Richard Overton, author of several highly regarded books on CB&Q
history is generally considered among his professional and academic
colleagues nationally to comfortably reside in the pantheon of the
best of the best of railroad historians. If memory serves, he passed
away about a year ago.
The wearing away of thin nickel plating on brass locomotive drivers
is very common and is certainly to be expected with any reasonable
use (the reason why most driver tires in more recent years have been
solid nickel silver). Although there is no doubt that the uncovered
bare brass will be less forgiving of track dirt, a silver lining is
that the brass will certainly decrease any of the tendency to the
slipping that plagues nickel plating (i.e. traction can distinctly
increase!).
Denny
--
Denny S. Anspach, MD
Sacramento, CA
|