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Suspect Illinois Central was a close second to N&W in use of auxiliary water cars.  And probably for the same reason:    not stopping for water accelerated freight train speed and increased tonnage, as starting heavy freight trains was a slow, laborious process, that sapped horsepower. Recall that steam locomotive peak horsepower was reached at a MPH perhaps 10 MPH less then driver diameter. A lot more work was accomplished at that speed.

Numerous pictures are extant showing IC 4-8-2's, 2-10-2's and 2-8-2's with water cars, highballing mainline manifests and coal trains, as well as secondary lines covered by 2-8-2's.

Big Jim posted:
MartyE posted:
Big Jim posted:

The N&W was probably the biggest user of "canteens".

Interesting terminology. Is "water bottle" also a term used on real RRs or is that a toy train term?

Never heard that one, but, you know how railfans make up their own terms.

Actually "water bottle" was a B&O term for a canteen or auxiliary tender. They were converted tank cars.
Used mainly on the Wheeling Division in the last years of steam.
See JJ Young's classic article in the Winter 1976 issue of Railfan Magazine.

I love this image.  One guesses the mail contract was the last customer on the branch.  How to make it work?  Use a worn out ancient 10-wheeler, shut down the infrastructure down the branch, stack up the coal (like 765 did a couple of years ago) and drag along your water supply!  Making it work!

Source for the photo is http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=1437245

1956, Courtright, ON.

More information on this 56 year old locomotive and the environs here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...entral_1290_and_1291

 

10 wheeler and the mail train

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