Watching an episode of Simon Whistler's Megaprojects YouTube channel on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, and up flashes a picture of a steam powered double headed train. OK, no big deal, right? Except these two steam locos are coupled up tender to tender.
Picture is shown at the 19:21 mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH0uQ-M3u-4
I'm guessing wherever on the line they were running, there are no longer any facilities to turn steam locos, so the ran them, back to back like this so one would always be facing forward. But no trailing trucks, they look to be 2-10-0's, running backwards. Actually, from the direction the steam is blowing, they might be pushing the train here, and what looks like the lead loco is the one going in reverse.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
There is a picture of a backward running helper on horseshoe curve of the PRR. It is in Pennsy Power. I think it was a 2-10-0 also. Kind of strange there since there is a wye at top of the grade for that purpose.
2-10-0s were I think the most common Russian steam engine. The Bachmann 2-10-0 model is based on engines built in the US for the Russians during WW1. When the Bolshevik Revolution happened and Russia dropped out of the war, the engines still in the US were re-gauged and sold to US railroads.
Given the clarity and quality of the photo in question, my guess is it's a very recent picture, most likely of some type of fantrip or tourist line operation.
B&O used to run 2-8-2s back to back with a canteen between them. Gary
The small "Russian Decapods" were designed to spread their weight out over the largest possible wheelbase due to so much of Russia's rail lines being built in marshy / swampy areas with light rail. They were nothing like the large 2-10-0s used by Pennsy or other railroads as pushers.
In the photo, it's two engines back to back at one end of a train. My guess is the OP is correct, it's running on a line without a turntable or wye at the end (probably a fantrip). The front engine appears to be working harder, so it could be the front engine is pulling the train one direction, and when they get where they're going they use a run-around track to put the engines on the other end and use the other engine (now in the lead) to pull the train back?