Project 3713 and steam town plan to rebuild and use 3713 booster when she's up and running. Guess with 80" drivers they'll need it.
My question is are there any other active/running steam engines that have and or use a booster?
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I think the 4449 and 765 have them. I believe I've read that they have gotten them out of "tight spots" a Diesel would be needed for if there was no booster. Might be wrong however.....
superwarp1 posted:Project 3713 and steam town plan to rebuild and use 3713 booster when she's up and running. Guess with 80" drivers they'll need it.
My question is are there any other active/running steam engines that have and or use a booster?
SP 4449 is still equipped with her Franklyn Railway Supply "high Speed" (good for up to about 25MPH) booster, and has had to use it quite a number of times during the American Freedom Train tour, and once or twice in her excursion career.
SJC posted:I think the 4449 and 765 have them. I believe I've read that they have gotten them out of "tight spots" a Diesel would be needed for if there was no booster. Might be wrong however.....
NKP 700s did NOT have boosters. Thus NKP 765 does NOT have a booster.
Hot Water posted:NKP 700s did NOT have boosters. Thus NKP 765 does NOT have a booster.
You are correct, that the Nickel Plate Road did not equip its Berkshires with a Booster.
However, the C&O did.
The trailing truck is the same for NKP as on the C&O locomotives and thus engineered and designed for a Booster.
Bottom line: The NKP Berks trailing truck could have accepted a Booster with ease, as it was designed for one, but NKP choose not to check the box next to Booster on the order form.
Kelly Anderson posted:I wouldn't think that there were too many heavy grades on the Nickel Plate that the berks had to climb out of with heavy trains. In driving through northern Indiana and Ohio, I couldn't help but note that as my dear old dad used to say, "It was flatter than p**s on a platter."
Correct. Besides, the Nickel Plate was a "High Speed Service" railroad and thus didn't need boosters on their 700s, in order to drag coal.
From the books I have read, it was said that the NKP found that the boosters on their Mikados were troublesome and that their performance was inconsistent. The Berks without boosters out performed the Mikes with them, so the NKP was happy. An NKP Berk is a better drag engine than you would expect anyway. I believe it was Rehor that stated that the NKP would pick up heavy coal trains off the C&O at Fostoria, and would STILL have to be careful not to exceed the speed limit headed for Fort Wayne with a single 700. .
All the above would lead one to think that the 700's where dang near perfect for the railroad they ran.
Ed
Ed Mullan posted:All the above would lead one to think that the 700's where dang near perfect for the railroad they ran.
Ed
You nailed it, ED. In fact, there were only two cases of EMD Demonstrations with early diesels, i.e. F Units, where the railroad's own steam locomotives out-performed the EMD Demonstrators. First was the N&W and second was the Nickel Plate!
They always say different horses for different courses, and in this case, the Advisory Mechanical Committee just flat out nailed it on the specs of the NKP Berks. I know I'm biased, and I mean no disrespect to anyone else's favorite steamer, but I NEVER cease to be amazed at how great the 700's were, and when someone says steam locomotive, a NKP Berk is always the FIRST thing that comes to mind. Their incredible versatility, reliability, and overall performance just stands above most other steamers in my mind.
