In an article on Union Pacific 4-8-4 steam locomotives in "Classic Trains Special Edition #2 - 2004," W. Kratville reports that the Union Pacific went through two cycles of trying to define characteristics for a new class succeeding the FEF-3: once in 1942 and again in 1945.
First time around the boiler was to get a somewhat bigger firebox and combustion chamber. (Also a quadruple stack front end.)
Second version was to get a larger fireboc (apparently larger than on the 1942 version) with a "larger boiler" (larger how? diameter?). (Also poppet valves.)
The article doesn't, however, give numbers: hom much larger was the firebox to become, how long the combustion chamber, and if the final version was to have a significantly bigger boiler (Niagara-sized? ATSF 2900/N&W 600 sized?), what were its dimensions to be? (And who held down the chief civil engineer when the new axle loading was announced?)
If anyone has information on this, I'd love to hear it!
(Also posted to Steam Locomotives forum.)
First time around the boiler was to get a somewhat bigger firebox and combustion chamber. (Also a quadruple stack front end.)
Second version was to get a larger fireboc (apparently larger than on the 1942 version) with a "larger boiler" (larger how? diameter?). (Also poppet valves.)
The article doesn't, however, give numbers: hom much larger was the firebox to become, how long the combustion chamber, and if the final version was to have a significantly bigger boiler (Niagara-sized? ATSF 2900/N&W 600 sized?), what were its dimensions to be? (And who held down the chief civil engineer when the new axle loading was announced?)
If anyone has information on this, I'd love to hear it!
(Also posted to Steam Locomotives forum.)
