Who had the best mallets?

[JanOlov]

I vote for N&W myself.

All the best my friends.

Jan
Glasgow/Scotland

[JanOlov]

I vote for N&W myself.

All the best my friends.

Jan
Glasgow/Scotland

[Anonymous]

I second the vote for N&W.What could compare to a Y6b?

[Anonymous]

I second the vote for N&W.What could compare to a Y6b?

[Anonymous]

The N&W Y6b was the most modern compound Mallet by about 30 years. Mallet is a term that technically means a compound steam locomotive and not the same as articulated. A better question for discussion is who had the best articulated locomotive since most famous and outstanding locomotives were simple articulateds and not compound mallets of which only the N&W Y6's could be considered outstanding.

[Anonymous]

The N&W Y6b was the most modern compound Mallet by about 30 years. Mallet is a term that technically means a compound steam locomotive and not the same as articulated. A better question for discussion is who had the best articulated locomotive since most famous and outstanding locomotives were simple articulateds and not compound mallets of which only the N&W Y6's could be considered outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Me too. No one had better malets than Norfork and Western.

[Anonymous]

Me too. No one had better malets than Norfork and Western.

[JimYoung]

N&W.....for obvious reasons (at least to us old timers).

How-some-ever: I'd have loved to witness a VGN 2-10-10-2 at work--- or perhaps their early 2-8-8-2s and 2-6-6-0s!

[JimYoung]

N&W.....for obvious reasons (at least to us old timers).

How-some-ever: I'd have loved to witness a VGN 2-10-10-2 at work--- or perhaps their early 2-8-8-2s and 2-6-6-0s!

[Anonymous]

How could one beat a PRR 4-4-4-4? Fast, stylish, unreliable, horrible on track... In short, a glorious disaster. MCFarrand

[Anonymous]

How could one beat a PRR 4-4-4-4? Fast, stylish, unreliable, horrible on track... In short, a glorious disaster. MCFarrand

[AltonFan]

QUOTE: How could one beat a PRR 4-4-4-4? Fast, stylish, unreliable, horrible on track... In short, a glorious disaster.

But the PRR 4-4-4-4 was not a mallet, nor even an articulated. It was a duplex-drive locomotive.

But I can't argue. It was a good-looking engine, and makes a splendid-looking model.

[Anonymous]

If best ment interesting (ha!) then I'd say the Santa Fe's early efforts in mallet design. How can you not look at those early designs and not laugh out loud? 72" drivered-passenger mallets?10 coupled driver mallets? articulated boiler mallets? amazing. I think they had such a hard time in the teens and twenties that they gave up early on the mallet design!

David Wallace

[Anonymous]

If best ment interesting (ha!) then I'd say the Santa Fe's early efforts in mallet design. How can you not look at those early designs and not laugh out loud? 72" drivered-passenger mallets?10 coupled driver mallets? articulated boiler mallets? amazing. I think they had such a hard time in the teens and twenties that they gave up early on the mallet design!

David Wallace

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AltonFan

QUOTE: How could one beat a PRR 4-4-4-4? Fast, stylish, unreliable, horrible on track... In short, a glorious disaster.

But the PRR 4-4-4-4 was not a mallet, nor even an articulated. It was a duplex-drive locomotive.

But I can't argue. It was a good-looking engine, and makes a splendid-looking model.

I stand corrected, thanks! MCFarrand

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AltonFan

QUOTE: How could one beat a PRR 4-4-4-4? Fast, stylish, unreliable, horrible on track... In short, a glorious disaster.

But the PRR 4-4-4-4 was not a mallet, nor even an articulated. It was a duplex-drive locomotive.

But I can't argue. It was a good-looking engine, and makes a splendid-looking model.

I stand corrected, thanks! MCFarrand

[Overmod]

Can we get a bit more qualification on what "mallet" (I assume this is a generic use of the word, like 'kleenex' or 'frigidaire' ;-}) means in this survey?

Specifically: is compound working necessary?

