Steam Powered Locomotives

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Only the bases where they once stood .

About 25 years ago there was special a steam commemeration run through Ohio with I think a Lima built steamer .From Bellefountain Ohio to Kenton is about 30-35 Miles . In that few miles it sucked down a few thousand gallons of water and burned around 30 tons of coal .

They filled the water tender from a fire truck ,used a clam shell crane for the coal and it hissed and snorted and was on it's way towards Toledo .

If I'm not mistaken the Santa Fe still has two operating steamers they use for excursion runs . Biguns,the 5000 HP jobs .
the onion pacific has a large steamer still running on special occasions--rebuilt by the employees, on their own time. they are even thinking about rebuilding the largest steamer ever built. a 4-8-4?? as al said, heavy muthas--
 
they are even thinking about rebuilding the largest steamer ever built. a 4-8-4?? as al said, heavy muthas--
If that is truely the case that engine would be most likely a Lima built Allegany .It surpased even the ALNICO big boy that was used to haul iron ore from the massabi range .We are talking over 500 tons ,locomotive plus tender and capable of I think 8500 HP with the right boiler .

The big boys hauled massive loads but only at around 35 mph while a Alleganys made about 55-60 .

The Alleganys usually ran the coal trains coming out of northern Virginia plus the mountains of Pa.
 
yup, just looked at steam pics, and thats what it was. called the "big boy" said was largest steam loco ever built!!! what a animal--howd you like to shovel coal to that hog??? argghhhhh ya, and theres still not a diesel built with that much hp--crazy power of steam--
 
Trivia :Maybe twenty years ago another big steamer was being refurbished some place .They towed that monster to Lima and did some work on it in the locomotive shop of BLH .

At that time the company had been sold but the old machinery was still there .It sat there for around 6-8 months then towed to St Louis to be realigned in the last "quadrent" machine left in the USA .

The drive wheels on a steamer have a special tapered axle and those huge wheels are pressed in place .By design the cylinders are at exactly 90 degrees apart with regards to timing .The drivers have to be turned to the exact size and placed at exactly 90 degrees to work properly .

That steamer will be the last one ever done in Lima because the machinery has been sold ,the building leveled and will eventualy be a bio fuel power house or so they say .

If I get a chance in the next few days I will take a picture of the very last Lima built steamer which is on display at one of the city parks .
 
You sure made some big ones.

This one has been going here for 60 years, gives the kids a good time.

It's a copy of the Flying Scotsman, it's been to the USA & Australia. Broke some sort of record here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A3_4472_Flying_Scotsman

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http://www.pnc.com.au/~wallison/slsls.htm
 
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Here is a picture of the water tower in Westley, CA. This was originally a Southern Pacific track but is now just a local track owned by the California Northern. There were two business on the property that still used this tank for water until about 10 years ago.
 

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Have you seen this?

http://chainsaw.mine.nu/downloads/1/060.MOV



http://www.chainsawcollectors.se/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=9203


058.JPG
 
It is interesting the differences in HP ratings used on gasoline engines versus steam .

At one show I saw a big sawmill nearly stall a John-Deere 730 while a 40 HP steamer pulled it with ease .

At the same show I saw a 50 HP Russel steamer completely pull in two an 8 inch flat belt hooked to a Baker fan . Broke it like it was a rubber band .
 
My departed pappy used to tell of the days of thrashing machines with stationary power units from the 30's .

He and his cousin,both straping young men could nearly stall a Rumely oil pull which is a giant old machine with 10 inch cylinders .They tried this on a Case steamer but all they did was raise the boiler pressure and it didn't slow down a bit .
 
My old man makes fully working scales models from scratch and sells them to fund his retirement !

God knows how he does it, the dedication is amazing...must get some decent photo's next time i'm down there.

I spent my childhood getting dragged to steam events and i'm still captivated by steam loco's.
 
I've seen several examples of scale working model Case steamers,hit and miss engines and in fact working narrow gauge locomotives .

These guys spend literally years building them .

I looked at a small Cincinati shaper a few years ago that was for sale .The owner had built a scale model of a flwheel engine on which he had offset turned the crankshaft from a solid steel billet . He cut the cam shaft on a Bridgeport mill .I was amazed to say the least .
 
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