American 2-8-4 in action

[Solario]

The clip below is, I believe, a very recent run by Nickel Plate Road loco 765 with about 1000 tons behind the tender rounding Horseshoe curve.

The gradient is 1 in 58, the diesel allegedly idling ( you can't hear it anyway).

Note the two different chime whistles and a bit of a slip. The flanges on the coach wheels are squealing considerably.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiV1hb4PYGA

[Bryan]

So when will we see steam specials with Tornado etc carrying their own fuel supply?

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Love that deep chime!

Personally I think the diseasel was working. A drilling noise can be briefly heard...

Oh, and love the digger going along for the ride!

[mr B]

very nice, apart from the lack of tri-pod, also re - the parafin can, the steamer engineer probably has full control over the unit from his cab , should he need assistance, some thing that shoud be done in UK.

mr B

[bricam5]

That loco was working hard up that incline so I would guess it would have its injector going to maintain water and the damned thing was still blowing off!!

How I wish some of the engines I had to work on could have steamed like that.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up, bricam!

If our locos had been fitted with mechanical stokers like that beastie, then all things would have been possible. I'm suprised, thinking about it, by the white exhaust, considering the huge clag clouds usually produced by stoker-fitted engines. Stoker turned off?

[bricam5]

Not familiar with the note of those engines but it must have been on full travel or near it.
I believe <on dodgy ground here> that the mechanical stokers worked with small coal.
If that is the case, most of it would have gone straight through the tubes with that sort of blast. Keeps the tube ends clear but not much good for the fire.

[Boris]

The clag as you call it is usually done for the photographers normal stack smoke is just a haze,which is seen on most pictures unless requested and obviously a waste of fuel

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up, Boris!

Must admit, I'm no expert on mech stokers. The stoker fitted 9Fs and CanPac were always notorious for leaving vast clouds of gritty smoke in their wake. The wrong coal? Unfamiliarity with operation?

Thoughts?

As for the beat of the loco, she was chopping 'em off very nicely indeed. So much so that in the distance I thought she'd Caprotti gear. And, upon re-watching the vid and pausing it at the opportune moment, she's in FULL forward gear!