Nostalgia & History > RF&P 4-8-4s

After reading Copy 19's post on "One H of a" I recalled how handsome the Richmond, Fredricksburg and Potomac 4-8-4s were. Yeah, blasphemy from a New York Central guy, but seriously, they were good looking. Does anyone have any photos to post to support my claim?

I hate the MP but I gotta hand it to them for the 2201 4-8-4's.

For sheer "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum - I'm the locomotive and here I come!" brute appearance, hard to beat a no-nonsense 2900 class Northern.

John Gezelius
Tustin, CA

NYCman, here are a couple of links:

http://www.historycentral.com/railroad/Locomotives/RFPRailroad.html

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/jdhsmith/term/slusrfp601.jpg

This guy http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/rchfrdp.htm has photos for sale and the two links below show the 4-8-4s

sweet photo http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/RFP608.JPG

another nice one for sale http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/RFP613.JPG

and their big Pacifics looked like they meant business http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/RFP613.JPG

and what's not to love about a Lime Berk (did they call them Berks?) http://www.yesteryeardepot.com/RFP5711.JPG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/10 20:55 by AdamPhillips.

We have to remember that RF&P had 3 classes of 4-8-4's, The Generals, Governors and Statesman. I am working from memory, but the Generals, the first group, turned out to be too big too fit through the tunnel into Union Station, so were relegated to freight. The other two groups were build slightly smaller with one group, the Statesman I believe, having the semi Vanderbilt tender. For shear look of power, there was nothing like a General heading up the line with a long freight behind it.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/10 09:30 by RNinRVR.

nycman Wrote:
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> After reading Copy 19's post on "One H of a" I
> recalled how handsome the Richmond, Fredricksburg
> and Potomac 4-8-4s were.....seriously, they were
> good looking.

Truer words have yet to be spoken, nycman.

There are so many great looking Eastern road engines that are overlooked by the vast majority of so-called locomotive "aficionados" on this forum. The Lehigh Valley had some beautiful "Wyomings" and the DL&W had some magnificent "Poconos" (For those of you in Rio Linda, "Wyomings" and "Poconos" were the LV's and DL&W's respective names for their 4-8-4 wheel arrangements). The Mopac and Frisco Northerns were as marvelously photogenic as anything that ever plied the rails.

The Santa Fe???? Don't make me laugh! Big? Yeah. Powerful? I suppose. Handsome? Never in a million years. Who but the Santa Fe, would put an Elesco bundle type feedwater heater UNDERNEATH the smokebox, instead of, at the very least, on TOP of the smokebox? Who but the Santa Fe, would mount a Westinghouse cross-compound air compressor beneath the Fireman's seat of the cab? I'll bet the Fireman could feel that thing thumpin' in his teeth, let alone his butt! Oh, that's right! The Santa Fe put the Worthington feedwater pump on the pilot deck, instead of on the left front of the engine, underneath the running board, where it belonged. Couldn't mount the air compressors on the pilot deck after that now, could we. And how about those big rectangular boxes that supposedly passed for a tender? Real classic lineage there, no? And that gawd-awful headlight that "graced" Santa Fe power? Who made that monstrosity? Some trash can company?

The Santa Fe and classic, good looking. There's a contradiction in terms for ya! I don't think the Santa Fe could spell the word "aesthetics", let alone understand what the word meant. You Santa Fe partisans wouldn't know a good looking engine if it jumped up and bit you on the butt!!!! One man's opinion, of course.

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN

Stop holding back, Bob. Tell us how you really feel.

Dick

Thanks, Adam. Those 600's are beautiful. Sure wish there was one around to look at these days. Yeah, Bob, tell us how you really feel! Thanks for the comments.

That's how I really, really feel, Gents!!!

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN

AdamPhillips Wrote:
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> and what's not to love about a Lime Berk (did they
> call them Berks?)

I don't think the RF&P called them anything other than Berkshires, Adam. Could be wrong about that. IIRC, they had 10 of them. Couldn't get dismals (Wartime restrictions, I think). Did the next best thing and got Lima 2-8-4's, instead. ALWAYS a smart choice in a pinch!

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/10 18:32 by rcall31060.