Awhile back I suggested to Watash that we start an Ugly Engine forum. Ok, here goes. This is the UP 9000. All appliances on the front of the smokebox. Must have been fun to open up. Smokebox extends forward over the pilot. Six-coupled, three cylinder. Everything going against her. Nice straight running board, though. Supposedly these uglies were great performers. Now, Watash, tell me about the engine you ran that had the MOST water systems installed, like two injectors and a feedwater system. What feedwater systems worked better? Worthington? Elesco? Coffin?
Man you can ask a mouth full of answers in just a couple of questions! HA! OK Fitz, this 4-12-2 we refered to as a Kansas Clpper, but that was not official. I got to ride one from Wichita to Dodge City after the Challengers and Big Boys replaced these in the mountans. These Clippers were big and very fast for freights. They had a sound similar to a shay engine because of the Gresley valve gear necessary for the third cylinder. Yep, they had 3 cylinders! The extra one was in front between the other two and drove the third axel. Oficially these were called twelve-coupled engines with lateral -motion devices were mounted on the front and rear axels to allow for track and turnout radius, while the fourth pair of drivers were flangeless on the first engine. It was discovered that the blind driver idea was not necessary. My dad and I got to watch them lift the boiler up off all these wheels one day so the drivers could all be put in the pit lathe and re-trued. That was impressive. It was one of those times that makes a boy fall in love with huge machinery! There is quite a story behind these old girls! The one I got to RUN that had the most injectors and 'feedwater heater' would be hard to say. The little 2-6-0 had two injectors, but no feedwater heater. The 2-10-4 had pumps and an Elesco feedwater heater up on top of the smoke box front. Technically, it was the 4-8-8-4 #4005 because it had two injectors and two feedwater heaters. (That was the one the engineer let me 'drive' from the roundhouse down to the big coal tipple, about maybe a quarter mile or so at Cheyenne, Wo. 1941. Which was better, that's like blonde or red head? The Worthington and Wilson types were generally more popular of the open type, Elesco and the Coffin of the closed type. Because of the maintainence and fuel cost the most used was the Worthington SA usually hung on the left side, or tucked up in the smoke box with its pumps under the smoke box in front. The C&O hung two Worthingtons on the front of the boiler, with their pumps tucked in under them, so doubled the piping. Whew!!! Can I breathe now? ------------------ Watash
HA HA HA! Ain't no such thing as an ugly American Non-USRA, or USRA Steam Engine. Now diesels are another issue... Ever wonder why diesels have known limits on their tractive effort/tonnage and a steam engine has none? That's because the power of a steam engine is immeasurable. The wheels will loose traction, or you'd yank the drawhead out of the tender before she'd quit! All steam tractive efforts are an estimate. All diesel tractive efforts are finite. When they MAX, THEY MAX! I will say this: as a conductor who rode GM EMD's and GE's, I'd take an EMD over GE anyday! The SD40-2, and the GP40 were the best ever made. They work: Wet rail or not! But still, they never equal out to the 2-8-0 Consolidation, or the Mike 2-8-2. How many diesel guys does it take to get to the center of this tootsie pop? Have fun with this guys, it not personal. And please, no labor intensive replies...come up with something that won't make us say " oh please! " Y'all are OK! Randy [This message has been edited by slsffriscokid (edited 22 October 2000).]
slsffriscokid, This one I'm going to let the painted funny car suckers answer!! HAHAHA (I wouldn't touch it with your ten foot pole) ------------------ Watash
Yo Watash, you got me there. TWELVE coupled, not SIX. I'm losin' it. Didn't realize that the 9000 (first one) had blind 4th drivers. {for those of you who are just reading this for fun, the 9000 is a 4-12-2}. Imagine how long that represents on a rigid frame? Would be hard to turn on a wye. Wish I had a chance to hear that Gresley gear. Wouldn't have been fun hangin off the front of 9000, tho there are many things there to hang onto! Somebody send in another ugly. No diesels allowed.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by watash: slsffriscokid, This one I'm going to let the painted funny car suckers answer!! HAHAHA (I wouldn't touch it with your ten foot pole) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I'll send you the hospital bill from falling out of my chair! Score Watash 1 SLSFFRISCOKID 0 Good Show! Randy
All those old Iron Horses were ugly! Clanking and banging smoking and stinking soot flying every where. Its a wonder that the crews didn't die of Black Lung. Now Diesels that is real class like comparing a Rolls Royce to a model T. Art
Watch it there Art, Slsffriscokid and I just might have to have a soot-off with your deezul "spot-marker"! Ha. Have you gathered up enough guys to get to the center yet? ------------------ Watash
Watash 2 SLSFFRISCOKID 0 ART 0 HA HA HA HA HA! ...IMAAAAAA BAD BOY! Gotta Love it! Whoooo Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk! Randy SLSFFRISCOKID
ALL diesels are ugly, that's why they aren't included in this forum. Weellll, maybe an Alco PA ain't ugly. Hasn't anybody got a photo of a GN with stuff all over the front end? Even the Allegheny, as great as the running gear looked, had all that stuff plastered on the smokebox.
