A view of the Past, Vintage Photos

Great pictures.

Wow, did you drive the 72 all the way until 86?

 

Full up in service weights were higher, that boiler and tender could carry large amounts of water and fuel.

You can probably do about 450 ton on the drawbar for working load in any given place with that locomotive, be about 8 or so modern cars. Plenty heavy enough train for it depending on the ruling grade.

The one engine I am familiar with in haul away was the one that blew up at Gettysburg after they failed to understand low water on a upgrade running backwards until the crown sheet and bolts were exposed. NTSB said that there were a few safety fused bolts that blew so that the whole boiler does not go flying down the track killing or scalding god only knows how many.

We just finished the Cotton Belt 819 sometime ago down in the shops at Pine Bluff. That one I think carried approx 36K on each of the pilot and trailing axles and then 80K Plus on each of the 4 drive axles at full up working weight. You could and did roll 60+ cars at 80+ mph past the wabash between St Louis and Tyler with it back in the days of radio.

Im not sure what sort of heavy haul trailer you would need for something that big, but Im pretty sure there is a trailer for it.

 

Very interesting. In the interest of full disclosure those were google images. I remember them from another forum I was active on and googled for them.

 

A little bit. Rode the Strasburg as a child. That did it along with the Amish Food. Nothing like home cooking which also was grand.

In those days that hobby was worth staying out of trouble on the streets getting into mischief if you had nothing to occupy you. I did not really have the appreciation for the weights involved on those things until I got into trucking and found out for myself.

There are opportunities around the USA occasionally where for a small sum you can gain a engine, two instructors (In firing and steaming) for a day and they can teach you quite a bit in short time. Other than being on either the Bay or the ocean it's a good activity in life.