Steam & Excursion > Big Boy, Challenger, 800 timetable speeds ?

In the 1940's and 50's, what were the maximum timetable speeds for these engines in freight service on the district's where they regularly operated?

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Do not exceed 125 mph unless given special permission.

  Ross Rowland

the 4000's were between 40 and 50 depending on the subdivision 
the 800's 79 mph across wyoming 
the 3900's  60 in psgr service and 50 in freight 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/19 08:14 by starsandbars.

? Is 79 mph legally required max , if not equipped with cab signals ?
( ICC requirement?)
“...account non-equipped...”?

If not artificially capped at 79,
800s could easily do the 130+ plus speeds ... probably did —- on occasion...

3900s could easily cruise at
100-per, all day long..If “Let Out..”

BIG BOY could go fast enough to scare the daylights out of you...
All day long..

You’d always want to have a “50% load” ( or better), load behind the tender—- to properly draft that fire...

If you’re gonna do them speeds, you need to be in high-superheat production... for a considerable distance..

The ATSF 2900s... were the speed demons... between Topeka & L.A.😃

Can’t forget the MILW speedy
4-4-2s & 4-6-4s..

And, in full superheat ‘state’ it’s much easier to maintain a good piston-cushion in the cylinders — near the end of each piston stroke...
At 300 rpms, that’s 600 piston ‘reversals’ per minute, or 10 per second!!!

Put that in your pipe, and smoke it..

Ross is right...them engines will really “pin your ears back”..

W.

Speed limits

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/19 10:40 by wcamp1472.

Timetable speed for steam-powered freight was
50 mph or less on the 1950 Wyoming Div

http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/zukasETT/1950-05-28UP-Wyoming8-TimZukas.pdf

Plenty of other Nebr and Wyo Div timetables
to check in his collection -- I'm guessing
UP never allowed steam more than 50 on freight.

Wonder if Fruit Blocks were limited to 50MPH?

timz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Timetable speed for steam-powered freight was
> 50 mph or less on the 1950 Wyoming Div
>
> http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/zukasETT/1950-05-28
> UP-Wyoming8-TimZukas.pdf
>
> Plenty of other Nebr and Wyo Div timetables
> to check in his collection -- I'm guessing
> UP never allowed steam more than 50 on freight.

A late friend and career UP railroader told me the silk trains and cherry trains ran at much higher speeds . He rode in the caboose of a cherry train once from Sidney to Omaha and said "you stayed seated if you were smart and those poles looked like a picket fence" because the UP had one of their 800's up front. What a ride that must have been. Remember that the last class of 800's were balanced for 110 mph . 

Probably those express reefer trains
with 4-8-4s didn't count as freight trains.

As I have mentioned before I worked with a engineer out of Cheyenne East who tild me they used to stall a little in Cheyenne so they could "High Spot" and get into Sidney on time. He said he personally got up to 125 mph with an 800 a little west of Potter Nebraska. Now that's kicking off the miles.
I have been "pretty" fast on a steam locomotive.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Regards speed limits in the steam era.......ever been on a late running passenger train?  Or any train on single track who is late for a meet?

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/19 14:48 by agentatascadero.

A good friend has a Wyoming Division Employee Timetable from February 29, 1948:

1) Streamliners.          80 MPH
2) Other diesel powered passenger trains.     75 MPH
3) Steam powered passenger trains.      60 MPH
4) Freight trains          40 MPH
5 4000 class.          50 MPH


Some later Employee Timetables show Diesel powered passenger trains     90 MPH, through 1983.

In the modern era of UP steam powered specials, both the 844 and 3985 were listed in the Employee timetables as max speed 84 MPH. That said, the 3985 seemed to prefer 70 MPH as a max speed, and tended to get a little uncomfortable upwards of 75. On the other hand, 844 was VERY comfortable at speed well above 84, and well into the 90+ MPH range, in my experience.

You're looking at the limits east of Laramie --
steam passenger 75 mph west of Laramie,
and 50 mph steam freight.

http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/maps/perryETT/1949-06-12UP_Wyoming5-SheldonPerry.pdf

My grandpa was reprimanded at 100mph with an 800 making up time on the fast mail west of North Platte NE. After the demerits were issued he got a pat on the back for bringing it in on time.

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