Re: The Worst Locomotives- Steam
Author: Tom Moungovan
Date: 09-08-2008 - 18:34

Most Overrated Steam locomotives (IMHO)

I've never been a fan of the Baldwin 90 ton logging mike...McCloud 18, YW 19, C&C 15. I realize that there were a fair number built and still a number survive today, but in my opinion, the are the epitome of mediocrity. Baldwin had good salespeople and could furnish these machines on short notice if a client needed them, but they were not great pullers, despite their t.e. of around 35,000 lbs. Consider this...McClouds 25, the Alco 2-6-2 develops only 28,800 lbs. t.e., but is rated for almost twice the passenger consist out of the McCloud depot.
I have personally witnessed on of these mikes slip:
while running light, on dry warm rail, while being run by an experienced hogger familiar with her and with her boiler pressure cut back from 180 lbs. to 165 lbs. Yep, all of the above!
For what it's worth, I had two days of student trips on the 19 30 years ago & have ridden the other two mentioned here.
The other one that I think got too much raves was the Texas & Pacific 2-10-4. Not to pretend that I know more than a design engineer, 'cause I sure don't, but for all the power that they had, they were really light on their feet & had to have a yard engine help them get a start on their train in some locations. There's an old axiom that weight on drivers should be about 4 times the t.e. These things were waaay under that & suffered accordingly. They were built for the hill & dale profiles of Texas & would do poorly on a real mountain road. Frisco 1500 class 4-8-2 types were the exact opposite & did not have a propensity for slipping.
Just my opinion.



Subject Written By Date/Time (PST)
  The Worst Locomotives almo 09-08-2008 - 01:28
  Re: The Worst Locomotives BOB2 09-08-2008 - 11:05
  Re: The Worst Locomotives- Steam Tom Moungovan 09-08-2008 - 18:34
  Re: The Worst Locomotives Samnberry 09-08-2008 - 18:51
  Re: The Worst Locomotives Dr Zarkoff 09-08-2008 - 19:36
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Tom 09-08-2008 - 20:31
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Tom Farence 09-09-2008 - 03:50
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Bill Kohler 09-09-2008 - 07:17
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Rich Hunn 09-09-2008 - 15:39
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Hal Lewis 09-09-2008 - 21:24
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - question Craig Tambo 09-09-2008 - 21:33
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - more questions almo 09-09-2008 - 22:56
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - more questions almo 09-09-2008 - 23:00
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - more questions Dr Zarkoff 09-10-2008 - 20:38
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - more questions almo 09-10-2008 - 22:33
  Re: The Worst Locomotives - more questions Dr Zarkoff 09-12-2008 - 12:57
  Re: The Worst Locomotives Joe 09-18-2008 - 23:02


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