April 28, 2016
Bill - Thanks for sharing your "odd duck" pacific images showing
double sand domed 4-6-2's in Chicago area way freight service, as well as the
others of the suburban service 4-6-2's with bells positioned behind their
stacks. Yes, I think you're entirely correct. Unless an image
shows-up of a double sand domed Class S-1-A or S-2-A working outside of the
Chicago area (say on Lines West), then I think this was strictly a Lines
East variation peculiar to the Chicago Division for the reasons you give. I
speculate that as the ever-thrifty Q dieselized both their Chicago
Division suburban and local passenger trains in the late 1940s to early
1950s, they took the S-1-A's and S-2-A's in the best mechanical condition and
adapted them to use in way freight service until either their flue time
expired or new GPs replaced them. The era of the double sand domed
pacifics was short lived, though, as 2919 was sold for scrap in
October 1953, 2816 in December 1952 and 2911 in September 1953. If there were
any other such equipped sisters, they, too, must have left for the scrap yard at
about the same time. Thanks for switching me over on the right
track with this thread. Best Regards -
Louis
In a message dated 4/28/2016 11:21:59 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
CBQ@yahoogroups.com writes:
Louis,
I don’t think there is a mystery to the 2919 with the second sand dome.
After commuter service, several of the pacifics were used in Chicago area way
freight service. Foot boards were applied from and rear and, it appears that a
second sand dome was added. As operated in passenger and commuter service, the
pacifics only had one sand pipe on each side and it led to the front of the
lead driver. There was no reverse sand available. In way freight service,
reverse sanding was necessary while switching some of the sidings such as
Boody - McKnight along Warren Avenue adjacent to Maple Avenue. That siding had
a relatively steep lead which would have made traction difficult, particularly
in wet weather.
Attached are photos of 2811 in way freight service at Maple Avenue in
Downers Grove and 2816 also in DG, both in 1951. Both locomotives have foot
boards and a second sand dome although the one on the 2811 is somewhat
obscured in the shadow of the smoke. Note that 2919 also has been
equipped with foot boards in place of the standard road pilot.
As for the forward mounted bell, attached is a photo of 2819 in 1936 with
it’s bell between the stack and the sand dome. In another photo, here is a
view of 2918 in 1938 at DG with the bell in front of the sand dome. All three
locomotives were never modified to S-1 or S-2 A class. We also have a photo of
the 2920 with the bell forward of the sand dome.
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
Wed
Apr 27, 2016 3:09 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
April
27, 2016
Group - Whereas Q steam locomotives were generally well
recognized for
their standardized appearance
spanning from class to class, occasionally a few
"odd ducks" emerged to make
things interesting. I've inserted and attached
two images showing variations
from the norm with Class S-2 No. 2942 and
Class S-2-A No.
2919:
First, note how the bell has been positioned directly
behind the stack on
No. 2942 shown in an undated
view taken at the Western Avenue coal chute in
Chicago, IL. The usual bell
position would be centered between the sand and
steam domes. "Why" has the bell
been repositioned? Since the 4-6-2 is
shown equipped with an
oversized turbo generator directly in front of the cab,
2942 was being used in suburban
service at the time. From around the
mid-1920s up into the early
1930s, there was a transition from using Class P
4-4-2's and Class K 4-6-0's to
Class S 4-6-2's to power suburban trains. This
was recently touched upon in
another post about how the wood roundhouse at
Downers Grove, IL, was torn
down to make room for a longer turntable to fit
the Class S 4-6-2's that
replaced the smaller 4-4-2's and 4-6-0's. In
examining images of the
suburban 4-4-2's and 4-6-0's, they carried a very large
oil drum shaped turbo generator
atop their boilers between the sand and
steam domes. In fact, when
these locomotives were finally bumped from
suburban to branch line
service, the turbo generators were removed, but the bells
remained in place just behind
the stacks. Such 4-4-2's and 4-6-0's were
later easily identified as
having previously been in suburban service. So,
what does all this have to do
with No. 2942? I speculate that 2942 was first
equipped with one of the large
oil drum shaped turbo generators that was
placed between its two domes.
Sometime later, when the large turbo generators
were replaced with much smaller
and more efficient units that would fit
atop the boiler ahead of the
cab, the bell was left in place just behind the
stack. 2942 was not alone as I
have images of two other such 4-6-2's in
later life with their bells
still positioned behind their stacks. For whatever
reason, 2942 was not rebuilt
into a Class S-1-A and the locomotive is
reported in the Corbin book as
having been retired in February 1938. Does anyone
have an earlier image of 2942
or a sister 4-6-2 equipped with one of the
large oil drum shaped turbo
generators between their sand and steam domes?
Second, even more
unusual is Class S-2-A No. 2919 with TWO sand domes! The
image was taken at the Downers
Grove yard on February 13, 1954. This was
very late in the
locomotive's service life as the Corbin book records that
2919 was sold for scrap in
October 1953. The 4-6-2 may've been used to power
suburban trains at an earlier
date, but if so then its oversize turbo
generator had since been
replaced with a smaller one suitable for lighting the
locomotive cab and headlight.
It appears that by the date the image was
taken 2919 was being used to
power local freights and for switching between
Chicago and Eola. Just how and
why 2919 was equipped with a second sand dome
(almost certainly removed from
a scrapped sister 4-6-2) has been lost to
time. However, I speculate 2919
had been used on a dead end branch line with
no turning facility requiring a
long backing run to reach the mainline. The
second sand dome would've come
in mighty handy when the locomotive was
starting a heavy train in
reverse. Any other opinions out there? I think 2919
was one-of-a-kind as I've never
seen another image of a Class S 4-6-2 so
equipped. If anyone else has
any images of odd duck Q locomotives, please
share with Group members. Best
Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL
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Posted by: LZadnichek@aol.com
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