KnowThyNiagaras

For poppet valve Niagara 5500, main rod drawing V-73475 the original Niagara trailing truck was obsoleted and no
was issued. This main rod was superseded by Main Rod longer used as of 5/26/52, and this ash pan from 5500 was
Drawing V-72710 on 1/14/49. This was the main rod de- applied to S-1A 6000 on 11/6/52. The trailing truck with
sign used by the production Niagaras. two pair of 41-inch wheel sets was applied to 6000 from
poppet valve Niagara 5500, which had been demolished at
Trailing Truck Beech Grove, Indiana on May 18, 1951. (T-72847-C)

The trailing truck of the original Niagara 6000 was signifi- Photos identify a difference in the ash pan of the poppet
cantly different than the trailing truck used on the produc- valve Niagara vs. the piston valve Niagaras. We have no
tion Niagaras. The original Niagara trailing truck used two information that describes this difference.
different diameter wheelsets and had an 80-inch wheel-
base. The trailing truck of the production Niagaras used Front Air Compressor Shield
two pair of 41-inch diameter wheelsets, and had a sixty-six-
inch wheelbase. The location of the trailing trucks also dif- An early change to the Niagaras was a modification to the
fered. The distance from the centerline of the rear driving air compressor shield located on the pilot beam. On March
axle of the original Niagara to the centerline of the first set 20, 1947, four, three-inch holes were drilled to access the
of trailing truck wheels was ninety-six inches. That dimen- intercooler without the need to remove the shield. At the
sion for the S-1B production Niagaras was 106 inches. The same time, there is a note on the drawing dated 3/20/47
reason for the longer wheelbase of the trailing truck used that the air compressor shield grab irons were inverted
on the original Niagara may have been to make provision and the bolts were to be located on the underside of each
for the installation of a booster engine. (The NYC Hud- grab iron. (X-72833-D, N-72833)
son type locomotives used boosters and the wheelbase of
those trailing trucks was also 80 inches.) With a decision Door in Boiler Jacket
that no booster was required, the trailing truck wheelbase
could be shorter. The relocation of the trailing truck on the A thirty-six-inch-wide door was cut into the boiler jacket
production Niagaras toward the back of the engine was for access to the two rectangular tubes that led from the
probably made to balance individual axle loads as a result recessed top sand dome to the sand boxes under each run-
of a change in the length of the combustion chamber. The ning board. (X-73306)
changed geometry of the trailer and its reposition permit-
ted an increase in ash pan capacity. Sand Box Drip Lips
The original Niagara trailing truck used a pair of 36-inch
wheels and a pair of 44-inch wheels. The trailing truck on At some point during the production of the twenty-five
the production Niagaras used two pair of 41-inch diameter Niagaras, new production from Alco included vee shaped
wheels. The axle size of the 44-inch wheelset of the origi- drip lips on the top of the recessed sand dome. Niagara
nal Niagara was 10-1/2 inches in diameter. The use of two 6008 has drip lips, while some lower numbered Niagaras
pairs of 41-inch wheels permitted an axle size reduction to do not. Adding to this mystery, there are photographs of
8-3/4 inches. With this change, a modification of the brake Niagaras consigned to scrap that do not appear to have
hanger on Niagara 6000 was required. The original trailing drip lips. (X-73300, X-73306)
truck used on prototype Niagara 6000 was replaced with
the trailing truck from poppet valve 5500 after 5500 was Elimination of Lower Sand Boxes
retired. Locomotive 5500 was removed from the tabula-
tion, and Niagara 6000 was added on 11/6/52. The welded boiler drawing eliminated the studs that were
previously used to mount the lower sand boxes which
Ash Pan were originally located on the boiler and beneath and
inside each running board. (S-1A 6000 was added to the
The capacity of the ash pan of the original Niagara was 86 tabulation on 5/25/48, and the Locomotive Historical Re-
cubic feet. The change in the trailing truck permitted an in- cord Card indicates that this engine received new weld-
crease in ash pan capacity to 98 cubic feet. In April, 1952, ed boiler courses and was outshopped on 8/30/48.) One

189

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)

