I was just discussing some of the different class names for the 4-8-4 type of steam locomotive.
I know that on the Northern Pacific they were called, "Northerns", and a Southern road (I can't remember which one) called them the "Dixie" class. I know that they were called "Niagaras" on the New York Central and "Wyomings" on the Lehigh Valley. What sort of other names did this class have on different lines? I know there must have been a lot of them, but I can't remember all of them.
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Boy, sometimes you don't realize you have a question until someone else asks it, and this is one of those times!
I am very interested in hearing more about the 4-8-4 designations.
Western Maryland's 4-8-4s were known as Potomacs.
Bob
The name I see when I see one of those published lists of locomotive names, is
"Northern". I had heard the NYC and C&O designation before.
Rumor has it that DAYLIGHT 4-8-4's on the SP were designated "GS" for "Golden State." That became "General Service" when the SP needed permission from the War Production Board for more 4-8-4's during World War II.
The UP designated 800-series 4-8-4's as FEF-1, FEF-2, or FEF-3.
And then there is N&W Class J 4-8-4 No. 611.
N&W Class J
as for the rest..... per Wikipedia...
Gilly
The first five 4-8-4's on the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (551-555) were named after Confederate generals. Twelve more (601-612) were named after governors. The final 10 (613-622) were named after statesmen. They were called "Generals," "Governors," or "Statesmen."
According to "Trains Magazine", the Great Northern tried to float the name "Montana Type" for it's S2 4-8-4's of 1930 vintage. Seemingly they could not abide by calling their engine by their arch competitors name, but eventually capitulated!
The NdeM engines were pronounced "knee-uh-gar-uh"!
Did the Milwaukee and MoPac have any special names for their 4-8-4's?
Neat set of replies, so far, and thanks! I'm wondering; did the Reading Company ever have a special name for its famed T-1 Class 4-8-4's?
According to E D Worley in his book, Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail, the ATSF initially called their 4-8-4s "heavy Mountains". Every reference I have seen has been to the locomotive class numbers, 3751, 3765, 3776 and 2900.
ChipR
Neat set of replies, so far, and thanks! I'm wondering; did the Reading Company ever have a special name for its famed T-1 Class 4-8-4's?
No.
During World War II, Superintendent of Motive Power E. Paul Gangeware went on record recommending that the Reading make do with existing steam power and dieselize as quickly as possible after the war. The newest locomotives were 10 huge K-1 2-10-2's built by Baldwin in 1932. Everything else was older. Many were a lot older.
In 1944, Reville W. Brown, a former B&O engineer, became President of the Reading. He favored steam power and arranged the rebuilding of 20 (then 30) of the youngest immense I-10sa 2-8-0's (2020-2049) as T-1 4-8-4's (1945-1947) and the construction of 10 G-3 4-6-2's (the last built in America) with parts from Baldwin in 1948.
Unlike the Lehigh Valley and the Lackawanna, the Reading didn't have the topography or long runs where 4-8-4's excelled. The T-1's had teething pains. They were less powerful than K-1 2-10-2's or the Western Maryland's massive 4-8-4's (Potomacs) on the joint Reading-WM "Dutch Line" (Hagerstown, Lurgan, and Rutherford Yard between Harrisburg and Hershey).
The Reading retired the T-1's by 1956 but stored them carefully. Just about everything else was scrapped by that time or soon after. T-1's were the last big steamers left on the anthracite roads. In 1959, the Reading responded to many requests by running the first Iron Horse Ramble on October 25, 1959 - the day after N&W J 611 made her last run to Roanoke with an excursion.
Today, the Reading is by far the best preserved and operated of all the anthracite roads. The NS and the Reading & Northern keep former Reading mains busy. Nine steamers remain, including a 1:8 scale G-1sa Pacific constructed by 52 Reading Shops apprentices. The Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern, New Hope & Ivyland, and the Strasburg run Reading passenger cars. The Reading Company Techical & Historical Society keep home fires burning in a Museum on South Third Street in Hamburg by the Blue Mountain & Reading yard.
Here are photos of that 1:8 scale Pacific inside her display case. She is in really good shape.
Canadian National had no qualms about what to call them!
Neat set of replies, so far, and thanks! I'm wondering; did the Reading Company ever have a special name for its famed T-1 Class 4-8-4's?
No.
During World War II, Superintendent of Motive Power E. Paul Gangeware went on record recommending that the Reading make do with existing steam power and dieselize as quickly as possible after the war. The newest locomotives were 10 huge K-1 2-10-2's built by Baldwin in 1932. Everything else was older. Many were a lot older.
In 1944, Reville W. Brown, a former B&O engineer, became President of the Reading. He favored steam power and arranged the rebuilding of 20 (then 30) of the youngest immense I-10sa 2-8-0's (2020-2049) as T-1 4-8-4's (1945-1947) and the construction of 10 G-3 4-6-2's (the last built in America) with parts from Baldwin in 1948.
Unlike the Lehigh Valley and the Lackawanna, the Reading didn't have the topography or long runs where 4-8-4's excelled. The T-1's had teething pains. They were less powerful than K-1 2-10-2's or the Western Maryland's massive 4-8-4's (Potomacs) on the joint Reading-WM "Dutch Line" (Hagerstown, Lurgan, and Rutherford Yard between Harrisburg and Hershey).
The Reading retired the T-1's by 1956 but stored them carefully. Just about everything else was scrapped by that time or soon after. T-1's were the last big steamers left on the anthracite roads. In 1959, the Reading responded to many requests by running the first Iron Horse Ramble on October 25, 1959 - the day after N&W J 611 made her last run to Roanoke with an excursion.
Today, the Reading is by far the best preserved and operated of all the anthracite roads. The NS and the Reading & Northern keep former Reading mains busy. Nine steamers remain, including a 1:8 scale G-1sa Pacific constructed by 52 Reading Shops apprentices. The Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern, New Hope & Ivyland, and the Strasburg run Reading passenger cars. The Reading Company Techical & Historical Society keep home fires burning in a Museum on South Third Street in Hamburg by the Blue Mountain & Reading yard.
Hi, ReadingFan.
I assume you already have this book but I thought I'd ask anyway. Do you have a copy of the Gottsschall T-1 book? This book is one of the finest about steam power I've ever read. Technical in its approach, the book is a very straightforward and honest account of the class....positively fascinating.
It should be required reading for every fan of the Reading. Actually, anyone who appreciates steam locomotives would probably enjoy it.
Regards,
Bob
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