C&O 1309 Moves Under Its Own Power

[bnsf971]

C&O 1309 Moves Under Its Own Power For First Time in 64 Years

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s 2-6-6-2 was fired up on New Year’s Eve following a multi-year restoration.

railfan.com

 

[bnsf971]

 

[Night Watchman]

Beautiful loco. I'm I wrong or does it look like a big boy? I don't know all that much about the real stuff. I think it has something to do with the number of drive wheels and wheel sets?

 

[bnsf971]

Beautiful loco. I'm I wrong or does it look like a big boy? I don't know all that much about the real stuff. I think it has something to do with the number of drive wheels and wheel sets?

It is similar to a Big Boy, in that it is an articulated steam engine. The Big Boy is a 4-8-8-4 simple articulated, and the 1309 is a 2-6-6-2 compound Mallet locomotive. Simple means all the steam cylinders are fed live steam at the same time. Compound means it recycles the steam from the rear cylinders to the front cylinders.

 

[Night Watchman]

I got ya. So, just because they look similar two different locos can be totally different animals. I know steam expands, but do you know how they keep the temperature up while they're moving the same charge of pressurized steam from one steam cylinder to another in a compound locomotive?