Camel Back

[spikejones52002]

Watching RFD -TV I watched in amazement the Camel backs pulling commuter trains.

Can anyone explain what was the idea behind "Camel Back" locomotives.

Also is it true many Engineers were killed by drive rods penatrating the cab?

[IRONROOSTER]

Some of the railroads in the east burned anthracite coal.  This is very hard and slow burning so it requires a larger area to burn more of it at one time in order to heat the water .  So John Wooten invented a larger fire box.  But this larger firebox was so wide that there was no room for the engineer's cab at the back so it was put forward on the side.

I don't know how many engineers were killed by broken drive rods.

Enjoy

Paul 

[PBenham]

The biggest drawback of a camel back (a/k/a; mother hubbards) was the isolation of the engineer, head end brakeman and fireman. If something happened to the fireman, there would be no way for the other crewmen to know until after the fact. The ICC banned new camel backs in the late '20s and limited the length of runs they could be assigned to as well. The last operating ones were Central of New Jersey's ten wheelers, which ran Jersey City-Raritan well into the mid '50s.

The hazards like broken rods killing a head end brake man, or engineer were rare, but not completely unknown. Firemen could slip and fall between the firing deck, most of which were quite short, and the tender. On Strasburg 4 the fireman stood on the front of the tender. That was not an optimum position from which to fire an engine.

[spikejones52002]

Correction it was not RFD-TV that i seen the Camel Backs.

I picked up a tin box of 5 DVDs. One of the DVD shows the camel backs.

I took note of the small area the Fireman had behind the Boiler. This let more weight to be on the drivers no trailing (firebox) truck.

I also noted the narrow View the engineer had.

Did someone sit on the other side of the boiler from the Engineer?

[J. Edgar]

Correction it was not RFD-TV that i seen the Camel Backs.

I picked up a tin box of 5 DVDs. One of the DVD shows the camel backs.

I took note of the small area the Fireman had behind the Boiler. This let more weight to be on the drivers no trailing (firebox) truck.

I also noted the narrow View the engineer had.

Did someone sit on the other side of the boiler from the Engineer?

 think i got that same set.....most of it is "best of" fom green frog....great stuff

[spikejones52002]

"Railway Journeys   The vanishing Age of Steam"

a tin box of 5 DVDs.

I picked up at Fry's in Downers Grove, IL. for $15.00 off the shelf.

[AltonFan]

The ICC banned new camel backs in the late '20s and limited the length of runs they could be assigned to as well.

George Drury, the editor of Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, says that although this assertion is regularly found in print, he has been unable to find any documentation to support it in either govenrment documents, or railroad trade publications.