B&A Tank Engines

http://gelwood.railfan.net/nyc/ba-s400s.jpg

This has to be the biggest "tank" engine I have seen. What duties did iot perform that the odd design was justified?

Commuter passenger engines, operated mostly between Boston and
Riverside via the Highland Branch and the main line. They probably also ran to Framingham on a more or less regular basis too.
These were the RS-3's and GP-7's of the steam era as they could and did run quite well in reverse.
They ran right up until the time that the diesels arrived maybe in the late
1940's or very early 1950's.
I don't think they were regularly used anywhere else on the system after they were replaced by diesels in Boston.
Noel Weaver

I think they might have gone to Milford too.

In one the TRAINS Album of New England Railroads, circa mid-1940s, there's a photo of one of them at speed on the Weston Park curve by the golf course west of Riverside.

There was another, older series of tank engines on the B & A too. Somewhat smaller. There was also a fleet of arch roof suburban coaches built about same time for the Boston and Albany (and a companion series built at same time for use on NYC Putnam Div.) which were the mainstay of Riverside/Highland and Riverside/Mainline consists of the tank engine era (and for long after that too).

There was also one memorable railfan trip that covered from Boston to Winchendon via Palmer using one of these tank engines. Pre-WWII.
Probably had to be fueled and watered once or twice on that run. It was photographed.[/i]

As stated it was a commuter engine, the model was a 4-6-6T, can't recall the NYC designation.

That was not the only large tank engine the NYC had, there were 5 class Hx 2-8-2t that the NYC got when they acquired the Kanawha and Michigan. These spent most of their careers on mine runs in the Charleston WV area. I think at least 1 of these lasted into the 30's. There is probably some pictures of them on Mr. elwood's site.

Mike Fleming

A picture of K&M 9501 can be found on Richard Leonard's NYC collection:

http://www.forecyte.com/nyccollection/km9501.htm

Yes, and I also have a photo of No. 306, one of the older (rebuilt) D2a class 2-6-6T locomotives as well. It was taken in 1933 by Roy F. Blackstone of Eldon, Missouri.

http://www.forecyte.com/nyccollection/ba306.htm

I'm going to expose my ignorance here. Were the tank engines used on the B&A the same kind (or the same engines) that were used on the Getty Square Branch of the Putnam Division, prior to electrification in 1926?

-otto-

There were MAJOR weight restrictions on the Getty Square Branch.
After the line was electrified, NO locomotives were allowed on this branch.
I don't think there were any freight customers on this particular branch at
least after the third rail was put in.
The only equipment allowed was MU equipment and I understand that if a
work train was required, they used MU cars for motive power.
The tank engines that ran on the B. & A. were a fairly heavy engine
although I do not have exact figures handy.
Noel Weaver

The D2a 2-6-6T double-enders (300-309) weighed 172,700 pounds. The D2b class (310-317) weighed 176,500 pounds. The D1a class 4-6-6T double-enders (400-404) weighed 242,000 pounds and were said to be the largest tank engines built for use in the U.S. (The Canadian National's 4-6-4T X-10-a class weighed 275,000 pounds.)

The little Fornay steam locomotives, 2-4-4T's, used on the Getty Square Branch were significantly smaller than the D-1a's on the B&A

Regarding the 2-4-4T's on the Getty Square Branch Line, Numbers 37 -41 weighed 140,300lbs. and Numbers 42, 44, and 47-49 weighed 142,700lbs. So, they were less than half the weight.