KnowThyNiagarasFINAL

Niagara 6009, fresh from an overhaul at Beech Grove Shops in July 1947, shows the tapered main rod
that was originally applied to S-1A 6000. This tapered rod assembly found its way to other Niagaras as
they were shopped. This rod pair had to be used as a set. (NYCSHS)

Niagara 6016 on
the scrap line at
Toledo, OH has had
the original auxiliary
sand boxes located
under the running
boards removed.
The sander valves
were relocated as
shown in this photo.
(NYCSHS)

189

190

X-73240

191

192

Pneuphonic Horn Driving Wheel Spring Hangers

The original drawing to add an “auxiliary whistle” was The incident report for the six Niagaras in October 1946
made 3/13/46. The original drawing was superseded by on the special test against diesels identified seven differ-
a Revision B dated 10/1/46. W.A.B.C.O. Model number ent instances of problems with driving wheel hangers and
515426 was identified on drawing X-73240 which is the pins, including pins sheared off or missing. The spring
horn application drawing. This program took some time to hangers were redesigned with a greater lip, and while we
complete. For example, this horn was added to S-2A 5500 do not have documentation, we believe that the size and
on 3/5/47. hardness of the hanger pins might have been changed. (T-
72568)
The installation of the horn was designed to provide a
fail-safe warning that the engineer could hear. This was Turbo Generator Relocation
in response to complaints that the six-chamber chime
whistle, mounted next to the stack, was not always audi- The Locomotive Historical Record Cards do not provide
ble during periods of bad weather when the cab windows the details of additional changes to the electrical system of
were closed. Niagaras kept the whistle and the horn for Niagaras, but we do know that the electrical turbo genera-
their service lives. As information, that six chime whistle tor was relocated on these locomotives. The original loca-
is described by drawing V-71776, and it was specified for tion of this generator was just forward of the trailing truck
all Hudsons, L-4 Mohawks, all Niagaras, K-5A and K-5B Pacif- on the engineer’s side of the locomotive, and exhaust from
ics except 4915 and 4917, and P&LE Class A-2A Berkshires. this generator was piped to the ashpan. The generator was
The New York Central Standards book specifies use of a equipped with a shield against road dirt, debris, and water.
three-chamber chime “long bell” whistle for all locomo- The wiring from this generator to the headlight was run in
tives operating on Putnam and Harlem Divisions and K-11 one of the pipe conduits mounted under the running board
on River Division. A five-chamber chime was specified “for on the engineer’s side of the locomotive, and the wiring
all other locomotives”. conduit to the headlight was mounted on the smokebox
front on the engineer’s side of the locomotive. This tur-
Dual Sealed Beam Headlights bo generator was relocated to a shelf under the running
board on the fireman’s side of the locomotive, between
Another change in 1948 was the installation of dual sealed and above the third and fourth driving wheel set. Date of
beam headlights to the Niagaras. (X-85654) The filament this change on the drawing is 5/2/1949. (N-74956-A) With
light bulb originally used on the Niagaras was prone to this change, the wiring conduit to the sealed beam head-
breakage due to vibration. If this single bulb failed, the light was now relocated on the smokebox to the fireman’s
locomotive would be unable to complete its run and a mo- side of the locomotive. One of the four pipe conduits on
tive power substitution would be required. Available re- the engineer’s side of the locomotive was removed. The
cords show that in the autumn of 1948, dual sealed beam application of the headlight and relocation of the headlight
headlights were installed on a number of Niagaras. The turbo generator may not have occurred at the same time,
headlight assembly included a 15 watt“pilot bulb”,that was as photographs exist of Niagaras equipped with a sealed
wired in the circuit with the number board lights on each beam headlight and the smokebox wiring unchanged from
side of the headlight casing. The two sealed beam head- when the locomotive was new.
light bulbs had to be turned off in order to be replaced,
and the pilot bulb was used to facilitate that maintenance.

