Steam & Excursion > Camelback with a Wooten Firebox

This is a rather beaten to death old image I picked up a few years ago. I still think it's neat though. I don't have a clue where the photo was taken, but the locomotive appears to be a Baldwin, and carries the number 336. It's still the link-n-pin era, and it doesn't appear that the locomotives are fitted with air brakes either. I'm guessing sometime in the 1880's?

Enjoy, Taylor

---

Aw, Taylor, now you have done it, revealing UP's secret locomotive that will attend the College World Series.

I would say it's later than the 1880's but no later than, say 1902.

HeislerPower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's still the
> link-n-pin era, and it doesn't appear that the
> locomotives are fitted with air brakes either.

There is an air brake cylinder mounted vertically below the firebox.

-John

I had looked at that but wasn't sure. Looking at the image again it's obvious due to the fact that there are brakes on the drivers. Don't see any air hoses though.

Taylor

Posted from iPhone

I know this is a sepia print but thought I would play around with it.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

---

I'm seeing driver brake shoes, so probably has air brakes of some sort at least for the engine. I don't see any front trainline airbrake hose visible, or on the engine behind.

ddg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>I don't see any front trainline airbrake hose
> visible, or on the engine behind.


Maybe in that era, they normally didn't keep front air brake hoses installed.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ddg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >I don't see any front trainline airbrake hose
> > visible, or on the engine behind.
>
>
> Maybe in that era, they normally didn't keep front
> air brake hoses installed.

This is probably the case. Prior to 1906 when the K brake was introduced, older style brake valves were only effective on trains of up to 12-15 cars. Longer trains were run "part air", meaning air was only coupled up on the head end cars. It makes sense than it would then unnecessary to cut in the air to a double headed engine consist, as well. Just let the second engineer handle it.

-John

I don't know if this is the case, but some locomotives used steam to control the locomotive brakes. This is the case with Roaring Camp & Big Trees Shay Dixiana, #1. When I did the engineer for a day, we had to get from the engine house to the train, which was stored by the depot. We used the steam powered engine brakes until we coupled up to the train. We then started the steam powered air compressor while at the station and performed the safety checks and laced up the hoses and re-coupled the train (someone thought it was fun to lift EVERY cut lever on the train ...!).

Jim Montague
IRVINE, CA
Train and Nature photo Art

I think my date range holds true with no automatic couplers. Sometimes where you obtained the photograph might tell the region that it depicts. But I am inclined to think it is out East.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think my date range holds true with no automatic
> couplers.

Just no automatic couplers that can be seen in that photo.

Sometimes where you obtained the
> photograph might tell the region that it depicts.
> But I am inclined to think it is out East.


Definitely eastern U.S. because isn't that the only area of the U.S. that had Anthracite Coal, thus the need for those giant Wooten (sp) Fireboxes & Camelback locomotives. Railroads like DL&W, RDG, CNJ, LV, etc. all had locomotives like that in the late 19th Century and well into the early 20th Century.

Note the large wood timber blocks on the locomotive pilot. These transferred pushing force to the car ahead. So this locomotive is definitely set up for pusher service on heavy grades.

The smokebox front is equipped with a variable-draft device (?), which resembles the rotating top vent on a Webber BBQ. This is unusual.

- Doug Debs

DWDebs/2472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Note the large wood timber blocks on the
> locomotive pilot. These transferred pushing force
> to the car ahead. So this locomotive is
> definitely set up for pusher service on heavy
> grades.

Most cars and engines during the link and pin era were equipped with blocks at the end. It is not unique to the engines shown.

It could take the form of a single block above the coupler, called a Buffer Block, or a pair of blocks as shown in the photo, called Dead Blocks.

Many Eastern coal hauling railroads used 20 foot wooden jennies such as this NYC car shown in plan. Dead blocks and buffer blocks are both shown, as parts 32 and 32'.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/14 18:05 by LarryDoyle.

---