UP sportsmodel bottom pic wendsday

according to THE OVERLAND ROUTE by Russ Grenard and John Krause the engins of this class were "sixty 4-8-2's constructed in 1922 and 1923 by ALCO" and "were the first eight coupled engins desined and built to run 100 miles per houer". but the real interesting thing about them is the young type valve gear they were constructed with. it was intended to do away with ecentrics whitch it did by driveing the motion with the cross head on the OPPISIT side from the valve being driven meaning no eccentrics to position but you gained the jack shafts to transfer the movement from one side to another. it worked but came with its own set of headackes and was "wierd" so most (if not all) of the class was fitted with walcherts by the end of WWII