Steam & Excursion > The "ERIE QUADRUPLEX" -- A Possibility ???

As far as BIG steam locomotives are concerned-- most everyone knows about Big Boy, Allegheny's,
Cab Forwards and the Erie Triplex ....

How 'bout the Erie QUADRUPLEX ??? Check it out !!

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Erie’s Quadruplex or Lima’s Black Ghost ????

After World War II came to an end and diesels came onto the scene in greater and greater numbers, Lima Locomotive Works tried to keep workers busy and hopefully stay in the steam locomotive construction business. To do so, they embarked on a secret construction project building a quadruplex engine, a 4-6+6-6+6-4, with the hopes that Erie (and perhaps Union Pacific) would buy it. To keep it under cover, it was assembled in the building that had been used to build tanks. Without the Erecting Shop facilities, all the individual parts were brought into the building and assembled there. The engine was built from the bottom up with the boiler riveted together while setting on the four engines.

The basic design was frameless in that the strengthened boiler rested on two pivot points and was not directly connected to any set of drive wheels. The front pivot and support point was between the first and second engines, while the rear pivot point was between the third and forth engines. The rear pivot had a support pad on each side giving the boiler three point support. The firebox was of normal dimensions with a long combustion chamber which allowed for high firing rates. The smoke box contained a smoke scrubber. Part of the exhaust steam from the two rear engines was condensed on its way forward and the resulting water was used in the scrubber. The front two engines were equalized in carrying the forward weight of the boiler. The second and third engines were connected with a cross bar to provide horizontal tracking while negotiating curves. The rear two engines were also equalized with the trailing truck supplying guidance only as the firebox and cab were attached to the boiler. The tender was connected to the rear truck. Because of the large amount of motion expected between the cab and tender, the rear of the cab was enclosed and a gangway could be lowered to gain access to the tender and steps.

When the engine was first steamed, the Lima crews moved the A-2 out of the shop for the photographer. The day was grey so the engine appeared in near silhouette. Exactly one year later, on the first day of April, the demolition of the black ghost began. Nothing remains but a memory and a pair of photos.

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For more information check out this URL :
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/quadruplex/quadrapl.htm

Cheers to all,

KRK

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If two pics do exist, any idea where they might be hidden?

I'm sure we'll find out on some future anniversary of the event(s).

> Exactly one year later, on the first day
> of April, the demolition
> of the black ghost began.

April of ... 1947? Or later?

"...the first day of April..."

Interesting.

Remember the VGN and Erie Triplexes of the early 20th Century? Back in that era Baldwin had drawn up plans for both quadruplex and quintuplex locos, neither of which could have possibly supplied enough steam to fill all those cylinders, just as the Triplexes couldn't. What this supposed Lima thing was I cannot even imagine. The Lima erecting shop could barely accomodate the C&O and VGN 2-6-6-6's, much less this monster. Too late on a Sat. night to go on with this.

After re-reading this, I see that this thing was supposedly built in the tank facility, not in the Loco erecting shop. Still too late on a Sat. night to give any credence to any of this.

Imagine if it had been built and running, and if talking dragging equipment detectors were around then, I can imagine the detector saying, "Total axle count..er... hell, I don't know."
Tony J.

The design seems plausible, but I don't buy the idea that Lima would need to cobble such a thing 'undercover' in the tank shop. If, in fact, Lima pinned all their hopes on this thing to preserve their steam locomotive business, I would think they'd want to show the best-built locomotive possible. I think Lima employees would understand this and keep the lid on it, even if it was built in a regular erecting bay.

If something like that had gooten built,the only people who would have been happy was the wreckmaster...it would have walked off the first facing point switch she saw.

Lima was smarter than that...

On the other hand, if you weren't sure it would work, you might hide it.

I still think it's a hoax.