Re: K-27s before rebuild

Remember also that the class 125 engines (K-27s) were Vauclain compounds. They were supposed to be more effecient than the previous power. If they are more efficient then they need less water to go the same distance. You dont make money hauling water up grade, better to haul revenue tonnage.

Theoretically all this is true. A big problem with these engines as originally built was that the engineers would leave them in the "simple" starting mode rather than changing to the "compound" mode once they got the train started. The result was increased water consumption. Suddenly the tenders are too small and the crews had to reduce tonnage or run for water. This was not the first time or the last that mechanical improvements were failures because the Locomotive Engineers did not accept them or use them the way the Mechanical Engineers had envisioned.

John Bush