I’m a fan of Lionel’s 4-6-0 ten-wheeler steam locomotive models. They have a classic look based on a New York Central F-12 prototype and are the right size for my 10’-by-5’ (O-54) and 12’-by-8’ (O-72) layouts. Until recently, I had four – one each from the New Haven, Boston & Maine, Boston & Albany, and New York Central railroads. This week, I added a model of New York Central #1244 – (SKU 2431660).
Unlike some of my earlier Lionel ten-wheelers, the colors are realistic on #1244. The boiler is flat black, the smokebox is a dark metallic-graphite, the running gear is tarnished black, and the silver color of the cylinder and valve-chest heads sets them apart from the rest of the model. The tender has been upgraded with a load of real coal and the gauges and valves on the boiler backhead are nicely detailed (see last photo). The whistle, bell, and locomotive sounds are excellent, and slow-speed operation is very smooth under conventional control.
New York Central #1244 was built by Alco in November 1907 and began service on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad as Class F-2e #2118. It was reclassified to NYC Class F-12e and renumbered #831 when superheated in February 1916. Weight was 208,000 pounds with 31,900 pounds tractive effort at steam pressure 200 pounds-per-square-inch with 69-inch driving wheels. It was renumbered to #1244 in 1948 and retired in February 1952.
Ten-wheelers hauled fast passenger trains at the beginning of the 20th Century but the introduction of heavy steel passenger cars required more powerful locomotives so the ten-wheelers were relegated to secondary status as 4-6-2 Pacific types entered service.
Videos show #1244 pulling a wood passenger car that I built from a kit by Labelle Woodworking - similar to wood cars hauled by ten-wheelers when they first went into service.
Addendum: Arnold Cribari may be interested to know that, like many other NYC ten-wheelers, #1244 ran on the Putnam Division, as shown by a photograph in New York Central's Later Power 1910-1968 by Alvin Staufer and Edward L. May...
MELGAR