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Specs on GTW K4s

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Specs on GTW K4s
Posted by Oregon_Steamer on Monday, June 28, 2021 12:16 PM

@Overmod suggested I post a thread here too. 

So I am on this thread in Dovetail’s Train Simulator and really want to see this get made. https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/grand-trunk-western-holly-subdivision-1950s.22108/ 

The K4's were a class of USRA Light Pacifics built for the Grand Trunk Western in the 1920's. The K4-a's were a group of 5 ALCO numbered #5627-5631 in 1924, the Baldwin built K4-b's numberd #5632-5634 came 5 years later in 1929.

#5632 is the only surviving GTW K4 today in 2021, however 34 years ago there was a K4-a. If you have a knowledge of the history of Steam Preservation you've probably came across the plight of Richard Jensen & his locomotives, GTW 5629 was his prized engine that had an excursion career between 1961-1973, the engine was scrapped in 1987 when Metra employees vandelized it and the owner Jensen failed to move it. (Please don't post images of that in this thread.)

 

Now the K4-a's had a distinguishable feature an Air Compressor in front of a Feedwater Heater on the fireman's side. Does anyone know what exact make those two componets were, I also want to know if anyone knows of any good cab interior photos that exist? I found one on flickr but this isn’t much to go on. This site claims the Feedwater Heater is a Worthington BL, okay but which one? There are four sizes of the BL FWH.

The K4-b's were differnt from their earlier counterparts, they possesed an all-weather vestibule cab, and the exhaust steam injector instead of a feedwater heater. 

Is there anything else I missed?

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Posted by snjroy on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 11:37 AM
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Posted by Oregon_Steamer on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 4:39 PM

Yeah but that doesn't state what type of appliances were used on it. 

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Posted by ndbprr on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 7:46 AM

I believe your account of the demise of the locomotive is in error. He was requested numerous times and court ordered numerous times to move the locomotive which he chose to ignore for financial reasons.  It was an eyesore and attracted vandalism from local lower class "children". The liability possibility to Metra could have been huge. When you park your locomotive on someone elses property, do nothing to protect it for years, thumb your nose at your host and the courts don't complain when the actions implied and taken occur.  Your version smacks to me of disgruntled railfan logic with no skin in the game. I was priveledged to see that engine close up 2 or 3 years before it was cut up and it was a pile of rust at that point that was obviously never going to run again.

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 9:40 AM

Doesn't matter what happened to Jensen's engines.  What matters is the specific model of BL heater and cross-compound compressor that the K4a class was equipped with.  

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Posted by BigJim on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 9:36 PM

Has anyone checked their "Locomotive Cyclopedia"?

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 10:21 PM

I see nothing in mine (either the MR or the four Simmons-Boardman I have access to) about the size of either the air compressor or the BL heater on that locomotive, which are the details he's asking about.

steamlocomotive.com does mention the capacity of the Coffin applied to the K4b (5000gph), which might be a guide to the size or capacity of the Worthington.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, July 1, 2021 10:33 AM

BigJim

Has anyone checked their "Locomotive Cyclopedia"?

 
I did, but there wasn't a great deal of information on the BL varieties - that may be because at the time, there might have been only the original version. 
There's only six pages on feedwater heaters, and the Elesco takes-up three, and the Worthington BL the other three.
There is a drawing  (might be an altered photo) of a BL on the side of a Mikado, with a cross compound air pump mounted immediately aft of the BL.  That BL looks identical to the one in Oregon Steamer's photo of the three guys working on the air pump.
I believe that Cal-Scale (Bowser) offers at least four versions of the BL, but can't say for certain if they're different in their details or if each were simply larger versions for use on bigger locomotives.
 
Wayne
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Posted by BigJim on Friday, July 2, 2021 8:35 PM

It appears from the PSC catalog that it is a Worthington BL4 feedwater heater and a westinghouse 8 1/2' cross compound air compressor.

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, July 2, 2021 10:56 PM

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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Sunday, July 4, 2021 3:43 PM

Oregon_Steamer
Does anyone know what exact make those two componets were

Westinghouse air compressors were round, New York Air Brake's had flattened sides

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