Re: How can a novice tell if a locomotive has been superheated?

kcsivils Wrote:
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> How can a novice tell if a locomotive has been
> superheated?


By using the phrase "has been" are you referring to the addition of superheating on a locomotive that wasn't built with it?

At any rate, you can usually--but not always--discern the presence or absence of a superheater by looking for visual cues associated with superheating. Bolts on the smokebox sides for the superheater headers are one such cue, and the presence of piston valves (especially on a locomotive originally equipped with slide valves) is another. If you're browsing through random photographs this method will be accurate well over 90% of the time. As with most things in life exceptions do exist. One exception is White Pass 69, which was a rare example of a locomotive built new with superheating but slide valves, so it looked like a saturated engine. In its case the superheating was only a modest level of questionable value and it was later removed. An example in the opposite direction is Rio Grande 464, which has the visual cues for superheating (and indeed had it at one time) but does not presently have it equipped. One of the other K-27's received piston valves without superheat. You can't really know for absolute certain at a glance. Only way to be sure beyond doubt is pop open the smokebox door and take a look, or ask someone who's done so.