What is it?

[SteamGene]

The company that ordered a new type of steam locomotive called it the Wasatch.  Except for a few company bean counters the rest of the world called it something else.  What?  How many of them were there?

[scottychaos]

The company that ordered a new type of steam locomotive called it the Wasatch.  Except for a few company bean counters the rest of the world called it something else.  What?  How many of them were there?

UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boys.
25 were built.

Scot

[HOplasserem80c]

and...............

It was built by alco

4000 class

They were built between 1941-1944

25 were built

Top speed was 80 mph

Only 2 of the 8 surving big boys are indoors

133 feet long

16.4 feet high

539.6 tons

Tractive effort is 135,375 lb

It takes 5 diesels to do the work of one big boy

The firebox was 20 feet long

It had Boxpok wheels to make the ride comfortable

The big boy got its name when a builder chalked big boy on its firebox

[Jim Banner]

It had Boxpok wheels to make the ride comfortable

Did it also have light weight side rods and main rods?  "Light weight" being a relative term, of course.  As I understand it, roughness was a result of dynamic imbalance between the wheels and the rods.  Making just the wheels lighter would not seem to be a cure.  For a smoother ride, I would think you would need lighter rods as well.

There is an excellent set of drawings of a boxpok wheel at this link:

http://www.5at.co.uk/Drawings/Wheels/Driving_wheel_Boxpok.pdf

[scottychaos]

here is another "what is it?"

what are those weird tower things alongside the PRR T1?



Scot

[SteamGene]

Those are standpipes to refill the water tank of the tender.   Most yards had them, with the water coming from a water tank some distance away. 
Gene

[lanny]

Scot,

Water filler pipes/columns (maybe)?

Pennsy didn't use oil fired steam did they? I can't imagine what else would be put into Pennsy steam tenders using those kinds of structures, other than water.

HOplasser,

Hey fella' ... you did a great job on your answer to Gene. Lots of good information and very readable. Thanks!

lanny nicolet

[scottychaos]

Those are standpipes to refill the water tank of the tender.   Most yards had them, with the water coming from a water tank some distance away. 
Gene

nope! they are not standpipes for water.

Scot

[SteamGene]

I've never heard of a standpipe for coal, but this is the Pennsy, so expect the non-standard. 
Gene

[scottychaos]

I've never heard of a standpipe for coal, but this is the Pennsy, so expect the non-standard. 
Gene

not coal either!

Scot

[Alex V.]

Are they for sand? 

[scottychaos]

Are they for sand? 

nope! not sand either..

we have covered all the things that go into a steam engine,
water, fuel, sand.. yep..the things that go into a steam engine.

Scot

[NelsOn-30]

Gene

Tank car filling stand pipes??

Nelson

[Alex V.]

Are they for washing the locomotive?

[scottychaos]

no, and no.

we have covered the things that go into a steam engine,
water, fuel, sand.. the things that go into a steam engine.

(thats a hint!

Scot