So, after seeing steam engines working on British Railways, and steam on the New Haven, I'm starting to wonder if steam engines working under catenary can be done more easily. Across the pond, steam engines on the West Coast Mainline seemed to work semi-regularly under the electric wires, despite several others being banned from doing so. As for the New Haven, running steam between Milford and New Haven was a regular occurence.
My main curiosity comes from a fictional railroad I've been working on. Along with diesel and electric, it has a sizeable steam fleet. By sizeable, I mean a little over 30 including Super Power and Articulated machines, some burning bituminous, others on anthracite, and some even on bunker fuel oil. I've been wondering if it's logical for such steam engines to run under the wires every day or even every other day.
That said, I'm also curious as to whether PRR 5550 could do the same thing on the NEC once she's completed. Now, thanks to tunnels leading to New York and Baltimore, it would be impossible for her to traverse the entire Corridor. However, if memoirs from crews are anything to go by, 5550 would be able to cover the entire state of New Jersey, throttle opening to brakes applied, and make an average of 95 with a max speed of at least 120. If a grubby T1 can make 120 mph in just 27 miles on Indiana flats, then refined NEC trackage should be no problem for 5550 to breeze along and reach... close to 130 if pushed enough? I dunno, I'm still a bit skeptical on having her attempt the steam speed record. I honestly just want her to have a place to run at high speed. That's what the other 52 T1's were built for, and it would just be fitting for the Pennsy's most modern and radically successful steam locomotive design (not counting the S2, S1, or Q1 since they were all single-unit classes, nor the J1 and J1a's since they were essentially PRR adaptions of a C&O class) to run on the Northeast Corridor for the Centenery of its electrification.
Yes I know about Amtrak's current excursion policy, but things can change. It's still another 15 years
Yes things may change regarding the policy. Or maybe not? Hard to tell at this point.I think running under the wire is not the issue, its outfitting the locomotive with proper cab signaling equipment to run safely on the line. The FRA has some very specific rules on what type of equipment is needed at high speeds in a locomotive in regards to cab signalling and other safety tools before an engine can go super fast.
On the surface there's no reason a T-1 couldn't run on the NEC, except there may be clearance issues concerning the passenger loading platforms. It may be just a little too wide. Remember, it was designed for a different time when passengers (mostly) boarded trains from step-boxes. Today's platforms are right up there with the doors.
At any rate, the original T-1's never ran on the NEC anyway, as far as I know they never came east of Harrisburg PA.
Not to say it wouldn't be cool if it happened!
Easiest place for T-1 speed trials would be the TTC in Pueblo.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
One thing to remember running steam under wire: be very, very careful with the long rake when putting it into and out of the firebox in the electrified zone. I heard a story about how a new fireman on the New Haven almost fried himself doing that. Fortunately for him, the rake grounded the electricity through to the boiler and not through his body. IIRC, he only had burned hands...and the rake was shorter.
The PRR had regularly scheduleed steam under wire, including the two morning in and evening out Bay Head - Jersey City trains, K4s under wire South Amboy - Jersey City, and, when the doodlebug was in for inispection or overhaul, Red Bank -Trenton, E6s M monmouth Junction - Trenton. And Lehigh Valley steam ran under PRR wire the jucntion south of Newark - Jersey City.
I remember in the Bowie Racetrack thread that lots of steam ran under wire on race day.
The DL&W ran steam under the wire into and out of Hoboken.
http://hoboken.pastperfectonline.com/photo/229A4CCE-DC62-42A2-93BB-352160020589
Plus the CNJ
https://d4761dc5-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/camelbacksteamlocomotives/home/IMG_0003-021.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7cq9AheT_wOl8mbD4vjjg8dqs4u5aFjsEIUSouow8d8IZqnqaTpQFlea0bNrYK0kaxF9yH9t0hT2C5QJedSr7ITUyFTyJuM-C-URQr30IQcqKUS3ByV82Lc8zLaVDUsSuzwyP_t61qf3_2pZzQUtaaLk9fII4HpcvWk14xV8A4Py5TfETQ2BafOslKxCIFaVAvc6spYE5uR_b89yjHywtXl5VuJlpRVXG3fiU7WlV4IEqAA2ClY%3D&attredirects=0
And I'm sure the "steam cleaning" didn't do the catenary any harm either!
Speaking of steam under wire, I've seen photos of German steam locomotives with a high voltage "lightning bolt" warning placard on the smokebox. I wondered what it was doing there on a steamer and asked frequent poster Volker Landwehr about it. He said the reason it was there was German steamers frequently operated under wire and it was a reminder to the steam crews to watch their heads when climbing on the locomotives. Made a lot of sense.
The Swiss found a different way to deal with steam under wire:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/swisselec/swisselc.htm
The heaters on the Swiss E3/3 switchers were run at around 24 volts, but 12000 amps. The setup saved about 300 metric tons of coal/year per unit, about 1/3 of the cost of the electrical equipment. They remained in service as electrics for several years after WW II, during a time when european coal production was still badly disrupted.
Here's a drawing:
http://hag-info.ch/hag/forum/phpBB2/userpix/177_E3_3_1.jpg
Steam under catenary was not really unusual, in B&M's Hoosac Tunnel operation, the electrics towed the entire train through the tunnels, including the steam locomotive.
The basic theory of the orgiinal PRR electrification regarding friegiht traffic is that the total electrificatin, locmotives and power, would be at capacity for normal freight traffic, and that steam would handle the surges. During WWII steam under cat was commonplace, even of the line carrying the H&M-PRR Hudson Terninad al - Newark rapid-transit service, which had cat and 3rd rail. (Now only the latter.)
Until the end of K4 New York and Long Branch operation, the Broker and one other had K4s under wire South Amboy - Jersey City.
When the SP 4449 met the Freedom Train near the Pentagon, Doyle McCormack wouldn't blow the whistle becaues it was too near the overhead catanary. He felt that 11000 volts and steam/water vapor was a bad combination. I agree.
Firelock76 And I'm sure the "steam cleaning" didn't do the catenary any harm either!
I've seen a couple of accounts that state the cinders from the exhaust of steam locomotives does increase wear on he contact wire... The steam itself isn't much of a problem, although steam and SO2 is a corrosive combination.
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