Is Bachmann Spectrum #80129 Baldwin Seaboard Air Line #106 modern 4-4-0 steamer based on a prototype locomotive? Details?
I've asked same question on Bachmann Forum with no answer yet.
Thanks,
Dave
USAF (Retired)
I'm certainly no expert on SAL steam, but looking at Bachmann's model, I can see that it's modern enough to not be a wood-burner. However, it also has slide valves, indicating that it's not equipped with a superheater, which is generally considered to be one of the requirements of a "modern" locomotive.A quick on-line search revealed that the Seaboard had about 150 4-4-0s, many inherited from predecessor lines. Many were older wood burners assigned to lines in Florida, and as they were scrapped, more modern 4-4-0s replaced them. However, these coal-burning locomotives were converted to wood-burners, as wood was cheaper and more readily available locally than was coal.The real SAL 106, one of SAL's D-class locomotives which were built the late 1880s and '90s, operated at 150psi, which seems indicative of a non-superheater-equipped loco. However, all of this information is meaningless if your modelling era is later than December 31, 1936, the date on which the last two SAL 4-4-0s were scrapped.
The link where I found the info is here...
SEABOARD+AIR+LINE+4-4-0+LOCOMOTIVES+-+HISTORY+WITH+PHOTOS
...simply scroll down a bit to read the portion on 4-4-0s.
Wayne
Info on the real SAL #106 would seem to be sketchy. Seaboard Air Line Railway by Richard E. Prince is a recognized source on their steam locomotives, and that lists #106 as a Class D1 with 17" x 24" cylinders and 63" drivers. It was manufactured by Rhode Island, with cn 2282 and also bore the name "J. A. Hendrick". No photo of #106 appears in that book.
It appears to me (IMHO) that the Bachmann model is a re-release of their Spectrum 4-4-0. The wheel spacing and dome placement appear identical, although the steam dome style is different. The Bachmann 4-4-0 rather closely followed the dimensions of Maryland & Pennsylvania #s 4, 5, and 6, which were 1901 products of Richmond Locomotive works. The Ma & Pa engines had 17" x 24" cylinders and 62" drivers.
Bill
Thanks, Wayne and Bill, for the great info. Since I'm modeling the 1910-1925 era for Seaboard and Southern in the Carolinas, this little loco fits in just fine. My wife's father was born in South Carolina and her mother was born in North Carolina during that time frame. In addition, her maternal grandfather worked for Southern at that time.
I didn't mention before that I have one of the Bachmann "modern" 4-4-0's which is #4 for my WWI era short line. It operates quite acceptably on my DC-powered layout, especially after I learned to watch for the headlight to come on as I turn up the power, and then pause with adding more power until the locomotive starts to move. The Bachmann 4-4-0 is in use on the layout while two brass Ma & Pa 4-4-0's from Alco models are on the display shelf, if that is an indication of how the Bachmann runs.
Modeling 1910-1925 can be a challenge sometimes, but Accurail's USRA hoppers work fine! If you don't have one, watch for one of Bachmann's Russian Decapod's (I still see them regularly at train shows). Seaboard had a number of these, #s 500-522 and 537-550. My Bachmann Russian Decapod also runs great, although it is too big to fit into the roundhouse. I really don't have enough layout for such a monster, but I run it every once in awhile just to watch those 10 drivers roll.