Re: Steam at Rio Gallegos
| July 15, 2019 10:16PM |
Re: previous posts on this thread;
Michael Allen's comment about the different color on the first car behind the locomotive: It is my understanding that these cars were extra water cars (water bottles) and were fitted with hand rails on top for safety while taking water.
ksivils comment about how useful these engines might have been on the Rio Grande narrow gauge had they been widened from 30 inch gauge to 36 inch gauge - the 2-10-2s weighed in at 53 tons compared to 78 tons for a K28 or 94 tons for a K36. While it seems that these engines would have been significantly less powerful, they did haul 1870 ton trains on a 10-hour 158 mile run. Unlike the Rio Grande engines they were stoker fired and had the efficiency improvements designed by LD Porta. I have never seen a tractive effort figure for these engines, but in any case they are mighty midgets.
Another comment regarded slipping drivers - I recall these engines did struggle and slip their drivers starting heavy trains.
Russo's last comment about the 1978 photos - Thanks.
Here is one more photo of a "mighty midget" arriving in Rio Gallegos
Michael Allen's comment about the different color on the first car behind the locomotive: It is my understanding that these cars were extra water cars (water bottles) and were fitted with hand rails on top for safety while taking water.
ksivils comment about how useful these engines might have been on the Rio Grande narrow gauge had they been widened from 30 inch gauge to 36 inch gauge - the 2-10-2s weighed in at 53 tons compared to 78 tons for a K28 or 94 tons for a K36. While it seems that these engines would have been significantly less powerful, they did haul 1870 ton trains on a 10-hour 158 mile run. Unlike the Rio Grande engines they were stoker fired and had the efficiency improvements designed by LD Porta. I have never seen a tractive effort figure for these engines, but in any case they are mighty midgets.
Another comment regarded slipping drivers - I recall these engines did struggle and slip their drivers starting heavy trains.
Russo's last comment about the 1978 photos - Thanks.
Here is one more photo of a "mighty midget" arriving in Rio Gallegos
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.