Steam & Excursion > Camelback steamers

Who used em, what were they used for, are any preserved? Thanks.

Reading and CNJ were big users. Wide variety of wheel arrangements.

They had a wide firebox, required for burning anthracite or culm. Engineer was moved forward for visibility reasons.

Preserved - CNJ 4-4-2 at B&O Museum in Baltimore, Reading 0-4-0 st Strasburg (RR Museum of PA). All I can think of, but there may be others.

I think you will find that the Erie, Lackawanna, Pennsy, Jersey Central, Reading, and the Susie Q were the primary users of the Camelback style loco.

Marty Harrison

A Camelback (DL&W?) is also preserved at the National Museum of Transport near St. Louis, MO.

Ok so the engineer was moved forward, what about the ashcat? Were they used for powering commuter runs?

CNJ 4-6-0's were used to power commuter runs in 1954. No. 774 was probably the most famous of the last 4-6-0's in this service. Fireman had a minmal shelter on the deck of the loco/tender. The last trip of this loco was covered in Trains Mag Oct 1954.

kevink Wrote:
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> A Camelback (DL&W?) is also preserved at the
> National Museum of Transport near St. Louis, MO.

That's Lackawanna 952, a 4-4-0. Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific also had a few.

It must have been pure hell to fire a Camelback in rain, snow or cold weather; except for a small roof overhead, the fireman basically worked out in the open at the rear of the boiler. As far as I know, all Camels were hand-fired.

wlankenau Wrote:
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> It must have been pure hell to fire a Camelback in
> rain, snow or cold weather; except for a small
> roof overhead, the fireman basically worked out in
> the open at the rear of the boiler. As far as I
> know, all Camels were hand-fired.
>
Camels' firemen were not any more exposed than firemen on standard locomotives of the period. Throughout the 1880's and '90's most narrow firebox engines were of the "deckless cab" design, with the cab set astride the firebox and the backhead nearly flush with the rear cab wall. There was no deck on the locomotive for the fireman to stand, but he stood on the front of the tender, with only a small roof overhead - just like the camelback firemen.

An example of a camelback locomotive.

Ed K. cp. Laurel Run

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Don't forget the Lehigh & New England owned several, in fact I believe the were the last ones to purchase camelbacks.
Chris S.

One reason often cited for the Camelback configuration was the difficulty encountered in trying to place a conventional cab behind the very wide anchracite-burning firebox, although later "Wide Wootens" did put the cab in the normal spot. The firemen on many Camels had to feed two firebox doors with that scoop. The hogger was in a dangerous spot if any of that gyrating machinery below came loose or worse. And, there was virtually no communication possible between the 2 enginemen. The ICC outlawed new Camel construction sometime in the '20's, IIRC, while allowing the remaining Camels to continue operating. I think the last Camel in regular service was the 0-4-0 in Birdsboro, PA. And I believe the CNJ ten-wheelers in commute service were the last on a Class-1. There were even Camel Mallets, 0-8-8-0's, I think, on the D&H, and maybe another road or two.