1927: "Our New Y-3-b Locomotives."

[NW Mailing List]

I always find something interesting when I pick up copies of N&W Employee magazines from dad’s collection. This time it is the Y3b / Y4, which caught my eye since it is such a minority member of the Y class.

The February, 1927 (V5, No.2) edition had a nice cover featuring the new Y3b (attached). The magazine included an article describing the changes from the Y3 / Y3a, which (indirectly) illustrates the ethos of iterative improvement of the Y classes. This issue followed short construction / delivery updates in previous issues, which left me with the impression that the railroad was excited about these locomotives. 

Both the cover photo and the article “styled” the class name differently than I’m used to, using hyphens (Y-3-b). I wonder when that changed?

The author, Chief Draftsman W.K. Eldridge, listed the following changes, compared to the Y3 and Y3a. I’ve put his own words in quotes (edited for brevity); items without quotes are my condensations of his more rambling passages (they wrote long sentences in 1927).

"The designation "Y-3-b' was given primarily to indicate the use of the feed water heater”
"The cylinders, however, are somewhat different in detail (from the Y3a - MG), particularly with reference to the freedom in the steam admission and exhaust passages for higher efficiency at speed. The engines should, for this reason, be smarter at speed.” 
Comment: I like that “smarter” phrase. I also wonder if these changes directly informed the bridge pipes of the Y5.
Worthington BL Feedwater heater improves fuel and water "economy by 10% compared to the Y-3-a not yet so equipped.”
"The removal of the (air) pumps from the front end has now been accomplished ...is of great value in the... easier maintenance of the pumps and the many pipe connections. ... affords greater accessibility to the front end for inspection and repair of the netting, steam pipes, superheater units, exhaust stand, blower, etc.”
Comment: Interestingly, the article claimed that smokebox-mounted pumps were an N&W innovation. I've always assocated "flying pumps" with the C&O
"The front of the cab on the new Y-3-b locomotive has been ... incline[d], sloping to the rear, similar to the cabs on the K-3... [provides] better opportunity to reach, for inspection and repairs, the staybolts on the side of the boiler…"
A new cast cross-tie for the low pressure engine. "It is believed that this will more substantially tie the frame parts together and reduce the possibility of frame failures by an equal distribution of the boiler weights."
Wider water legs (7" vs. 5" on the Y3a) "should materially reduce breakage of staybolts in this zone". This was modeled on the M2, which had the same length staybolts in the water legs and had notably lower breakage. 
"The guides are 7½ inches in width, the same as the Y-2-a's and this is 40 per cent greater bearing area than the administration or Y-3-a locomotives." The increased crosshead area was advocated by roundhouse personnel. 
"...main rods are of the enlarged eye type" (I think this is related to the next point)
"The side as well of the main rods have been equipped throughout with floating bushings”
"The side rods have been strengthened without materially affecting weight of the reciprocating parts (... which must be properly balanced or counter balanced…)"

The first six Y3bs were assigned to the Pocahontas Division, two on the Norfolk and two on the Radford Divisions. 

Everything beyond the feed water heater and cab changes was new to me, though surely well known to list members with a deep N&W background. Beyond the mechanical details, I find the it most interesting to get the temperature of the times from these contemporary accounts.

Matt Goodman
Columbus, Ohio, US



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