Came across this Southern Pacific steam video, thought others might enjoy
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What a wonderful find. Very much enjoyed watching this video. Even a Daylight near the end.
Nice video! I enjoyed the ride!
Thanks for sharing. Loved the GS-6 video at speed... very cool.
Originally Posted by J Daddy:
Thanks for sharing. Loved the GS-6 video at speed... very cool.
Better than "very cool"!!!
However, that was NOT a GS-6, but road number 4458, one of only two GS-5 class 4-8-4s on the SP. Also noteworthy is, both GS-5 class locomotives, 4458 and 4459, were to ONLY two locomotives EVER on the SP steam roster to have been constructed with roller bearings on all axles!
Sure would be nice if someone would produce models of 4458 and/or 4459 someday.
This video is also one of the Pentrex series, originally by Video Rails.
Hot - not truly an expert, but I believe you could convert a GS-4 simply by replacing trailing truck and Buckeyes. You would need to replace the stars with rollers on the drivers, but that is really easy. If you were in 2- rail the conversion would be "screw driver" - dunno what the availability of trucks is in 3-rail, but the Kanawha trucks might be close.
This was really neat--thanks for sharing. Southern Pacific in the San Joaquin Valley always a favorite of mine. Having just traveled Amtrak from Portland to San Francisco Bay Area, I think that Southern Pacific “Owl” passengers probably lucked out by sleeping through most of those little valley towns. Visited 4449 while in Portland. A mechanic took the time to answer questions. Because of big hole cut in firebox, he was able to point out idea from Nickel Plate which will make boiler more efficient. Only sad thing about visit was that no one remember Joe Crumley, an Oregon welder whose skill in repairing front flue sheet allowed restoration to be completed and 4449 to pull Freedom Train.
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Originally Posted by Rustykamel:
Visited 4449 while in Portland. A mechanic took the time to answer questions. Because of big hole cut in firebox, he was able to point out idea from Nickel Plate which will make boiler more efficient.
I would sure be interested in finding more information about that "idea from Nickel Plate which will make the boiler more efficient" statement.
Hi, What I was told and what I saw was that one tube was going to be installed from the fireman's side to the engineer's side toward front of firebox high up that will allow water in the staybolt area to move more freely. Looking through the cut firebox hole, one can see the welded bracket that this tube will fit into. Another tidbit that you might have been involved with was a load of oil given to 4449 that had water in it. A fire in the firebox was made using wood. The water in the oil was purged this way. Can you elaborate?
Originally Posted by Rustykamel:
Hi, What I was told and what I saw was that one tube was going to be installed from the fireman's side to the engineer's side toward front of firebox high up that will allow water in the staybolt area to move more freely. Looking through the cut firebox hole, one can see the welded bracket that this tube will fit into.
There might be some confusion involving the circulator tubes, which were installed when 4449 was overhauled for the New Orleans Worlds Fair Daylight trip in 1984. That up-grade had nothing to do with the Nickel Plate, as the NKP Berks have syphons. Currently, the circulators are out, and replacements will be reinstalled when she starts going back together again. The circulator layout design was done by the late senior Mechanical Engineer of the N&W Rwy, and he also did the required FRA Form 4 revisions for the "modification to the boiler".
Another tidbit that you might have been involved with was a load of oil given to 4449 that had water in it. A fire in the firebox was made using wood. The water in the oil was purged this way. Can you elaborate?
Yes, the Friends of 4449 had/have an 8000 tank car, which was kept at the W&P diesel shops, down in Albany, OR. Whenever the diesel shop had to drain the lube oil out of any of there diesel units, or had a contaminated batch of diesel fuel, the oil & fuel was pumped into that tank car. When the tank car was full, it was moved in a freight train to the old Portland Brooklyn Roundhouse, and the oil was transferred into 4449's tender fuel bunker.
Apparently, the W&P RR had a few diesel with sever water leaks, which obviously contaminated the lube oil, so THAT mess went into the tank car too. Upon transferring THAT particular batch of oil into the tender, all the water had naturally settled to the bottom of the tank car, and was subsequently transferred into 4449s oil bunker. As I recall, we were out in Hillsboro, OR when the water finally came through the fuel supply line to the burner, and,,,,,,,,,,,,out went the fire! Once the water was all drained off, we built a nice big wood fire in the firebox, in order to re-ignite that lube oil. We never got below 150psi steam pressure, so it was too bad to re-fire her back up, for operations again.
Thank you Hot Water.
....And that's almost as good as you can get on the Espee ! Hoo-HAH !
Thank you Steve, for posting this video.
This is around the time period that I model and this video gives important info., as well as, RR. history and enjoyment.
Ralph
glad it was helpful in building your pike
Originally Posted by RJL:
Thank you Steve, for posting this video.
This is around the time period that I model and this video gives important info., as well as, RR. history and enjoyment.
Ralph
This is a good video, a lot to watch. I went through it two times.
Thank you.
