I've only taken the fireman / engineer schools at the C&TS, so I'm hardly an expert. I'd say my qualifications are about on par with a ham sandwich, possibly less, but here goes...
487
Firing:
487 would burn whatever coal you scooped in, but placement mattered a lot. I learned placement fast! The fireman's side injector was a bit finnicky to get started, but once I got it going, I could fine it down without much trouble.
Running:
The throttle of 487 was a hateful contraption! The distance on the throttle lever between not moving at all and slipping the drivers was virtually nothing. The throttle was very stiff and the only way to move it was to play with the slop in the mechanism and try to "bump" the throttle a little at a time, but not too much. It was very sensitive.
In the videos on the recent Rotary specials, you can see 487 slipping frequently while 484 was more surefooted. The touchy throttle on 487 is why.
484
Firing:
484 was the least forgiving locomotive I've fired, but the most gratifying when I finally figured out how to get it right. If I scooped coal and it landed 3 inches to the left of where I had intended, I could scoop coal all day but not build any pressure. If I landed one tiny scoop in just the right spot, it seemingly went nuclear and the pressure gauge climbed like it was nothing. If my inexperienced hands could have landed coal in just the right spots consistently, I think 484 would have been the most coal efficient locomotive I've fired. The fireman's injector would pick up every time with minimal effort. I hardly had to touch it. I swear it was controlled via telepathy. All I had to do was think about starting the injector, and it would start perfectly. Fining it down was another matter entirely. I could start the injector, but fining it down was a whole lot of turning the knob for nothing, then instantly breaking the flow and having to start over. I've heard that the injector was worked on and is now easier to fine down.
Running:
484 was a pleasure to run. The throttle was far easier to move than 487, it required less fighting to bump it to the position I wanted. 484 was far less finicky and more forgiving than 487, although the brakes kept trying to apply themselves (slowly) and had to be released every once in awhile.
488
Firing:
488 was hungry and would gladly burn as much coal as i could scoop and make good pressure. It was far less picky about placement than 484, but it was hard to keep up with its apatite. 484 would be easier to fire, if my skillset was better. The fireman's injector on 488 was reliable. It was harder to get it to catch than 484, but was still perfectly good. Fining it down was not a problem. 488 was a good locomotive for a novice to fire, but it was a lot of work!
Running:
I have never run 488.
489
Firing:
I only fired 489 in the yard, so I barely scooped any coal. I cannot comment on how it responded to coal. The tender didn't have much water in it at the time, and it had been sitting for awhile, so it was pretty warm. The fireman's injector didn't like the warm water and was a hateful contraption to try and get to catch. We switched to 488 the next day.
Running:
I have never run 489.
Remember, I am not a career railroader and my perspective is not the same as one. If you are trying to determine who's opinion is more accurate / counts more, go with a professional, not me! I was happy to be there, I had studied all of the assigned material, and was trying to follow all of the rules, not break stuff, and be as easy on the equipment and folks in the shop & track crews as possible.
If I had to pick one, it would be 484.
Clear as mud?
Dave
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2021 03:26PM by Volvoguy87.
