April 1950 Class K-5b 4920 at Lafayette IN on April 8, 1950. Built by Alco in 1926 as Michigan Central 8360, it was retired in June of 1952. Harry Zillmer Photo, M. D. McCarter collection. Starting under the cab. The big pipe with the upsidedown funnel is to the booster. Follow it along and it comes out in the middle of the cylinder on top. That is how it gets its steam. There is another just like it on the engineer's side. - More if you wish it -
Roger, please do give us more. Lots of plumbing associated with that Elesco feedwater heater! A real good looking Pacific.
Ok, this came from Maurice Lewman... Starting under the cab. The big pipe with the upsidedown funnel is to the booster. Follow it along and it comes out in the middle of the cylinder on top. That is how it gets its steam. There is another just like it on the engineer's side. The smaller pipe below the steam pipe is the water pump supply pipe from tender to the water pump which is located to the rear and above the cylinder. You can see the pipe coming from behind the air tank to the water pump. You can then follow it out of the front of the pump, and it gets lost in the maze, but it comes out around the boiler and goes onto the bottom of the feed water heater, goes thru the feedwater heater at the top and coming out in the large pipe. Following along the boiler and making a U turn ending at the boiler check valve. The single air pump in front was from the K-3r series 4800-4804 and these were the last 4-6-2 locomotives built for the B4/NYC in Feb. 1925. These locomotives were hot rods and had for one thing, each had a different front end throttle, among other hopup things. Rich Stoving speaks of them running 115 mph in his articles. Did you notice all B4/NYC generators set on the side of the boilers not on top as other R.R. The K-3r 4800s had a TE of 41900 and K-5, TE of 47-48000. LEW
Thanks for providing that additional information, Roger, and thanks LEW. I often wondered about that U turn but the way LEW explained it, it becomes obvious that the boiler check valve is on the end of it. Nice looking boiler jacketing on that engine, too.