193

194

N-74956-A

195

196

Bell Relocation the New York Central, this rule applied only to locomotives
with Precision reverse gear, so this application included
The original location of the bell on the Niagaras was be- Niagaras. On Niagaras, the main air reservoir was located
hind the drop coupler pilot. In this location it was subject on the centerline of the engine and was a part of the en-
to freezing. There was no room for it at the top of the boil- gine bed casting, so it is not visible in most photographs.
er due to limited clearance. The bell was relocated to a po- The Locomotive Historical Record Cards do indicate that
sition on the top of the valve gear yoke on the engineer’s this smaller auxiliary reservoir was applied to Niagaras,and
side of the locomotive. (V-36277, T-36278-D, V-85426-A) it was located under the cab on the fireman’s side of the
However, this change was never made to S-2A Niagara locomotive. Most of these applications were made in 1947
5500, which did not have a valve gear yoke due to its use and 1948.
of poppet valves. On this locomotive, a special drawing
was prepared on 1/20/49 to show that the original bell Ash Pan Flusher Piping
position was retained. (V-74768-A, -B)
The ash pan flusher piping was changed from manual to
Smoke Deflectors air operated on 10/30/50. The valve was applied to the
fireman’s side of the locomotive only. (Q-72738-E) The ash
Paul Kiefer was obsessed with weight savings on the Ni- pan flusher used air operated valve piping on poppet valve
agaras, and the smoke deflectors, running boards, cab, and Niagara 5500 (V-85584)
cab gauge panel were aluminum. On 1/21/49, the material
specification for the smoke deflectors was changed from Electric Light under Cab
aluminum to steel. There was an additional change in the
smoke deflectors, which required a new drawing of the This addition may have been the result of a personal injury,
deflector on the fireman’s side of the engine. The tapered or a union requirement, or an interpretation of an ICC rule.
end of that deflector was made removable in order to re- Niagaras had a light installed under the cab of the locomo-
move the Worthington hot water pump located beneath tive in 1947-1948.
the deflector and under the running board at that location.
(N-73406-A, N-73455-C) Tender Drinking Water Compartment

Sanding Valve Relocation A compartment was added to the front of the tender of Ni-
agaras and other steam locomotives to store drinking wa-
The sander magnet valves were relocated to a position ter containers. Date of this change is 11/4/48. (X-74616)
just above the running boards of the Niagaras. Date of this
change is not available, but it may have coincided with Water Scoop Electro Pneumatic Control
the removal of the sand boxes located under the running
boards. A serious wreck occurred on the west end of the railroad
in 1945 involving Niagara 6002. The cause of this wreck
Auxiliary Air Reservoir was a water scoop on an L-2 Mohawk that did not retract
completely and dislodged some road crossing planks. As
There was an accident on the PRR that breached the main a result, the ICC recommended that a specific signal in-
air reservoir, and this lack of air did not allow the engineer dicating that a tender water scoop was fully retracted be
to reverse his engine in the hope of stopping in time to installed. The railroad developed a system that placed an
avoid a rear end collision. The Interstate Commerce Com- indicator on the fireman’s side of the cab which relayed
mission required the installation of an auxiliary air supply an electrical indication that the air actuated water scoop
to be used in an emergency that would permit the reversal had fully retracted. The dates of installation on Niagaras is
of an engine’s driving wheels to assist in stopping. On 1951-52. (V-85865)

197

198

199

200

PT Tender Overflow Pipe Removal Latch-Folding Step

The first overflow pipe at the front of the PT tenders near The folding steps on each side of the boiler of S-1A 6000
the front swivel truck was removed. Date of this change is Niagara were provided with a latch that enabled these
10/9/48. The reason for this removal was that water spray steps to be folded into a locked position. Date of this
from the overflow was ice coating the AutomaticTrain Con- change is 6/15/45. (S-72809)
trol (ATC) shoe in inclement weather. (G-72083, L-72085-E)
Engineer and Fireman Seat Boxes
Worthington Feed Water Heater
Covers Missing The fireman’s and brakeman’s seats on Niagaras had a box
shaped base, with the seat hinged at the front to permit
There is no drawing or record that identifies a decision of storage in the base. (V-70808) The engineer’s seat used a
the railroad to remove these feed water heater covers from pedestal base. (V-85258)
the feed water heaters located on top of the smokebox
ahead of the stack. J-3A Hudsons equipped with a smaller Cylinder Cocks
version of this heater were never equipped with covers,
and they might have been judged superfluous on the Niag- The poppet valve Niagara 5500 used three cylinder cocks
aras as well. A few Niagaras appear in photographs with no on each cylinder. The piston valve Niagaras used two.
heater covers, so this might have been a maintenance issue
and not a conscious railroad decision. (V-73189)

Smoke Box Front and Door Alterations

The smoke box front of poppet valve Niagara 5500 was
modified in order to provide space for the poppet valve
gearbox mounted on the pilot beam. This was accom-
plished by modifying the smoke box front of a piston valve
Niagara in order to provide a flat surface at the bottom.
(V-73880)

