly scheduled. Several trains running the same train (In sections for a really heavy passenger train departing close together for example) had other class lights.
I would say that you are bitten by the Mowhawk bug. If you were to choose a model, choose one YOU like best. I tend to choose models that can run well but not necessarily the most expensive or the cheapest. I tend to rate pulling power in ability to stop and restart a proper train on a 3% grade with very little to no wheelslip. At least on my little line anyway.
Elephant ears served a good purpose lifting smoke away from the top of the boiler at speed. Sometimes in certain winds relative to the engine, it might lay down that smoke onto the engine and cause the crew to eat it for miles.
Yeah, I think I’m definately going to go with the MTH mohawk, probably with the 3Lc version, but I still can’t decide. It will be my first NYC engine, so I would prefer it to be one used mostly for freight.
I love the sounds of the MTH mohawk at least on video, and I’m a big fan of their smoke units. I prefer to simulate nighttime running quite often, so I’m still not sure about when or why the lamps were removed. Interesting though how there appear to never have been any marker lamps on the rear of the tender, not in real life, nor in any model I have seen, no matter what gauge. This doesn’t bother me, I guess its prototypical just like the real thing, also considering
The L-1 and L-2 Mohawks were strictly freight engines. The only exceptions were L-2d #2995 and #2998, which were later converted to dual-service as an experiment.
The L-3s were built in 1940-42. According to Alvin Staufer’s book, Steam Power of the New York Central System, #3000-#3024 (L-3a) were dual-service engines and #3025-#3064 (L-3b & L-3c) were freight-only. All the L-4s (built 1942-43) were of the dual-service type because they were used in the war-time effort to help move troops.
As I mentioned before, rjake, while the MTH Mohawks are nice offerings, I personally think the BLI Mohawks are the finer looking versions. Course, since you’re looking for freight-only Mohawks, MTH has what you are looking for. Classificaton lights can be added and the elephant ears removed on either version. Sorry I don’t have any definitive info about when the smoke lifters (elephant ears) were added to the Mohawks and/or removed and to which ones.
During the day the engines would normally use flags to indicate classification when needed…and remember, not every train needed them. IIRC white flags/lights indicated an extra train (one not on the schedule/timetable), green indicated an extra section of a regularly scheduled train, and regularly scheduled trains like a passenger train or a scheduled express freight running on it’s normal schedule, didn’t show flags / lights in front. So it would make sense there wouldn’t always be flags or lights up front.
Also, remember that back in the steam era classification lights (and the rear red lights on the caboose) were generally kerosene lamps, not electric lights. Engines and cabooses had brackets to hang the lamp on when needed at night, they weren’t permanently attached. The lamps wouldn’t necessarily remain there when not in use - they might be being refilled with kerosene for the next night time trip.
The NYC is not a railroad I have extensive knowledge of, but I can give you some additonal general information on the Mountain/Mohawk wheel arrangement, some of it NYC specific.
4-8-2’s where first developed as passenger engines for the C&O, to pull growing train weights over the mountians. As other roads, who’s operating conditions where different, experimented with the type, they found them to be well suited to fast freight on level routes. At that time (1920’s), the speed of freight transportation was starting to be more of an issue.
Many southeast and midwest roads found them very usefull as dual service locos. If fact the 4-8-2 was likely the first “modern” dual service loco.
Interestingly though, the C&O, used them almost exclusively as passenger locos, as did the B&O. The B&O built many in their own shops and was so happy with their performance they never even considered owning a 4-8-4.
The NYC, who had to have their own name rather than use the a name from a “southern” railroad, used their 4-8-2’s mainly as freight locos, but kept their dual service “option” open and asigned some to passenger service. the “water level” route west on the NYC lended itself to this loco type for freight service.
The C&O got even about the name thing by NOT calling their 2-8-4’s Berkshires.
My freelanced ATLANTIC CENTRAL is also a big user of 4-8-2’s (but we call them Mountains), having 7 of them on the local division roster. Ours however are USRA clones, not the NYC design.
I guess I don’t see the name change as such a preposterous idea. If you’ve got a water level route that stretches from New York City to Chicago, why would you call your locomotive a “mountain”?
Tom, I was not “judging” their action, lots of railroads called lots of locos things other than the “popular” name. I don’t have all the resources at my fingertips, but there is historic evidence as to the “reason” I stated, and, as I noted the C&O was equally pig headed about its 2-8-4’s and also about its 4-8-4’s. No way they where going to have “Berkshires” and “Northerns” running through the heartland of “Old Virginia”. Their customers and employees may have disowned them if they had.
That is what’s called an Elesco Feedwater Heater (FWH). The FWHs (Elesco, Coffin, etc.) “pre-heated” the feedwater being added to the boiler with exhaust steam so that it reduced the amount of fuel needed to bring that water to boil, which was needed for steam to drive the cylinders. Here’s a better explanation that I found on another web site:
“In the normal course of operation, a lot of heat energy goes up and out of the smoke stack (steam engines are not very efficient). If some of this heat could be transferred to the water being added to the boiler, it would reduce the amount of fuel needed to bring this additional water to boil. Feedwater heaters take the steam exhausting out of the cylinders and transfer some of this heat to the water going to the boiler, or feedwater, to raise its temperature.”
FWHs could be found on NYC Mikados, Pacifics, Hudsons, Mohawks, and Niagaras, as well as on other RR’s locomotives. Simply put: It made steam locomotives more fuel-efficient.
