Today's Whacky Winners

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Russ Bellinis

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I think the other problem with triplex & quadraplex types was that the size of the firebox reached it's limits in a mallet. They could build bigger locomotives, but they could not build enough steam to power the extra drivers for efficient operation. The Santa Fe tried bellows to hinge their boilers on some of their "Prairie Mallets", but found that water would collect in the bellows and freeze in winter when the locomotive was sitting and subsequently cause leaks and cracks in the bellows.
 
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nachoman

it is not suprising that these designs werent popular. The reality is double heading is much easier, more versatile, and just plain makes more sense.

Kevin
 
R

Russ Bellinis

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Feb 13, 2003
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nachoman said:
it is not suprising that these designs werent popular. The reality is double heading is much easier, more versatile, and just plain makes more sense.

Kevin
Click to expand...

The problem with double heading is that each steam engine required an engine crew to operate it. If the railroads could design a double or triple sized locomotive that could operate with one crew, they could save on labor costs. Labor costs were so low in the 19th and even early in the 20th century that it wasn't an issue, but by the late 1920's & 1930's union contracts were beginning to cause wages to rise. I suspect that the ability to hook diesels into mu consists with one operating crew had as much to do with the end of steam as the lower maintenance costs of diesel.
 
N

nachoman

Russ Bellinis said:
The problem with double heading is that each steam engine required an engine crew to operate it. If the railroads could design a double or triple sized locomotive that could operate with one crew, they could save on labor costs. Labor costs were so low in the 19th and even early in the 20th century that it wasn't an issue, but by the late 1920's & 1930's union contracts were beginning to cause wages to rise. I suspect that the ability to hook diesels into mu consists with one operating crew had as much to do with the end of steam as the lower maintenance costs of diesel.
Click to expand...

I think this is also why some a-b-b-a sets wers sold, and numbered as "one locomotive." My guess is they were cautious about how unions would react to crew requirements for these new diesels, and the railroads found a loophole.

Kevin
 
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