Class J's - trackworthiness?

[nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org]

Looked to see if Wikipedia had an entry for the ACL's R-1s.  They  didin't.
The R-1s were Baldwin-built 4-8-4's with 80" drivers which had a  design
defect - they weren't counterbalanced correctly.  They may not have  been
picky about track, but they were demoted to freight service.   Although
the R-1s were credited with many broken rails and derailments,  it  should
be noted that at the time (1938 and after), ACL's double track main  line
was laid in 100# rail.  As John Rehor,  author and N&W Safety  Agent noted,
every railroad specializes in its own brand of disaster.  On the NKP,  it
had been rear-enders; on the SAL, it was head-enders, but on the ACL  it
must certainly have been the transverse fissure. ACL bought a lot of  rail
from Tennessee Coal and Iron rolled in the 20's.  TC&I  evidently had poor
quality control, because many an ACL derailment was caused by  transverse
fissures,  and rightly or wrongly credited to the bouncing  4-8-4's.
                                                                   Harry Bundy
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