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Reply to "Big News on UP Challenger 3895 "Update 5/13/22""

@mark s posted:

Largest/heaviest steam locomotives:   DM&IR 2-8-8-4 (699,700 lbs),  Big Boy (772,000 lbs), Northern Pacific 2-8-8-4 (717,000 lbs), Southern Pacific  AC-9 2-8-8-4 (689,900 lbs), C&O 2-6-6-6 (724,500 lbs), Western Pacific 2-8-8-2 (663,100 lbs).  These weights were published in "Steam's Finest Hour", a book written by "Trains Magazine's" David P. Morgan, and released in late 1959. According to Wikipedia, the C&O 2-6-6-6 was erroneously weighed at Lima, and was re-weighed by the railroad (apparently  prompted by complaints from operating crews, whose pay rates were determined by the weight of locomotives) and found to be 771,300 lbs.

The weight of the Virginian's 2-6-6-6's is a bit unclear from the historical record. Believe they were as heavy as the C&O counterpart, but are listed on websites as weighing 753,000 lbs.

Going off memory the C&O units being over weight caused be problems with the C&O bridges. The C&O had a max weight allowable.  I believe C&O ran the engines caused damage to the bridges which Lima had to pay to repair and possible upgrade them for the weight. I vaguely remember a nice article with the details.  I would Assume the C&O figured out the problem real quick and weighed the locomotives. 

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