You all know that I am an SP man through and through. My father was a 42 year veteran of the T&NO and my brother was a 30 year clerk for SP. Me, I couldn't get hired on the SP but I worked summers for PFE. So what, well I am leading up to a group of photos of my most favorite SP big steam. The one and only AC-9. First I must add that the SPH&TS has approved of my posting these images with appropriate credits. First off they come from SPH&TS's Trainline magazine issue #23. The images were actually made by the manufacturer, Lima, at their factory, circa 1939. And here she is, meet AC-9 # 3800, what a beauty : I have several images that I will slowly add but I must re-size some of them. Should I continue ??? Be well, Carl
The shop trucks under the boiler are pretty cool. They seem purpose-built, as the inside-bearing design is pretty unconventional. Although I don't have a ton of builders photos in my collection, but most of my shots with shop trucks show just regular freight car trucks like Andrews or archbar designs. I wonder what the motivation was behind the new design. Maybe they were lighter or had better clearance than regular stock trucks. What was the meaning behind the 'AC' in AC-9? I'm not really an SP modeler, but it seems like the AC numbering system mostly referred to cab-forwards, like AC-11 and AC-12. The AC-9 is a bit of the odd man out, as it has a conventional boiler arrangement. Did AC refer to any articulated locomotive on the SP roster?
MC = Mallet Consolidation. AC = Articulated Consolidation The Santa Fe called 2-6-6-2s "prairie mallets", too.
Thanks for the likes and comments, so here goes with a couple more images : All these preliminary shots for this. Isn't she a beauty. Sort of decked out special for photo day : Tomorrow, images of hoghead and fireman sides from inside the cab. These were "simple" articulated and were originally built as coal burners. Be well, Carl
You've got my vote! For a big Mallet she has some very clean lines, and to paraphrase Candy, leaves just enough visible to stir the imagination.
I read somewhere that the reason air-compressors were located on the front of the smokebox is because boilers had become so big that placing them on the sides was impossible due to clearance limits, most especially inside of tunnels. Personally I happen to like the looks of that location, but many in the design departments of Lima, ALCO etc. didn't. In regard to the shop photo; I notice that there were no people in the picture and I can't help but wonder if that was because the photo had to be taken with a very long shutter speed and anything that might move would result in a big distracting blur.
So do I. It makes the machine look even meaner. You see that coming at you, it gives you that much more incentive to get out of the way!
Hey gang, I certainly agree with all comments made so far. The thread has sparked a lot of information regarding this loco style as well as others which was one of my goals. Here are 4 more images for ya : Front engine from fireman's perspective ..... Rear engine .... Vestibule between cab and tender, a lot of "stuff" below ..... Finally the tender from fireman side ...... A great deal of detail for you scratchers. Be well, Carl
Plus, the two compressors mounted on the front deck are symmetrical. unlike when they mount them on the sides, sometimes. Also, I still marvel at how they kept the steam line running between the two engine units, from leaking, reliably. Doug
Some times I wish I knew what I was actually looking at. Some times. These are just toooooo big and toooooo complex. Maybe that's why they are mostly gone. Rich
Always wondered how that was arranged, especially those with automatic stokers. I like those "oh, so that's" how it's made" photos. Now the big question - where's the DCC connector that goes to the tender?
Diesel locomotives are equally complex, just smaller pieces/parts hidden in electrical cabinets that you don't realize are there.
Am I the only one picturing this with some side skirting and painted in "Daylight" colors cruising over the Shasta Route with the Starlight in tow.....
I'm not. The reason it's not a cab forward is it's a coal burner. Coal burners weren't often used to haul passengers by the late 1930s. I'm still trying to wrap my head around front mounted air pumps combined with a streamlined pilot, myself.
Those air-compressors were powered/driven by pressurized steam; were they piston style compressors or turbine? Also, is that a horn poking out above the compressor on the left? As seen in the photo.
