Strangest Steam Locomotive

I'll nominate three:

1. Heisler's 0-8-0F. This streamlined fireless 0-8-0 switcher (the only one larger than an 0-6-0F ever built). Currently on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

2. Another Heisler fireless engine-this one riding on two four-wheel trucks, just like a regular Heisler logging locomotive. Built for the Allen Wood Steel Corporation of Lukens (?), PA.

3. The Southern Railroad's "tractor locomotives". IIRC, these were of a
2-8-2+2-8-0 wheel arrangement (with the 2-8-0 under the tender) for working Saluda Grade.

Sorry folks, I couldn't find any on-line photos.

Found some Mallets with odd wheel arrangements: Great Northern M class #1973 (1 of 26 built) a 2-6-8-0 http://www.gngoat.org/gn_steam_15.jpg Southern had them too. Pennsylvania (PRR) had some oddities too: PRR Q2 #6199 a 4-4-6-4 http://prrsteam.pennsyrr.com/images/prr6199.jpg or PRR S1 #6100 a 6-4-4-6 http://prrsteam.pennsyrr.com/images/prr6100.jpg

It looks like it'd be bigger than the Challenger!!

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I think any steam locomotive that had the Holman speed truck installed is VERY strange looking.

[img]http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/L ... olman1.jpg


This IS STANGE!! [/img]

Copy and Paste in the adrress bar to view it!

The Holman is posted on page 1 of this thread.

Does this count? It is a boxshay that was actually used on the streets of New York.

Yo Shaylovergirl,

Great shot. Certainly looks like it rode the rails in Manhattan and the Brooklyn docks. Probably used so that it would not scare the horses. Many steamers were so camouflaged so as to keep the horses and wagons from bolting.

I agree, but I thought the use of a Shay was a bit strange. Shays were not known for their speed as most only had a top speed of around 15 MPH at best. You better not be in a hurry.

pennsy wrote:Yo Shaylovergirl,

Great shot. Certainly looks like it rode the rails in Manhattan and the Brooklyn docks. Probably used so that it would not scare the horses. Many steamers were so camouflaged so as to keep the horses and wagons from bolting.

Hi,

You certainly are right there. Shays are not known for their speed. And on the streets of NYC, 15 mph with freight cars in tow would be speeding. More like five to ten mph would be more like it. Yes, you could run faster, even in heels.

In Boston they had Climaxes built the same way, and for the same reason.

Stuart

Found some info on the fireless locomotives, including the 0-8-0 and geared fireless Heislers. http://www.nrhs.com/web_exclusives/fireless_cooker/ (about halfway down the page, heading: makers of fireless locomotives) It describes the 0-8-0 as "a failure"!

Not as pecular as some of the other ones hear but this one is worth a look.

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/plate091.Html

They definitely qualify. Theyre plenty wierd. The steam era had less standardisation and more experimental equipment. Not like the cookie-cutter era we live in. Today we count rivets to tell 'em apart.