Y Class, Etc

[NW Mailing List]

Pete -

Where do you get your horsepower figures?  The rating for the Y-6 was worked 
out using train resistance formulae and the actual topography of the 
territory by Dave Stephenson and published in the Arrow.  There was never a 
7000 horsepower figure put out for the A.  The first test was 6300 which 
Engineer of Tests Bob Pilcher felt was too high.  He felt the A was actually 
in the 5300 horsepower range and that the dynamometer car's recording 
mechanism was in error.  The A was not a Y "modded for speed".  The only 
feature the A shared with the Y was the tender (and maybe the electical 
system, and stuff like that).

One has to be careful tossing "facts" around among folks who don't know much 
about the N&W.  They're like football players who pick up a fumble and run 
with it.

EdKing

-----Original Message----- 
From: NW Mailing List
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 4:17 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Y Class, Etc

Query:  "Again the A class was essentially a Y modded for speed . . ."   The 
boilers (the most important part of a steam loco, I'm finally beginning to 
realize) were very different - 5500 HP or so for a Y6 and 7000 HP or so for 
an A; also very different in design, particularly, the fireboxes.

pete groom
On Jun 27, 2013, at 7:19 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 
wrote:


> There was purpose behind designs, the Big Boy was meant to tackle Sherman 

> Hill, it has larger drivers for speed not to just get over the grades but 

> out west is a lot of land to cover and get over it as fast as possible.

>

> N&W had numerous tough grades and perhaps harder curves, speed was not 

> exactly the big handle to get over its grades than to get as much tonnage 

> over as possible, double heading and pushers a common scene on the N&W.

> Again the A class was essentially a Y modded for speed and larger drivers 

> for the not so mountaneous and level routes for speed, but they were put 

> on the plodding Y6 runs as well.

>

> The railroads had their engines made -their- way for -their- purposes.

>

> The DM&IR had their yellowstones and were more powerful than the big boys, 

> why...heavy ore trains, which can be far heavier than any coal train.

>

> -Lynn-



> . . .


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