Boston & Albany Steam Locomotives

PLEASE VIEW MY BOSTON & ALBANY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE WEBSITE. IT HAS 279 PHOTOGRAPHS OF B&A STEAM ORGANIZED BY TYPE. THERE ARE 19 WHEEL ARRANGEMENTS INCLUDING 2-6-6-2's, 4-8-0's, 2-10-2's, 2-6-6T's, K-6's, H-10's,etc. (QUITE A VARIETY) CLICK http://sites.google.com/site/bostonalbanyrailroad

The B&A 2-6-6-2s migrated west to the NYC's Pennsylvania Division for a while. Some were used as pushers for "downhill" run from Cherry Tree to Mahaffey on the Beech Creek District.

Why pushers for a downhill run? Curves, lots of them. All those curves added enough resistance to pulling a loaded train that pushers were needed, going downhill no less.

B&A Steam site is wonderful. I've never seen so many photos of the A-1c class in one place.

Actually the B&a 2-6-6-2's didn't "migrate" to the Pennsylvania Division, they had their own models built before the B&A steamers were supplanted by the 2-8-4's.

This article from 1910, is about the B&A 2-6-6-2's ;

http://www.archive.org/stream/americane ... 5/mode/1up" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This article from 1911 is about the Penn Div NYC 2-6-6-2's ;

http://www.archive.org/stream/americane ... 1/mode/1up" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The two articles were published only one year apart.

This article from 1912 is about the engines on the penn division, both maintenance and their service;

http://www.archive.org/stream/americane ... 5/mode/1up" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The two set of 2-6-6-2's operated at the same time, with all 2-6-6-2's surviving beyond 1930, ending up serving out of Minerva Ohio.

Hope this helps.

Those are some fascinating articles that Clif posted links for. Thanks a lot.

Interesting that the first 2-6-6-2 ordered from American Locomotive Company for the B&A was also sent to the Pennsylvania Division for testing. It proved suitable but as the article about the Pennsylvania Division Mallets described, Central decided that service on the Pennsylvania Div. "demanded higher speeds" than on the B&A. Thus the decision was made to equip the Penn engines with superheaters (First page paragraph four.)

As far as I could discover the B&A Mallets were not equipped with superheaters. The Penn Div. locomotives are a bit heavier, for one thing. Maybe someone knows for sure?

Again, thanks for the links to three fascinating articles.