201

Niagara No. 6021 is at speed with train 159, the Chicago Express, and exhaling slightly superheated
steam in a classic wedge shot taken on March 10, 1946. The brick tower and separate right of way
in the background are indicators of Berea, OH. Note the original “as built” grab irons on the front of
the air compressor shield. For some unknown reason, these were later inverted with the bolts on the
underside. Date of that change was March, 1947. (NYCSHS)

Niagara 6011 is missing the sanding system access door immediately below the sand dome. The original rectangular
sand pipes were replaced with circular pipes, probably when the lower sand boxes were removed. The added cleanout
port is visible near the bottom rear of the sand dome. Date of this image is November, 1953, at Linndale, OH. (JCS)

Front view of S-2A No. 5500 new at Alco in June, 1946. (AHP)
168

The 5500

S-2A Class poppet valve Niagara 5500 was the longest and in the spring rigging might have been made to redistribute
heaviest steam locomotive ever operated by the New York the weight increase to the engine and trailing trucks.
Central Railroad. It was placed in service June 28, 1946,
and it arrived at the end of the Niagara production run. Be- A PT Tender Redesign
fore it was delivered, the railroad stated its intention to test
the engine, in order to determine what if any advantages The poppet valve Niagara was built with the single exam-
resulted from the application of a poppet vale system to ple of a PT-6 tender, which had a coal capacity of 47 tons
the engine, which was identical in all other respects to the and a water capacity of 16,000 gallons. (The piston valve
piston valve equipped production engines. The detailed Niagaras were built with PT-5 tenders, with a coal capacity
test report of this engine did not survive, but the summa- of 46 tons and had an 18,000-gallon water capacity.) The
ry letter of the results of this testing reveals the principal unique design features of this tender are identified in a sub-
conclusions. sequent chapter of this book.

Changes Required vs. Piston Valve Niagaras The Franklin Poppet Valve System

The poppet valve 5500 had an engine weight of 485,000 In the time period that the piston valve Niagaras were de-
lb in working order. Total engine and tender weight was signed, there was renewed interest in replacing the spool/
892,100 lb. Total engine and tender length was 115’-9- piston valves with something better and having a greater
9/16” over couplers, making it exactly four inches longer degree of adjustment. Franklin Railway Supply led this ef-
than a piston valve Niagara. In order to accommodate the fort with a design of valve gear that used automotive type
poppet valve gearbox mounted on the front pilot beam, valves in multiples in each cylinder, replacing the single,
the length of the GSC one-piece engine bed was increased, large piston valve. Franklin called this system the “Frank-
and the distance from the face of the front bumper beam lin System of Steam Distribution”, or FSSD, and it became
to the centerline of the lead wheels of the front truck was known as a “poppet valve system”.
increased four inches.
The official description of the poppet valve arrangement
There were additional changes required. There was no used on Niagara 5500 was “FSSD Type A1”. The 5500 pop-
room for the air pumps on the front deck of the engine, so pet valves were activated using oscillating cams, and the
one air pump was relocated under a raised portion of the system was a variation of the FSSD Type A, probably due
running board on each side. Due to the height of the pop- to the use of two intake and three exhaust valves on each
pet valve gearbox, it was necessary to flatten the bottom end of each cylinder. (The standard Type A system used an
circumference of the front smokebox cover and a part of equal number of intake and exhaust valves at each end of
the smokebox in this area. As a result of these changes, the each cylinder.)
total weight on the front truck wheels was 102,000 lb, an
increase of 11,000 lb over the weight on the front truck The claimed advantages with the use of this Franklin Sys-
of a piston valve S-1B. The poppet valve gearbox weighed tem of Steam Distribution were:
approximately 3700 lb, and the remainder of the weight
increase was therefore due to the heavier cylinders and the -on a locomotive equipped with piston valves, the
slightly longer engine bed. The weight on the trailing truck shortening of the cutoff restricts the port opening
also increased by 3,000 lb, while the adhesive weight on of the cylinder to an increasing degree. On a poppet
the driving wheels remained at 275,000 lb. In order to not valve locomotive, the port remains wide open, and
exceed a weight on driving wheels of 275,000 lb, a change steam admission and exhaust are determined by the
time interval during which the valves are open.

205

Poppet valve Niagara No. 5500, new at Alco, June, 1946. (NYCSHS)

-intake and exhaust valve events could be separately dard” wheel reverse in the cab to actuate the valve gear.
adjusted, and this separation of valve events would Based on photographs of the cab interior, an air motor that
yield greater economy and greater power. was operated with a ratchet style lever activated the valve
gear on this engine to move the cams inside the gearbox,
-a locomotive with this system could be operated at thereby adjusting the cutoff.
lower minimum cutoff compared with a piston valve
locomotive, with a fuel and water saving. NYC and the Competition

-the system required very little horsepower to actuate. The Pennsylvania Railroad, Baldwin’s largest customer, be-
Some measurements showed that three horsepower came enamored with a poppet valve system after a test
per side was the maximum power requirement. A pis- installation was made on a 1914 era Class K-4 Pacific type
ton valve system required approximately 50-60 horse- locomotive,road number 5399. This locomotive greatly ex-
power per side for operation. The horsepower “saved” ceeded the performance of the standard K-4 locomotive,
by the poppet valve locomotive would go directly to although some of the success may have been due to the
the locomotive’s drawbar. installation of a larger superheater and other changes. As a
result, the Pennsy specified that poppet valves be used on
-a poppet valve system could be set to “drift” when two newly designed prototype divided drive locomotives
no power was required, such as during a descent of in 1941. The PRR Class T1 4-4-4-4 duplex drives had two of
a grade. When this system was set to “drift”, no steam these cam boxes, one for each driving wheel set. On the
would be used, saving both coal and water. PRR T1, the box that controlled the front driving wheel set
was located on the front of the engine bed. The cam box
-a poppet valve can handle higher pressure and high- that drove the rear driving wheel set was placed vertically,
er temperature steam with no lubrication difficulties, immediately behind and inside the rear cylinders due to
compared with a piston valve. space constraints. In this location, it was a maintenance
nightmare. The performance of the two locomotives was
-the low weight of the major parts of a poppet valve outstanding, however, and they ran at high speeds with
system, the valves, open and close like the valves in heavy loads.
an automobile. This valve action results in less distor-
tion of the valve events compared with a piston valve Paul Kiefer of the Central was probably at a decision point
system with its heavier spool valve and the levers and regarding his decision for a traditional two-cylinder piston
links used to actuate that valve. valve locomotive. He may have been enamored with the
claimed advantages of poppet valves, and this might have
The main component of the Franklin poppet valve system prompted the decision to receive one Niagara with the
was the gearbox, which was designed to mount on the Franklin poppet valve system.
front deck of a locomotive. The gearbox was filled with
automotive type SAE30 oil. It was 57-1/2” long, 32-3/4” 5500 on Test
wide over the drive shaft flange faces, and it was 26-1/4”
in height. There were four valve gears within the box, re- The 5500 was one of the six Niagaras selected for a spe-
quired for a two-cylinder locomotive in order to separate cial test to determine maximum locomotive performance,
the intake and exhaust events. Because of the geometry, in competition with six contemporary EMD E7 passenger
the right-side crosshead drove the left side links, and vice locomotives, in Harmon, NY to Chicago service. During
versa. The valve gears inside the box were the Walschaerts this test, the locomotive operated with no problems and
type and were designed to work upside down as compared these six Niagaras achieved an average monthly mileage of
to a conventional Walschaerts gear. Due to its location, this 25,300 miles per month per engine. The single incident for
cam box was less accessible for maintenance when com- 5500 was a broken receiver stud. During this test, for the
pared with the standard Baker valve gear applied to the month of October, 5500 accumulated 28,878 miles.
piston valve Niagaras. The 5500 did not use the “NYC stan-

207

Builders photograph of Niagara No. 5500 at Alco in June, 1946. (AHP)

Test Results A continuous-contour rotary cam which eliminates
cams with a series of different profiles arranged in steps
After the special test for utilization of six Niagaras was along the axis of the cam, and which can be operated
complete, the 5500 underwent dynamometer testing. by the same power reverse gear as used on the Type A
oscillating cam drive is manufactured….. The Franklin
-The acceleration rate of the poppet valve engine was System of Steam Distribution employing this new type
slower than its piston valve counterpart, and the pop- rotary cam has been designated as Type B.
pet valve Niagara could not reach the speed that a pis-
ton valve Niagara could with a 1900-ton train. The complicated oscillating cam design that was used on
NYC Niagara 5500 and the PRR T1 class was no longer rec-
-The poppet valve engine produced slightly less max- ommended. The new standard Type B rotary cam design
imum drawbar horsepower compared with its piston used two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder. A
valve equivalent. modified Type B, the B-1, had one intake and one exhaust
valve.
-The poppet valve equipped Niagara developed slight-
ly higher cylinder horsepower than a piston valve Ni- The 5500 did not use the redesigned arrangement, but
agara at speeds above 85 mph. kept its cam box with oscillating cams, in its original front
deck location.
-The 5500 exhibited a savings in coal consumption that
was 16-18% lower than a piston valve Niagara. 5500 Service Experience

