Steam & Excursion > You Certainly Can See Why This Wheel Arrangement Was So Popular!

Over all the years of steam powered trains in the U.S. the simple "American" Type locomotive with its 4-4-0 wheel arrangement was probably the most popular.  This fantastic photo of Southern Pacific's #1402 at speed shows us why the crews that ran these high stepping engines loved them so much.

#1402 was erected by the Cooke Locomotive Works in September 1888 for the SP.  She served the SP beautifully as we see in this action shot for many years.  It was not until she had put in 37 years of service that he was finally broken up in September 1925.

Can you just imagine the delight felt by the crew on #1402 as this fine engine hit her stride as we see here.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/16 03:52 by LoggerHogger.

---

Quite a shot for its time.  I didn't know Mitch Goldman was that old.
That is the ugliest tender they could have put behind her.  On the same level with an Amtrash dizmal in the ugly contest
Thanks Martin.

That's one of the best action photos of a 4-4-0 I've seen in my life. It goes up there with a TRAINS Magazine photo of a tripleheader with a Canadian Pacific 4-4-0 on the point.

Looks to me like it says Southern Pacific on the cab, but has C.P. initials over the number on the tender. ?

I wonder how fast she was going when this photo was taken. Looks to be doing a good clip!

SP & CP liked whale-back tenders, not all that ugly.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Fantastic action shot.  I've rarely seen speed shots of equipment that old.  Awesome.

Z

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks to me like it says Southern Pacific on the
> cab, but has C.P. initials over the number on the
> tender. ?

Which is correct. Per the Common Standard Lettering & Numbering scheme in the 1913 - 1916 era.
Ref. SP Painting and Lettering Guide page 12. Published by the SPH&TS.

It's a great photo, but I guess I'm missing just why the 4-4-0 was so popular/so loved/so delightful versus any other wheel arrangement.  What virtues did it possess that other types lacked?

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's a great photo, but I guess I'm missing just
> why the 4-4-0 was so popular/so loved/so
> delightful versus any other wheel arrangement. 
> What virtues did it possess that other types
> lacked?

In addition, how can we tell that the crew felt "delighted" because it is a 4-4-0?!

The 4-4-0 American Type can be given overwhelming credit, more than any other steam locomotive design before or since its development, for helping the United States flourish beginning in the latter half of the 19th century. After their debut and minor refinements the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement quickly proved its superior ability over all other types of its day and by the 1870s well over three-quarters of all steam locomotives operating in the country at that time were American Types. While the railroads themselves built our great nation into what it has become today, their initial workhorse in achieving that task was the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement.

The 4-4-0 or "American" type locomotive was widely used in North America during the 1800's. This wheel arrangement was well suited to the grades and curvature of the railroad of that time.

Around 25,000 4-4-0 locomotives were built by companies including Rogers, Baldwin, Cooke and Mason. However, the design required the firebox to fit between the driving wheels which limited its firing (and thus steaming) capacity and by 1900 larger locomotives were needed, designed and built.

Martin

Because if a side rod became disconnected, it cold fly up into the cab and kill an eingineman? :(

Yes, I agree, the Whaleback Tender is ugly. Is it possbile it came off a swticher?

​Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's a great photo, but I guess I'm missing just
> why the 4-4-0 was so popular/so loved/so
> delightful versus any other wheel arrangement. 
> What virtues did it possess that other types
> lacked?

LoggerHogger Wrote:

> The 4-4-0 American Type can be given overwhelming
> credit, more than any other steam locomotive
> design before or since its development, for
> helping the United States flourish beginning in
> the latter half of the 19th century. After their
> debut and minor refinements the 4-4-0 wheel
> arrangement quickly proved its superior ability
> over all other types of its day and by the 1870s
> well over three-quarters of all steam locomotives
> operating in the country at that time were
> American Types. While the railroads themselves
> built our great nation into what it has become
> today, their initial workhorse in achieving that
> task was the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement.

http://www.american-rails.com/4-4-0.html

> The 4-4-0 or "American" type locomotive was widely
> used in North America during the 1800's. This
> wheel arrangement was well suited to the grades
> and curvature of the railroad of that time.
>
> Around 25,000 4-4-0 locomotives were built by
> companies including Rogers, Baldwin, Cooke and
> Mason. However, the design required the firebox to
> fit between the driving wheels which limited its
> firing (and thus steaming) capacity and by 1900
> larger locomotives were needed, designed and
> built.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/american/

I guess in the early going, when no one was building locomotives with more than four drivers, a 4-4-0 would ride and track better than a 2-4-0 or an 0-4-0, and had more tractive effort than a 4-4-2 or anything with just one powered axle.  I am curious as to why the 4-4-0 was so much more popular than the 2-4-2.  Come to think of it, the 4-6-0 was likewise a lot more popular than the 2-6-2, but the 2-8-2 and 2-10-2 were far more common than the 4-8-0 and 4-10-0.  Hmmm...so why did 2-X-2 work well for X > 6 but not so well for X ≤ 6?

In any case, as engines with six, eight, and even ten drivers became available and train sizes grew to match, the 4-4-0 quickly fell from favor on most large US railroads (SP was a late purchaser of 4-4-0's, but then, they were also the only purchaser of a 4-10-0).  Perhaps the sheer diversity of possible wheel arrangements that came with more drivers as well as 1 or 2 trailing axles diluted the popularity of any one type enough that the 4-4-0 remained the "most popular" in terms of total numbers built long after its numbers in service had dwindled to near insignificance.  Steamlocomotive.com does show the 2-8-0 nipping at the 4-4-0's heels, though, with roughly 23,000 examples in the US against the 4-4-0's 25,000.  The Consolidation never really fell from favor, either, at least until infernal combustion came along.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/16 01:35 by Evan_Werkema.

Anybody know where this photo was taken at?  The whaleback tender was probably added to this locomotive to extend it's range between water stops.....better to maintain passenger schedules.  The photo reminds me of a time in the mid-50s when my Dad and I paced the SP's San Joaquin Daylight on Highway 99 between Manteca and Modesto.....motive power on that train was a 4-8-4! 

Wow!  An amazing action shot!

​

My understanding of the popularity of the 4-4-0 type was the wheel arrangement mimicked a three legged stool which gave it stability on the rickety track of the 1800's.

I like how the tender is still lettered for the CP.

There is no better ride than a 4-4-0. They will track well on the worst track and are .sweeter than sweet on good track.

​Here is Short Line Enterprises, 1888, Cooke 4-4-0 with three V&T cars chrging up Chinese Hill on the Sierra Railroad in the spring of 1979.

---