Hey Art, look on the "Favorite Locomotive Forum" about August 5. I posted a beauty there, ex C&O 2-8-8-2. She is a pipe fitter's nightmare! The Big Boys were what the Straw Boss used to call a 'clean boilered' engine, like "Old Maude". I'm surprised you don't know about her, she ran all over Sand Patch! ------------------ Watash
Fitz, I put this in for all the old steam hoggers. I haven't heard of diesel hoggers feeling this way about their engines. I think they are different, but no dissrespect meant. Memory of a High Steppin' Lady There was a thrill in her voice echoing among canyon clefts, then rolling across the approaching prairie. She would quicken as tiny lights began to appear in the distance. Her people would sense her rush, feel her excitement! Notch by notch she will reach for that syncopated rythum, holding over ninety, breathing easy, ticking seconds away. Her fireman grins as he covers her crown sheet and taps her stoker. Her engineer would check his watch, and give her a gentle pat. They swear they saw her smile! This was a long legged Lady who loved to dance on ribbons of silver in the moon light! She was, "Queen of the Midnight Express"! The romance between an engineer and his Iron Maiden is like no other. No sensation can ever take her place. He can not forget her voice at crossings in the night, nor could she forget his touch that seemed to make her quiver with delight. This bond between the man and his Lady, is forever unique. (Written September 30, 1973, by Watash) ------------------ Watash
Watash, you sho do wax eloquent with that poetry, but if that is the Pacific you were in love with, she sure is the ugliest one I ever saw. Pacifics were usually pretty engines. Who hung all that stuff on the front end of a Pacific? I tried to reply to the other thread on a diesel pulling a Big Boy. Had a tech problem. Anyway, the diesel boys have us figured out. They would win, because all of the Big Boys are are cold and dead. That's the only way they could pull one. (Have, in Denver). If we could fire one up, we would show them a thing or two. Thanks for that picture. She's UGLY
Guys-Guys,I've loved trains all my life, (that is what I can remember of it)and I've never seen an U-gle locomotive.I've seen some "cosmetically challenged",ones but never an ugly one. RRman48 Rusty B
Fitz, "Sir, you are speaking unkindly of the woman I love! Cease and desist! Wash your mouth out with lye soap! Just look at the figure on this poor little gal. Fitz and rrman48, I showed the "Queen" here only because, like my Grandfather used to say," Yes Sir, she sure is well blessed alright!" The twin pumps up front were for the brakes to stop heavy weight Pullman Passenger cars from high speed. Her big brother is the 2-8-8-2 I posted earlier.Wait til I show you her big sister! ------------------ Watash
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fitz: ALL diesels are ugly, that's why they aren't included in this forum. Weellll, maybe an Alco PA ain't ugly. Hasn't anybody got a photo of a GN with stuff all over the front end? Even the Allegheny, as great as the running gear looked, had all that stuff plastered on the smokebox.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> As Bugs Bunny once said to Elmer Fudd, "Weelll now, I wouldn't say that...." I've seen some BULs (butt-ugly locomotives) of both the steam & diesel persuasion, and I can speak for ugly diesels (yeah yeah, I know, you steam guys think all diesels are ugly LOL). Some of my favorite uglies would be any RS2M or RS3M, followed by a remotored 6-axle Baldwin (remotored with an EMD prime mover) that the Union RR had- if I recall, they were called "Buffaloes". The Frisco Mallets were nasty-looking- sorry Charlie (LOL), but they deserved to die. They weren't built with a big-enough tender, and spent a lot of time out of service. ------------------ Southeast....Southwest.. Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T. http://hometown.aol.com/slsf1630/myhomepage/profile.html
Those Frisco Malleys may have been less than beautiful, but to hear one start up from a whoah and get up to speed was a one of a kind sound. It would give you a jolt when the front engine set lost it and slipped. That was a whole lot of luggin'power! The whole engine shuddered! ------------------ Watash
Dear sirs, I fnd it HARD to call the #9000 UGLY! I thinkshe looks powerful and awesome! My interest in steam has waned since #844 was taken off the rosters tho! Sincerely, Allen Dale. P S I think the ALCO PA was THE UGLIEST DISEASEL EVER produced!! Give me an E8/9 ANYDAY! That is the ONLY Dieseasel,(and I MISSPELLED the word on purpose,)that I have ever enjoyed seeing! [This message has been edited by Allen Dale (edited 14 November 2000).] [This message has been edited by Allen Dale (edited 14 November 2000).]
I am a diesel fan, but I snuck in here to protest at the UP 9000's being called ugly My friend had an O Scale model of one, still in brass (unpainted), and it was beautiful But he had to sell it to buy some more diesels Anyway, it would not go round his curves ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.alancurtismodels.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery
