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Power for Hiawathas

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Power for Hiawathas
Posted by Ulrich on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 10:56 PM

The Twin Cities Hiawathas were pulled by dedicated streamlined Hudsons that were specially built for that train.. the engines that MILW was perhaps best known for.  Did the other Hiawathas also have dedicated power, or were they powered from the general locomotive pool?

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 11:13 PM

Ulrich
Did the other Hiawathas also have dedicated power, or were they powered from the general locomotive pool?

In the days of steam, you may remember that the "North Woods Hiawatha" was pulled by a streamlined locomotive ... not exactly specially built for that train but certainly shrouded for it:

I think you would have to look at something like Jim Scribbins' book on the Hiawathas to determine exactly how much of the time the 'special' power wasn't used on given "Hiawatha" trains.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 6:51 AM

I believe that the Class A 4-4-2's that were the first Hiawatha power were later reassigned to the Midwest Hiawatha.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 4:03 PM

The streamlined Hudson's didn't come along until the 4-4-2's had made the train such a success that additional cars were needed and those additional cars would have been more than the 4-4-2's could maintain the schedule with. 

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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, May 3, 2019 12:53 PM

Those are compact neat looking engines.. was reading they were equipped with air horns, not steam whistles. Apparently CNW was looking at similar locomotives for its competitor 400 series trains but opted for diesel at the 11th hour. MILW got good use out of these engines for well over a decade.. 

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Posted by SD70Dude on Friday, May 3, 2019 2:50 PM

Ulrich

Those are compact neat looking engines.. was reading they were equipped with air horns, not steam whistles. Apparently CNW was looking at similar locomotives for its competitor 400 series trains but opted for diesel at the 11th hour. MILW got good use out of these engines for well over a decade.. 

Built by ALCO in 1937, C&NW's nine class E-4 Hudsons were originally intended for the Twin Cities 400.  But while they were under construction C&NW management decided to upgrade those trains with diesels instead, and ordered four E3A's from EMD.

When the 4-6-4's arrived they were put to use on other trains. 

https://www.steamlocomotive.com/whyte/4-6-4/USA/photos/cnw4008.jpg

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, May 3, 2019 4:22 PM

SD70Dude
 
Ulrich

Those are compact neat looking engines.. was reading they were equipped with air horns, not steam whistles. Apparently CNW was looking at similar locomotives for its competitor 400 series trains but opted for diesel at the 11th hour. MILW got good use out of these engines for well over a decade..  

Built by ALCO in 1937, C&NW's nine class E-4 Hudsons were originally intended for the Twin Cities 400.  But while they were under construction C&NW management decided to upgrade those trains with diesels instead, and ordered four E3A's from EMD.

When the 4-6-4's arrived they were put to use on other trains. 

https://www.steamlocomotive.com/whyte/4-6-4/USA/photos/cnw4008.jpg

Not as photogenic as the MILW engines.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, May 4, 2019 10:08 AM

The E-4's were quite heavy by C&NW standards and may have required a bridge strengthening program before they entered service on the 400 route (See the recent bridge rebuilding on Metra's UP North Line).  The Omaha line could support them and they served there.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 4:08 PM

Ulrich

The Twin Cities Hiawathas were pulled by dedicated streamlined Hudsons that were specially built for that train.. the engines that MILW was perhaps best known for.  Did the other Hiawathas also have dedicated power, or were they powered from the general locomotive pool?

 

 
After the success of the original streamlined Hiawatha, Milwaukee added "Hiawatha" to trains that had been converted to streamliners - "Chippewa Hiawatha"; "Olympian Hiawatha". Normally these had streamlined engines to pull them, or at least semi-streamlined engines - regular engines painted to match the Hiawatha-style car colors. However, it certainly happened that non-streamlined steam was called on to pinch-hit on occassion.
Stix
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Posted by kgbw49 on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 8:48 PM

Omaha Road E-3 4-6-2 Pacific - with over 51,567 lbs of tractive effort packed in to their 75-inch drivers, they were the most powerful Pacifics every constructed in terms of tractive effort.

https://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/cstpmo602.htm

Chicago & Northwestern E-4 4-6-4 Hudson - with 84-inch drivers they were flyers on the main line from Chicago to Council Bluffs and Omaha.

https://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/cnw4002.htm

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