Who had the best mallets?

[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.)

[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)

[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

[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

[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]

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

[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]

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

[Anonymous]

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

[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]

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?

[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