Alan is right, that is a Coffin feedwater heater on the front of the ex-Boston & Maine 2-8-4. it is unusual because most Coffin feedwater heaters were disguised by extending the smokebox front. CB&Q used these but extended the smokebox front. When the war in Europe wound down B&M had surplus power so its 2-8-4's were sold to SP and ATSF to help move tonnage for the Pacific Theater of WW II.
Greg, weren't the Coffin heaters usually installed inside the smokebox, not as a visor as on that photo? I guess that then begs the question were Coffins "open" or "closed" heaters? I would really like to see a comparison of the technical info and physical installations among Coffin, Elesco and Worthington feedwater heater systems. bnsf, two of those pix are just red X's on my system. Anyone else report that?
It's 1am eastern time and all the photos are showing up for me fine. Not sure why you are having difficulty.
Its 1 AM here also and the pictures are showing up fine too... BNSF where you located i'm on the east coast or did you post them on Wednesday night at 1 AM ???? I'm 1 AM on Thursday night.. HA!!
Fitz, I believe the Coffin feedwater heater was very similar to the Elesco system except that the heat exchanger was of a different shape - more like a "saddle" than the "tank" of the Elesco. Yes, most of them were inside the smokebox, which was done by extending the front of the smokebox, like CB&Q did. I believe these were "closed" systems, where the steam did not mix with the feedwater. Funny, nothing else on the B&M looked anything like these Berkshires, either.
I am really enjoying this post thread---I keep learning about these incredible machines! Since I model in HO does anyone know anything about Rivarossi making a GRAY Big Boy! Yes, a Big Boy, not a Challenger. I saw one today on display and was told it was factory direct. The whole thing is gray with the smokebox being black. I have never seen anything like that before. So my questions are: 1. Did Riv really make such a version for sale to the public. 2. Did UP ever have such a thing in real life. I know that the Challenger had a greyhound scheme pulling the Portland Rose from time to time and probably pulled other passenger trains in this color, but a Big Boy? Never heard of it. I await your extremely knowledgeable responses as always.
BNSF, Rivarossi has never made any Big Boys gray that I can relate to. I do know that Rivarossi made an all gold colored Big Boy, and the all black Big Boy and then the all black with graphite on the ash pan (near and below the cab), and on the smoke box and boiler front. I can't say that I ever heard of Rivarossi making a UP gray Big Boy, It don't show any model numbers in my parts catalog for a all gray boiler or drive train frame for a Riv Big Boy.... I had to look that up to make sure I was thinking correctly... But I was and they didn't..... As for a real one..........HEY WATASH, we need some help on this one man... Your the guy to answer if UP had a "Greyhound" all gray Big Boy...... Call upon Watash time guys.... HA! So BNSF, your in MD, WV, or VA ??? [ 22 June 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
EM1: The engine number is 4002. I checked and it is factory made that way. It doesn't have the usual two-tone Greyhound striping like the FEFs or the Challengers though. It is a newer version because the engine is in the boiler. I am going to try and get the part #s on Monday off the box. They want about $225 for the thing. I am tempted, but really don't want something that is so far off from reality. I am thinking about writing Rivarossi and seeing if they can shed any light on the whole thing. If it is a very uncommon thing I might just get it to go with my other Big Boy for display purposes. I was hoping that someone had heard of a few of these things being out there. Still wonder about a real one in that scheme though.
John and bnsf, I can't answer your questions about modeling, as I am strictly a 12 inch to the foot guy. However, go back to the first post on this thread--it's a picture of the UP Big Boy 4002 and I don't see any grey. I see a smokebox rubbed with graphite. I seriously doubt that UP ever painted a Big Boy grey. BNSF all three of your photos back on that page are red X on my machine. Glad you're enjoying all this stuff. Gregg, I'm sorry I have been misspelling your name, I have a number of friends named Greg with one trailing truck G.
I just checked the photos and they are showing up for me so I don't know why you are having trouble. As far as a gray engine goes I know that some challengers and FEFs were painted gray for some of their lives and then painted black later. Maybe a Big Boy too, but I suspect that such a thing didn't exist in real life. Now I have to find out why Riv did one this way.
BNSF, Sounds like someone done a custom job on that loco by Rivarossi!!!!! It does not have a parts number for a boiler so.. That tells me that it had to have been custom painted...... Thier is no parts number for one so that says almost has to be that it was custom painted and the guy that has it doesn't know it was done like that.... Find out where he got it and let us know i'll see what I can come up with....
I have no source that UP ever painted a grey BigBoy. Maybe it is like the metalic grey "Scale" Lionel that came out in 1937. No one had ever heard of a grey or silver steam engine, so my dad was not happy when it arrived. We were both thrilled with all the valve gearotion, so we kept it. If you get the BigBoy, you might keep it. My Lionel engine is worth around 2K now I understand.
Guys, I didn't think UP painted any Big Boys gray or silver.... Thank you Watash....... I just couldn't see a Big Boy gray...... HA!!!! It was a frieght brute so.... Enough said?????
aaaahh, the 9000. I have a lot of photos of her residing in the Pomona Fairgrounds. Note the gap between the first and second set of drivers, that's where the third cylinder drive connects. The third cylinder is between the other two, and connected by Gresley valve gear up across the pilot. The axle on the second set of drivers has a big crank on it. The normal cylinders are driving the third set of drivers. I never heard one of these three-cylinders run. The exhaust must have been interesting.
Fitz,when they cracked the throttle on a big twelve, she sounded just like a shay starting out, only much more throaty. They could run like a rabbit across the Kansas prairie. There were many times we would sit on my uncle's front porch in the winter and watch one of those push a wedge type snow plow at around sixty miles an hour. Sometimes faster, throwing a stream of snow off both sides about a 100 feet! Dad used to race them in his new 1936 Chevy until we got all the way up to a mile a minute, then he had to slow down. The Chevy hot water 6 still had the dip oiler cups on the piston rods. Of course I was waving like mad and the engineer would toot the whistle at me and the fireman waved back! It was all a big thrill when I was six. "Those were the days!"
A couple more in color this time! Wish more were like this. BTW if anyone has any good photos of a FEF-3 in UP's Gray scheme that are in color I would dearly love to see them. I have seen most that are on the web, but none are really great!
Watash, sounded like a Shay, eh? I'll bet. Man, wish I could have heard one. BNSF, I finally got to see those pix from last page, and went looking for my SP stuff about cab forwards. They started buying them many years before most people know. The number on that one you posted, was it 4001? If so, the one in the Cal state museum is 4294. Does that mean SP built 294 or more? I don't know. Coffin heaters--I'll bet old 9000 had one. How else could the smokebox hang out so far? This one built into the smokebox. I have pix of 844 in greyhound paint at Railfair '91 but they aren't very good. And BNSF, that looks like a mighty DMIR engine. Nothing looked bigger or more powerful. [ 25 June 2001: Message edited by: fitz ]