-The boiler efficiency of the 5500 at medium steam During its time in revenue service, the 5500 threw its rods
rates was approximately 2.5% higher than the boiler at least three times, including one Christmas eve while
efficiency of a piston valve Niagara. coming down the long grade into Dunkirk, New York at
high speed. One employee confided that it was a miracle
The dynamometer test results for this poppet valve Niaga- that no one was on the Dunkirk station platform when this
ra were a disappointment to the test crew, and subsequent occurred, as the platform metal posts showed the scars
calculations showed that the minimum steam area through from this incident. The problem was traced to a feature of
the cylinders and valves was a choke point, with that area the poppet valve system that permitted the valve gear to
being only 52% of the area of a piston valve Niagara. A test be placed in a “drift” setting. With this setting, there was
crew member commented that Franklin Railway Supply no steam admitted to the cylinders. On a piston valve en-
designed the valves assuming a maximum steam rate of gine, there is always a slight amount of steam admitted to
100,000 lb per hour, and had no expectation that a higher cushion the piston and rod assembly as the piston reached
steam rate would ever be needed or required. Since the each end of its travel before the piston reversed direction.
boilers of the production Niagaras could generate 126,000 While the drift setting was a definite fuel and steam sav-
lb of steam per hour, this was a major design error. er, it placed undue stresses on the pistons and rods and
eventually caused the rod bushings to fail. According to
The Franklin Poppet Valve System Evolves Harold Crouch, a Dynamometer Engineer on the Niagara
Road Tests, railroad shop forces were replacing rod bush-
The August, 1947 edition of Railway Mechanical Engineer ings every trip until this problem was solved by disabling
Magazine described a change in the poppet valve system to the drift setting.
eliminate the accessibility and maintenance issues with the
poppet valve gearbox applied to the PRR T1 class locomo- While the engine was initially operated Harmon to Chica-
tives and the NYC Niagara. In an effort to improve acces- go,in its latter years it was normally operated between Har-
sibility for maintenance, Franklin redesigned their poppet mon, New York and Albany. There were shop forces at each
valve system using rotary continuous cams, and redesigned of these locations that were familiar with poppet valve
the cam box. The modified cam boxes were designed for gear, including American Locomotive Company (Alco) at
mounting on the cylinder, replacing the steam chest. Schenectady, New York.

209

Fireman’s side view of Niagara No. 5500 at Alco in June, 1946. (NYCSHS)

This view of the poppet valve assembly of No. 5500 shows Retirement
the lubrication lines to the valve stems. The Type A1 oscil-
lating cams on the 5500 activated two intake and three With dieselization rapidly progressing, the 5500 was de-
exhaust valves at each end of each cylinder. (AHP) molished on May 18, 1951. That was not the end of the sto-
ry, however. During the archiving of the William D. Edson
This view of the poppet valve cylinder shows the face plate collection, the author stumbled on the boiler registration
that would be accessed to set the timing of the cams in the and replacement documentation that was an ICC require-
gear box using a dial indicator. (AHP) ment during the steam age. On the final sheet, sheet 61 of
that blueprint stack, there is a notation in red pencil that
welded boiler 74365 was applied to Niagara 6015 at Beech
Grove, Indiana during the last shopping of 6015. Niagara
5500 was locomotive serial number 74365. And in that
same file, there exists a drafting room card that the trailing
truck and the PT-6 tender from 5500 were applied to origi-
nal Niagara 6000 in May 1952. The original Niagara trailing
truck was obsoleted May 24, 1952, and “no longer used”.
The PT-6 tender was modified with a false slope sheet that
covered up the rear portion of the clutch operated stoker
screw of that tender,and the clutch assembly that was used
to operate the rear portion of the stoker screw was either
rendered unusable or removed at the time this tender was
applied to S-1A 6000.

The application of the welded boiler of 5500 converted
Niagara 6015, from a riveted boiler to a welded boiler as-
sembly.

The poppet valve 5500 was “written off the books” very
late in the steam age, in mid-1956, but based on the reuse
of a number of major parts including the boiler, the trail-
ing truck, the tender, and probably the driving wheels and
front truck, this was a bookkeeping entry only.

Cam box mounted on the front section of the GSC cast
engine bed. This view of the fireman’s side of the loco-
motive shows this side of the box as the “A” side. Due to
internal clearances within the box, a crossover arrange-
ment was used and the cams in this side of the box
drove the valves on the engineer’s side of the locomotive,
and vice versa. (AHP)

211

This view shows the cam box mounted in position under Notice the heavy combination lever and the heavy levers
the smokebox of the locomotive, and the two intake and used to adjust the cams inside the cam box. Due to the
three exhaust valve chambers at each end of each cylinder. weight of these components, No. 5500 did not use a man-
Also visible is the actuating mechanism from the cam box ually operated wheel reverse to adjust the cutoff. The 5500
to the cylinder, and the substantial levers used to set cam used a ratchet lever actuated air motor.The 5500 had
positions within the box for locomotive cutoff. (AHP) three cylinder cocks per cylinder, not two. (AHP)

Side view of cam box on the engineer’s side of the loco- The branch pipe located on the poppet valve cylinder
motive, driving the “B”, or fireman’s side, valves. Note controls inlet steam. The pipe outside of the branch pipe
the slightly raised surface on the face of the GSC engine on the fireman’s side of the locomotive sent water from
bed, which was modified to increase the bed casting the hot water pump to the Worthington feedwater heater
length in this area by four inches to accommodate the mounted ahead of the stack. (AHP)
cam box. (AHP)

212

Cab inside and back head photo
shows the ratchet activated air
motor used for the poppet valve
system, and not the cutoff and
reverse wheel used for piston valve
Niagaras and other modern NYC
steam. (AHP)

Niagara No. 5500 powers the Laurentian in this company image from 1948. (AH/TRG)

Poppet valve Niagara No. 5500 meets a K4s Pacific from another railroad in this postwar view at Chicago on
October 5, 1946. At this time the 5500 was one of six Niagaras running mileage and utilization tests. (NYCSHS)

The S-2A is at Harmon, NY on July 20, 1946. (C/JCS)

215

The S-2A was the New York Central’s contribution to the motive power display at
the Chicago Railroad Fair of 1949. Notice the aluminum cylinder cover and the
two tone NYC number plate and oval. The official Niagara drawing calls for both
the number plate and the oval to be painted a “deep blue”.(NYCSHS)

Niagara No. 5500 is at an unknown location on July 1, 1950.
Most likely location is somewhere east of Buffalo. (NYCSHS)

Central’s finest appeared at Westfield, New York on a dreary January 31, 1950.
The locomotive’s condition appeared to be good. It was outshopped by Beech
Grove on June 30, 1948 after Class 2 repairs that included three new boiler
shell courses. (DS/TRG)

When the 5500 arrived at Westfield, New York in January 1950, it was just prior to a Class 3 overhaul at
Beech Grove, exiting the shop on April 30, 1950. The heavy smoke due to overfiring may have been caused
by a fireman who set his stoker feeds for a piston valve Niagara. Not having seen the test report, he would
have no way of knowing that this poppet valve engine would use sixteen percent less coal. (DS/TRG)

The 5500 has returned to Harmon, NY, in this photograph dated July 4, 1950. The
locomotive had just received class repairs at Beech Grove, IN in April, 1950. (JCS)

221

222

223

224



End Sheet of the PT-5 tender of the original S-1A Niagara No. 6000. New at Alco March, 1945.
Note that the water capacity has no comma (AHP)

