New York Central Steam

[daveklepper]

Question 1:   Was streamlining a Niagra ever considered by the Central's management?

Question 2:   Saw and rode behind Mowhaks, Hudsons, Pacifics, Mikados, Berkshires, Ten Wheelers, posibly Moguls and Consolidations.   But I do not remember any really high TE (drag freight) NYC power. No Decopads or Sante Fes or any articulated power.   Did the Central have any?

[orsonroy]

Question 1:   Was streamlining a Niagra ever considered by the Central's management?

Probably not. The NYC's 4-8-4s were a fairly late addition to the roster of superpower steam, by which time streamlining had fallen out of vogue (except for two road's similar engines). The NYC did design them as "clean", or uncluttered engines, so I suppose you could call them stream-styled.

Question 2:   Saw and rode behind Mowhaks, Hudsons, Pacifics, Mikados, Berkshires, Ten Wheelers, posibly Moguls and Consolidations.   But I do not remember any really high TE (drag freight) NYC power. No Decopads or Sante Fes or any articulated power.   Did the Central have any?

The NYCS (system) never had Decapods, but the &A did have a few Santa Fes (USRA heavies, IIRC). And the NYC itself did have several classes of articulateds. Most were 0-8-8-0s used in hump service, but some of the smaller western lines in Indiana and Ohio did see NYC 2-6-6-2s (smaller than USRA engines) on manifest freights.

Primarily, the NYC used their H-10 Mikes and L-2 Mohawks for drag service. Both types of engines were equipped with booster motors in their trailing trucks just so they could start high-tonnage freights.

[Anonymous]

The B&A USRA 2-10-2s were lights, not heavies.

Ol' Ed

[daveklepper]

Did the B&A Santa Fes last up to dieselization of the B&A?   The B&A was one of the early sections of the NRCS to be dieselized, other than long-distance passenger service.   If I remember, dieselization of the B&A took place largely in 1949 and was just about complete in 1951.   Some Birkshires did see a few months or years service on other NYCS lines, but I am pretty certian no Santa Fes did.   Interestingly, just after Boston suburban services were both cut-back and dieselized at about the same time, I saw a 4-6-4T ex-suburban engine substituing for the normal 0-6-0 on the "Grand Junction" transfer job in Cambridge right by MIT.

[Duo]

New York Central did have many articulates and they had 10 santa fe types. With some lasting to the diesel transition.

Articulates

0-4-4-0    #1896-1900    Lima  (Shay)

0-6-6-0    #1300            Schen

0-8-8-0   #5897-5908,  9090-9091, 8700-8701

2-10-2    #110-1109      Brooks

2-6-6-2   #1249,  1375-1399, 1300-1312,  1349-1373,  1339-1348 

Although New York Central did experiment with other locomotive types that never went into service or production.

Some for instants are the C1a class 4-4-4-4 streamlined, NF1a class 4-6-6-4, S3a 4-8-4, K5b 4-6-2 streamliner, or the J4a 4-6-4.

[UP 829]

Did the B&A Santa Fes last up to dieselization of the B&A?   The B&A was one of the early sections of the NRCS to be dieselized, other than long-distance passenger service.   If I remember, dieselization of the B&A took place largely in 1949 and was just about complete in 1951.   Some Birkshires did see a few months or years service on other NYCS lines, but I am pretty certian no Santa Fes did.   Interestingly, just after Boston suburban services were both cut-back and dieselized at about the same time, I saw a 4-6-4T ex-suburban engine substituing for the normal 0-6-0 on the "Grand Junction" transfer job in Cambridge right by MIT.

According to the Staufer book "NYC's Later Power" all 10 Z-1 class 2-10-2's(#1100-1109) were sold to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1927 where they became #4200-4209 and lasted into the mid 1950s. They were light USRA 2-10-2's built by Alco in 1919. Dimensions were: Cylinders 27"x32", Drivers 57", Bolier Pressure 200 #, Engine weight 352,000 lbs, grate area 76.3 sq. ft. Tractive force 69,900 lbs. They were originally used on the B&A until the arrival of the Berkshires diminished thier usefullness and they were transferred to the Big Four in 1926.