Steam Locomotives

[ericsp]

I have always like some steam locomotives (albeit not as much as diesels) while other steam locomotives I do not care for. I think I have figured out why. I seem to not like the ones that are "all duded up" (fancy). The ones that are usually, painted black and do not have all of the sheet metal on them to cover up what most non -railfans would consider unsightly parts I tend to think are good looking. However, I do like steam locomotives painted in the Daylight scheme. Is this your opinion of steam locomotives?

[Anonymous]

ericsp- I tend to agree with you. There are some truly beautiful streamlined steamers, the 4449 at the top of the list, but I tend to go for a hard-working freight hog, dirty, grimy, and all business. Throughout the steam era, those were the real world of railroading. I'm not old enough to have run or even fired steam, but in my early days I worked with old timers who had. I learned from them and listened to their stories, and to this day I think I was born 30 years too late. J.D. Nomad

[M636C]

Eric,

The thing about the "Daylight" streamlining was that it was largely practical, not obscuring many of parts needing regular attention. It was fortunate that the colours were able to be arranged so attractively and still match the window band on the cars. Also, the basic boiler remaining black while the red and orange gradually formed into the stripes on the coaches across the locomotive and tender, giving a transition from traditional black to the bright "streamliner" colours. The skyline casing was functional in reducing eddies if air behind stacks and domes, and keeping smoke away from the cab.

The styling was copied on the 500 class 4-8-4s of the South Australian Railways (lacking the skyline casing) but retaining the skirts and colour pattern, using mid green in place of red and orange. Fortunately, we still have one, fully painted (but not operational) in our National Railway Museum. The styling was adopted by 1938, almost as soon as it was known about, and was used on five 2-8-4s as well!

Peter

[tree68]

According to some of the accounts I've read over the years, the maintenance people didn't think very highly of a lot of the streamlining either. They had to remove it to do their job, which just made the job take that much longer...

I've also seen discussions about the streamlining that did occur. Some, like the Daylight GS's, and the J's was classic. Some were referred to as inverted bathtubs, and had about the same appeal. Some "attempts" at streamlining were just that - attempts. They hardly succeeded.

Even among the unstreamlined crowd, there are some engines that just don't look all that good, for some reason or another. Witness the recent account of ops on the BC&G, where one engine was called "old slobberface".....

[jockellis]

This post poses several questions. How thick was the sheet metal on such locomotives as the NYC's streamlined Hudsons? And I've read that the Southern routinely kept freight engines clean. All the photos I've seen of Southern freight engines seemed to be of clean engines. Also, the reprised 261 seems to have Imron paint on it because it always looks wet. Does Imron or whatever paint they use actually stand up to the heat that is associated with steam locomotives.
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A

[Anonymous]

I was born in 1940 and saw the twilight years of steam. A great thing has passed. However, the diesel is more cost and operational efficient so there is no question why the railroads went to the diesel. During the early '70s we lived in Bakersfield California. One of our neighbors was ths Santa Fe's Super. of Brakes as the loop south east of town certainly called for brakes. He was a former engineer who had worked on steam. One evening I asked him if he would like to drive a steam engine again. He replies: "Yes, but only five miles down the track. Then I would get off and walk away without ever looking back." I guess that the good old days of steam were only good for foamers and not the operating personnel.

[Modelcar]

....For my tastes in design of steam locomotives I must choose the designs Raymond Lowey did for the Pennsylvania RR in the 40's....Great looking designs. Beautiful in proportions...Features of Art Deco.

[daveklepper]

I like really good looking nonstreamlined locomotives. To me, the Van Sweringin Berkshires, Nickel Plate, P&LE, Erie, C&O, are great engines. Possibly the best looking in the East was the Lackawanna Hudson, with the Nickel Plate's not far behind. Even better than a J3a. Of course I' m very fond of the K4, and probably rode behind K4's more than any other steamer, but it simply isn't as great in visual design as the other easterners above, nor is it as handsome as an E-6 Atlantic, which seems a really balanced design to me. The Southern's great green and gold Pacifics looked great, but basically they were just well cared for USRA WWI-type very ordinary Pacifics. I was always fascinated by the Reading and CNJ and D&H Wooten firebox locomotives, which were fine locomotives and unusual. The Atlantic Coast Line's and the RF&P's Northerns have never been given their proper due. Very good design. Of course out West the really big locomotives that looked great were the Daylights, the UP and AT&SF Northerns, and the Challengers, and the D&RGW's similar locomotives. The N&W's modern power all looked great, not only the J's but particularly the A's. Among older power, the dainty but well balanced and smooth running 4-4-0 at Strassburg was also a favorite, the PRR D-16.

[espeefoamer]

I have always prefered the type of semi streamlining used on the SP GS series locos. The type that doesn't cover up the running gearThis type was also used on some other railroads.I never cared for the streamlining that covered the running gear, and in some cases,even the driving wheels.