Question RE: MILW 4-4-2 Atlantics Nos. 1 & 2

[FM56]

Does anyone know why the tenders of these locomotives apparently had dummy vestibule doors?

[samfp1943]

FM56

Does anyone know why the tenders of these locomotives apparently had dummy vestibule doors?

First!  Welcome Here! 

http://www.coffeedrome.com/hiawatha2.html

FM56:  You might want to look at the above link referencing your question.  T believe the doors you question are actually on the rear of the locomotive cab, and I would suspect that they are on the locomotive to protect the crew from being possibly blown out of the cab at speed. ( They ran a  430 mile schedule in 400 minutes with stops).

FTA:“...THE FASTEST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IN THE WORLD”: THE HIAWATHA,
the First of Two to Run Between Chicago and St. Paul, Designed for a Speed of Two Miles a Minute as the Answer to the Competition of the Diesel Engines, Breaks Through a Red, White, and Blue Veil at the Works in Schenectady, N. Y., Where It Was Built..."

[jrbernier]

Looks?  IIRC, the 'tap' car also was 'blind' on the end that ran just behind the engine as well.  The tender and the train were built to have the same profile.

Jim

[FM56]

I'm guessing you're correct, Jim.  But it seems strange that the financially hard pressed Milwaukee Road of the 1930s was willing to incur needless expense for aesthetics  in trainsets that were built as a last ditch attempt  to attract passenger revenue.

[samfp1943]

FM56

I'm guessing you're correct, Jim.  But it seems strange that the financially hard pressed Milwaukee Road of the 1930s was willing to incur needless expense for aesthetics  in trainsets that were built as a last ditch attempt  to attract passenger revenue.

You are so right!  Strange, but True!  The MILWRR of the 1930s was very much in tune with the American traveling public. It demanded luxury accomodations on named trains. The NYC's 20th Century, The PRRs many named trains and all the other named passenger expresses.

The Hiawatha's fast Atlantic type locomotives, and it's trains were designed by Otto Kuhler the noted designer of that time (1930s) and was designed to excite the traveling public with a streamlined train brought up at its rear with a 'beaver-tail observation' 

The followon versions later powered by match diesel power from F-M, Alco, and EMD)  pulling streamlined light weight trains with a Brooks Steven's designed 'skytop' observation-lounge cars.

Built to attract and get the traveling pubic to ride in style.