The PT-5 and PT-6 Tenders

Overview and 6-1/8x7-1/2 journals, and Timken bearings. Tender
T-3710 had 41-inch wheels, 6-1/2x12 journals, and SKF
The S-1B production Niagaras were equipped with the bearings. There is a notation on the elevation view of the
newest variation of the PT or pedestal bed tender that was PT tender in the Locomotive Classification Book that in-
developed by the New York Central for use with Hudson cludes a three-inch lower height for PT-1 tenders, and this
type locomotives. The Locomotive Classification Book de- may confirm the use of smaller diameter wheelsets for the
scribes the letters “PT” as an abbreviation for “Passenger PT-1 tenders, in spite of the fact that the drawing has a
Tender”. The original use of a bed type tender was by the wheel dimension of 41 inches. All of these tenders had
Union Pacific Railroad a few years previously. The main 2-inch steam heat lines. All PT tenders had the stoker en-
feature of this tender type was the use of a large, one- gine placed in a door covered recess on the fireman’s side
piece bed casting by General Steel Castings (GSC). This of the tender. These early PT tenders were never used on
one-piece casting eliminated the pair of swivel trucks used Niagaras.
on most locomotive tenders, and this bed type tender was
more weight efficient than a standard swivel truck tender. Succeeding variations of this tender were made with re-
One primary reason for the adoption of this tender by the finements. There was a single PT-2 type for an application
New York Central was that it had seven axles, and permit- with one Hudson (5401). This single example had a coal
ted a larger coal and water capacity while keeping maxi- capacity of twenty-five tons and a water capacity of 21,000
mum individual axle loads to no more than 60,000 lb. The gallons. This tender was not equipped with a water scoop,
total loaded weight of the PT-3,PT-4,and PT-5 tender on the as it was made for use on the Big Four where there were
Central was 420,000 lb when the tender was at full capac- no track pans. For its entire service life, it was mated with
ity of 46 tons of coal and 18,000 gallons of water. When Big Four J-1E Hudson 5401.
used with Niagaras, the maximum wheelbase of the tender
permitted the Niagaras to fit on a 100-ft. turntable which PT-3 and PT-4 Tender
was fairly common on the main line of the railroad. The en-
gine and tender wheelbase of the Niagaras was 97’-2-1/2”. Ten PT-3 tenders were built in 1944 and 1945 by Beech
One spotting feature of this tender was the “overhang” at Grove for Hudsons, and these were followed by fifty PT-4
the rear of slightly more than nine feet. tenders built by Lima in 1944 and 1945. Although these
tenders were built for Hudson type locomotives, at least
PT Tender History four Niagaras, road numbers 6004, 6006, 6023, and 6024,
were equipped with PT-4 tenders at times during their
PT-1 and PT-2 Tender service lives. Conversely, four different New York Central
Hudsons used a PT-5 Niagara tender at different times, in-
The first use of this tender on the New York Central was cluding Hudsons 5236, 5257, 5443, and 5451. The ten PT-3
made in 1944 when four bed type PT-1 tenders were man- tenders used with Hudsons had several improvements, in-
ufactured at the railroad’s Beech Grove Shops. These ten- cluding the use of 41-inch diameter wheels, a coal and wa-
ders had a coal capacity of 43 tons and a water capacity ter capacity of 46 tons and 18,000 gallons, overflow cistern
of 17,500 gallons, and had a loaded weight of 401,100 lb. with overflow pipes, and booster exhaust. The vertical wa-
The railroad was finalizing the design, and these four ten- ter legs that were external on the PT-1 tenders were piped
ders have some differences compared with later PT ten- internally on the PT-3. The PT-4 Lima tenders had 2-1/2”
ders. Based on the Tender Historical Record Cards, tenders steam heat pipes compared with the 2-inch diameter pipes
T-3152 and T-3113 used 36-inch wheels and had 6x11 jour- used on previous versions. The ATC reset box was mount-
nals and SKF bearings. Tender T-3635 had 41-inch wheels ed on the water deck. Roller bearing axle journals were

227

Engineer’s side view of the tender for the original Niagara. Tender plate number was
T-3323. This tender plate applied at Collinwood Ohio in February, 1946. (NYCSHS)

