Hot Water posted:Tinplate Art posted:Having been built in 1950, the 611 had all the most modern appliances plus roller bearings all around including the siderods. They were easy to lubricate and maintain in spite of the cowling, and could be serviced quickly for a relatively fast turn around!
All true, however they did NOT like bad/rough/curved yard tracks when bumped off passenger service and placed into freight service.
No 4-8-4 northern class locomotive liked yard tracks. The rigid wheelbase was just too long for such duty. The J class excelled at what they were designed to do perhaps better than any other 4-8-4. At the peak of railfan railroading here in Birmingham we had several Northern class locomotives stop at Norris Yard, just east of Bham. for service. For a time Norris Yard had the busiest steam shop in the US. T&P 610 (2-10-4) was leased by NS for a year or so. All these long rigid wheelbase locos had to creep around yards with wheel flanges squealing like pigs. Even N&W 1218 (2-6-6-4) could negotiate switches with less fuss. j