My personal answer doesn't change: Best compound is late N&W Y6 with waffle-grate nozzle, etc. Best simple articulated is N&W class A with high-dynamic alloy rods and Fabreeka in the leading truck -- which is also 'best' overall. (Yes, better than 3985 imho)

[Overmod]

Can we get a bit more qualification on what "mallet" (I assume this is a generic use of the word, like 'kleenex' or 'frigidaire' ;-}) means in this survey?

Specifically: is compound working necessary?

My personal answer doesn't change: Best compound is late N&W Y6 with waffle-grate nozzle, etc. Best simple articulated is N&W class A with high-dynamic alloy rods and Fabreeka in the leading truck -- which is also 'best' overall. (Yes, better than 3985 imho)

[AltonFan]

Lionel Hampton, Jazz vibraphonist.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

QUOTE: ... (Yes, better than 3985 imho)

But UP 3985 isn't a Mallet, either. It is a simple articulated engine, i.e., steam is fed directly from the boiler to all four cylinders. A mallet, such as the N&W engines, feed steam from the boiler to a set of high-pressure cylinders, which exhausted into a set of low-pressure cylinders. (The most obvious spotting feature of a mallet is that there is a set of normal-sized cylinders on one drive unit, and set of very large cylinders on the other unit.)

[Anonymous]

N&W produced the commonly accepted best mallet-type engine, the Y-6b in their own Roanoke shops, simply because they developed the basic mechanical principle longer than anyone else. The last of these giants were constructed in 1952, I believe, and incorporated every improvment from lightweight rods to roller bearings to mechanical lubrication while in use. In the Jefferies book "N&W Giant of Steam", the proposed Y-7 is discussed. While the project was canceled in 1943, there would have been one hell of a locomotive!

[Anonymous]

N&W produced the commonly accepted best mallet-type engine, the Y-6b in their own Roanoke shops, simply because they developed the basic mechanical principle longer than anyone else. The last of these giants were constructed in 1952, I believe, and incorporated every improvment from lightweight rods to roller bearings to mechanical lubrication while in use. In the Jefferies book "N&W Giant of Steam", the proposed Y-7 is discussed. While the project was canceled in 1943, there would have been one hell of a locomotive!

[Anonymous]

I think the N&W had the best. In the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia And Kentucky There are some steep grades. The y6b;s pulled the Coal from the Creeks and Hollows and took it to the Railyards where the Big A;s took it to the ports. B.R.B.

[Anonymous]

I think the N&W had the best. In the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia And Kentucky There are some steep grades. The y6b;s pulled the Coal from the Creeks and Hollows and took it to the Railyards where the Big A;s took it to the ports. B.R.B.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrpoppy58

I think the N&W had the best. In the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia And Kentucky There are some steep grades. The y6b;s pulled the Coal from the Creeks and Hollows and took it to the Railyards where the Big A;s took it to the ports. B.R.B.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mrpoppy58

I think the N&W had the best. In the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia And Kentucky There are some steep grades. The y6b;s pulled the Coal from the Creeks and Hollows and took it to the Railyards where the Big A;s took it to the ports. B.R.B.

[Anonymous]

in reply to mrpoppy58,the older y class engines did the mineruns along with some 2-6-6-2's.the y6b's did the mainline work.the class a's did mostly fast freight and varnish work along with some coal drags. the y6b was far and away the best mallet ever built. [:D]

[Anonymous]

in reply to mrpoppy58,the older y class engines did the mineruns along with some 2-6-6-2's.the y6b's did the mainline work.the class a's did mostly fast freight and varnish work along with some coal drags. the y6b was far and away the best mallet ever built. [:D]

[vsmith]

Uintah Railroad hands down winner.

7 1/2 % grades with the tightest turns I've ever seen with those two 2-6-6-2's grinding thier way over the mountains.

[vsmith]

Uintah Railroad hands down winner.

7 1/2 % grades with the tightest turns I've ever seen with those two 2-6-6-2's grinding thier way over the mountains.