Timken. The PT tenders used clasp brakes, except for a sin- This tender had a fully loaded weight of 407,100 lb. The
gle shoe brake on each of the second and third rigid wheel tender used SKF axle roller bearings. This tender, T-3208,
sets. The reason for this is that there was no room for the was applied to S-1A Niagara 6000 in May, 1952 after pop-
brake beams in this area due to the existence of the water pet valve Niagara 5500 was retired. At that time, a false
scoop. Tender brake cylinders for the rigid wheelsets were sloping coal sheet was added that covered the rear stoker
located on the centerline of the tender. The front four axle screw, and it and its clutch assembly were deactivated or
swivel truck had its brake cylinder mounted externally on removed.
the truck frame.
Future PT Tender Designs
The PT-5 Niagara Tender
The New York Central depended on the use of track pans
The PT-5 tenders were built by American Locomotive Com- to replenish water during each trip, so New York Central
pany in 1945 and 1946, and were built specifically for Ni- tenders were designed to maximize coal capacity at the
agaras. They were much like the PT-4 tenders, with a few expense of water capacity. There were track pans on the
minor changes. The Automatic Train Control reset box was New York Central mainline at nineteen different locations.
placed within the tender shell, and accessed by a door lo- Scooping approximately 6,000 gallons of water at 80 mph
cated near the rear ladder on the engineer’s side of the placed a strain on these tenders, and there are indications
locomotive. The Elesco oil skimmer was deleted, since that they were replaced on locomotives with high utiliza-
the Niagaras used Worthington equipment. There was no tion quite often.
provision for a booster exhaust, since the Niagaras did not
use a booster. Roller bearing axle journals were Timken. When the railroad released a specification for a new type
Visually, the tender lettering for tender T-3323 used with of locomotive with a divided drive in March, 1945, there
S-1A Niagara 6000 followed the railroad’s drawing R-70475, was an attempt in the specification to further evolve the
which called for lettering centered on the vertical side PT tender. The first iteration of the tender to be used with
sheets of the tender. The PT-5 tenders shipped with the the divided drive locomotive called for an enlarged PT
production Niagaras had the “New York Central” lettering with a coal capacity of 55 tons, water capacity of 18,000
on a line with the cab side numbers on the engine, and gallons, and an overall tender length of 63’-5-1/2”, with an
the railroad lettering is elevated compared with the ten- 11’-1” rear overhang.
der shipped with Niagara 6000. NYCSHS does not have the
drawing that describes this relocated lettering. Due to their rigid wheelbase, pedestal bed tenders some-
times derailed in service areas and on turnouts when back-
The PT-6 Poppet Valve Niagara Tender ing up. The Specification of the new locomotive was re-
vised with an Addendum to call for a further increase in
There was a single example of the PT-6 tender. This tender coal capacity to 64 tons, requiring an additional axle. The
had a coal capacity of 47 tons and 16,000 gallons of water. Addendum called for the addition of a two-wheel swivel
It was built by American Locomotive Company specifically truck at the rear of the tender, giving the tender a 4-10-2
for S-2A Niagara 5500. There were several differences com- wheel arrangement. That two-wheel swivel truck was to
pared with the standard Niagara PT-5 tender in addition have a clasp brake. This tender would not have had a coal
to the different coal and water capacity. This tender had pusher, and would have used a twin stoker screw arrange-
a vertical coal sheet when it was built. There was no coal ment similar to the PT-6 tender used with Niagara 5500.
pusher as there was no need for one. The coal was deliv- This tender would have had a loaded weight of almost
ered to the stoker auger using two stoker screws. Based 480,000 lb, slightly more than the full-service weight of a
on construction photographs, these stoker screws were of Niagara locomotive. In an effort to further improve both
two different lengths, with the longer screw at the rear strength and weight efficiency, the specification called for
of the coal space. The stoker screw located in the coal this tender to be an all welded design. The engine and its
space floor nearest the rear of the tender was activated by tender were never built, probably as a result of the excel-
a clutch mechanism. This clutch gearbox was located at lent performance of the two-cylinder Niagara locomotives.
the back of the stoker trough.

229

Fireman’s side of tender T-3323 shipped with the original Niagara No. 6000. Note lettering is at a lower
height on this tender compared with S-1B Niagaras, and is per NYC Drawing R-70475. (NYCSHS)

Rear of PT-5 tender shipped new with Niagara No. 6000. New at Alco March, 1945. (AHP)

Fireman’s side of tender T-3323 built by Alco and shipped with the original Niagara in March, 1945. (AHP)

End sheet of the PT-5 tender of Niagara No. 6008. New at Alco, November 19, 1945.AHP)

PT-5 tender serial T-3595 built by Alco and shipped with S-1B Niagara No. 6008.
Notice higher location of tender lettering compared with Tender lettering used
on S-1A Niagara No. 6000 when new.(NYCSHS)

Fireman’s side of tender for Niagara No. 6008, new at Alco. (NYCSHS)

Image of the interior of tender of Niagara No. 6001 consigned to scrap shows coal gates,
siphon breaker pipes, and lateral tender coal space reinforcing ribs. Locomotive has been
prepared for towing “dead in tow”. Parts in the tender include both eccentric rods and
both main rods. The “N.Y.C.” initials specified for the rear upper wall of the cab immediate-
ly below the roof wrapper are missing or obscured. Photo was taken at Air Line Junction
(Toledo), OH on August 13, 1955. (NYCSHS)

236

End sheet of the single PT-6 tender delivered with Niagara No. 5500, new
at Alco, on June 28, 1946. Note the difference in coal and water capacity
compared with PT-4 and PT-5 tenders. (AHP)

Front of PT-6 tender T-3208 delivered with Poppet Valve Niagara No. 5500.
Badge plate on fireman’s side near top of water leg indicates that this
tender is equipped with “Overflow Control”. (AHP)