Steam & Excursion > UP 2909 spark arrestor

I've been scanning more of Dave England's collection, and came across this Don Roberts photo of UP 4-6-2 2909 in Denver on October 7, 1947. I don't recall seeing a spark arrestor like this before.

Don Strack

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Simple but, effective.

looks like an oil burner. That sure is a pretty engine.

She is no oil burner. Check out the pile of coal on the tender.

Martin

jethat Wrote:
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> looks like an oil burner. That sure is a pretty
> engine.


Cleverly disguised. Check the tender.

And the ashpans.

Bless you Don for sharing your collection; great stuff!!

jethat Wrote:
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> looks like an oil burner. That sure is a pretty
> engine.

What gives you THAT idea?

Why? Because it's got an oil burner spark arrestor! That thing really doesn't look
like it's going to do a whole lot!

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Why? Because it's got an oil burner spark
> arrestor! That thing really doesn't look
> like it's going to do a whole lot!
>
> Out


Oil burners generally don't need spark arrestors.

However, if you are going to run a coal-burner
across eastern Colorado and western Kansas where
there are lots of wheat fields, etc., it might
not be a bad idea.

Nice picture! It's too bad the U.P. doesn't still own a Pacific, with the tall drivers I would think it would be a pretty economical and fun locomotive to run.

HotWater Wrote:
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> jethat Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > looks like an oil burner. That sure is a pretty
> > engine.
>
> What gives you THAT idea?

it looks like a tank tender to me!

Yes, that's the point, it'd work just fine as an oil arrestor because the thing
won't do much on coal, sheesh! The mesh spacing is about twice as big as the size
of a cinder.

Out

LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> She is no oil burner. Check out the pile of coal
> on the tender.
>
> Martin

But if you look at the tender it sure looks like a tank and that stuff above it does not really look like coal. Looks like something in the background. That just what I see..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/14 19:01 by jethat.

jethat Wrote:
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> LoggerHogger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > She is no oil burner. Check out the pile of
> coal
> > on the tender.
> >
> > Martin
>
> But if you look at the tender it sure looks like a
> tank and that stuff above it does not really look
> like coal. Looks like something in the background.
> That just what I see..

The ash pans must be for show...

I googled and found another picture and yes it is a coal burner. The tender is low and its curved.

jethat Wrote:
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> LoggerHogger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > She is no oil burner. Check out the pile of
> coal
> > on the tender.
> >
> > Martin
>
> But if you look at the tender it sure looks like a
> tank and that stuff above it does not really look
> like coal. Looks like something in the background.
> That just what I see..

So the coal boards on the side of the coal portion of the tender, the coal pile IN the tender, and the ash pans didn't give you a clue?

One of my first train rides was behind one of these, Denver to Cheyenne on the Cheyenne local. Rapid acceleration from stops, and a sharp, cracking exhaust.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jethat Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > LoggerHogger Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > She is no oil burner. Check out the pile of
> > coal
> > > on the tender.
> > >
> > > Martin
> >
> > But if you look at the tender it sure looks like
> a
> > tank and that stuff above it does not really
> look
> > like coal. Looks like something in the
> background.
> > That just what I see..
>
> So the coal boards on the side of the coal portion
> of the tender, the coal pile IN the tender, and
> the ash pans didn't give you a clue?
To me it looked like a tank! sorry clearly I was wrong. The article I found said all were soft coal fired and it included a picture that was clear. But the tender at that angle again to me looks like a tank!

jethat Wrote:
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> To me it looked like a tank! sorry clearly I was
> wrong. The article I found said all were soft coal
> fired and it included a picture that was clear.
> But the tender at that angle again to me looks
> like a tank!

Jethat, yes it does somewhat resemble a tank. A tank at the back portion for water, and a bin at the front which could used for coal as this one is, or could be fitted with an oil tank insert in the coal bunker space if the firebox was outfitted with an oil burner instead of coal grates.

Here are some pictures of some similar tenders in another recent thread. This design of tender is called a Vanderbilt design.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,3580158

-John