3. RE: Balancing, Counterbalancing and Dynamics (NW Mailing List)

[NW Mailing List]

Yes Gary and Ed, it was the ACL's R-1 4-8-4's that had some fairly serious issues with the counterbalances of their drivers.? These locomotives were equipped with speedometers, which was fairly unique for steam locomotives at the time.? Engineers were reporting to their supervisors that the needles on the speedometers were at times fluctuating wildly for some strange reason.? To find out what the problem was the motive power people placed movie cameras under the R-1's to see if the problem could be located.? When the films were developed, and viewed they showed that the drivers were actually lifting off of the rails at certain speeds.? The drivers were then re-counterbalanced to correct this problem, and as far as I know that was the end of it.

Jeff Morfit

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:54:37 -0400
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: RE: Balancing, Counterbalancing and Dynamics
To: 'NW Mailing List' <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
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Gary, did you mean the? ACL? R-1 4-8-4's built by Baldwin that had severe 
counterbalancing problems?? I don't recall any of the RF&P classes of 4-8-4's 
(never referred to as Northerns - they were Generals, Governors and Statesmen 
from Virginia) having such problems.?? ??

Ed Painter - Narrows, VA currently living in Russellville, AR
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