190

possible reason for the stud elimination might have been tive power substitution would be required. Available re-
that they were a source of crack propagation on the rivet- cords show that in the autumn of 1948, dual sealed beam
ted boiler. The elimination of these studs precluded the headlights were installed on a number of Niagaras. The
application of the lower sand boxes, and they were elimi- headlight assembly included a 15 watt“pilot bulb”,that was
nated 11/3/1947. They were obvious in photographs due wired in the circuit with the number board lights on each
to the hook shaped breather pipes, which were obsolet- side of the headlight casing. The two sealed beam head-
ed 1/14/48. (V-73304,T-73542) There was another change light bulbs had to be turned off in order to be replaced,
made to the sanding system in this area, and that was the and the pilot bulb was used to facilitate that maintenance.
relocation of the sander valves to immediately above the
running boards on each side of the engine. In order to Driving Wheel Spring Hangers
improve sanding system performance, a cleanout port was
added to the trailing bottom edge of the recessed sand The incident report for the six Niagaras in October 1946
dome on the fireman’s side of the engine. Date of this on the special test against diesels identified seven differ-
drawing is 6/29/49. (N-74114, N-74115,T-74972,V-73304) ent instances of problems with driving wheel hangers and
pins, including pins sheared off or missing. The spring
Pneuphonic Horn hangers were redesigned with a greater lip, and while we
do not have documentation, we believe that the size and
The original drawing to add a “Pneuphonic horn” was hardness of the hanger pins might have been changed. (T-
made 3/13/46. The original drawing was superseded by 72568)
a Revision B dated 10/1/46. W.A.B.C.O. Model number
515426 was identified on drawing X-73240 which is the Turbo Generator Relocation
horn application drawing. This program took some time to
complete. For example, this horn was added to S-2A 5500 The Locomotive Historical Record Cards do not provide
on 3/5/47. the details of additional changes to the electrical system of
Niagaras, but we do know that the electrical turbo genera-
The installation of the horn was designed to provide a tor was relocated on these locomotives. The original loca-
fail-safe warning that the engineer could hear. This was tion of this generator was just forward of the trailing truck
in response to complaints that the six-chamber chime on the engineer’s side of the locomotive, and exhaust from
whistle, mounted next to the stack, was not always audi- this generator was piped to the ashpan. The generator was
ble during periods of bad weather when the cab windows equipped with a shield against road dirt, debris, and water.
were closed. Niagaras kept the whistle and the horn for The wiring from this generator to the headlight was run in
their service lives. As information, that six chime whistle is one of the pipe conduits mounted under the running board
described by drawing V-71776, and it was specified for all on the engineer’s side of the locomotive, and the wiring
Hudsons, L-4 Mohawks, all Niagaras, K-5A and K-5B Pacif- conduit to the headlight was mounted on the smokebox
ics except 4915 and 4917, and P&LE Class A-2A Berkshires. front on the engineer’s side of the locomotive. This tur-
The New York Central Standards book specifies use of a bo generator was relocated to a shelf under the running
three-chamber chime “long bell” whistle for all locomo- board on the fireman’s side of the locomotive, between
tives operating on Putnam and Harlem Divisions and K-11 and above the third and fourth driving wheel set. Date of
on River Division. A five-chamber chime was specified “for this change on the drawing is 5/2/1949. (N-74956-A) With
all other locomotives”. this change, the wiring conduit to the sealed beam head-
light was now relocated on the smokebox to the fireman’s
Dual Sealed Beam Headlights side of the locomotive. One of the four pipe conduits on
the engineer’s side of the locomotive was removed. The
Another change in 1948 was the installation of dual sealed application of the headlight and relocation of the headlight
beam headlights to the Niagaras. (X-85654) The filament turbo generator may not have occurred at the same time,
light bulb originally used on the Niagaras was prone to as photographs exist of Niagaras equipped with a sealed
breakage due to vibration. If this single bulb failed, the beam headlight and the smokebox wiring unchanged from
locomotive would be unable to complete its run and a mo- when the locomotive was new.

191

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)

Bell Relocation Auxiliary Air Reservoir

The original location of the bell on the Niagaras was be- There was an accident on the PRR that breached the main
hind the drop coupler pilot. In this location it was subject air reservoir, and this lack of air did not allow the engineer
to freezing. There was no room for it at the top of the boil- to reverse his engine in the hope of stopping in time to
er due to limited clearance. The bell was relocated to a po- avoid a rear end collision. The Interstate Commerce Com-
sition on the top of the valve gear yoke on the engineer’s mission required the installation of an auxiliary air supply
side of the locomotive. (V-36277, T-36278-D, V-85426-A) to be used in an emergency that would permit the reversal
However, this change was never made to S-2A Niagara of an engine’s driving wheels to assist in stopping. On
5500, which did not have a valve gear yoke due to its use the New York Central, this rule applied only to locomotives
of poppet valves. On this locomotive, a special drawing with Precision reverse gear, so this application included
was prepared on 1/20/49 to show that the original bell Niagaras. On Niagaras, the main air reservoir was located
position was retained. (V-74768-A, -B) on the centerline of the engine and was a part of the en-
gine bed casting, so it is not visible in most photographs.
Smoke Deflectors The Locomotive Historical Record Cards do indicate that
this smaller auxiliary reservoir was applied to Niagaras,and
Paul Kiefer was obsessed with weight savings on the Ni- it was located under the cab on the fireman’s side of the
agaras, and the smoke deflectors, running boards, cab, and locomotive. Most of these applications were made in 1947
cab gauge panel were aluminum. On 1/21/49, the material and 1948.
specification for the smoke deflectors was changed from
aluminum to steel. There was an additional change in the Ash Pan Flusher Piping
smoke deflectors, which required a new drawing of the
deflector on the fireman’s side of the engine. The tapered The ash pan flusher piping was changed from manual to
end of that deflector was made removable in order to re- air operated on 10/30/50. The valve was applied to the
move the Worthington hot water pump located beneath fireman’s side of the locomotive only. (Q-72738-E) The ash
the deflector and under the running board at that location. pan flusher used air operated valve piping on poppet valve
(N-73406-A, N-73455-C) Niagara 5500 (V-85584)

Sanding Valve Relocation Electric Light under Cab

The sander magnet valves were relocated to a position This addition may have been the result of a personal injury,
just above the running boards of the Niagaras. Date of this or a union requirement, or an interpretation of an ICC rule.
change is not available, but it may have coincided with Niagaras had a light installed under the cab of the locomo-
the removal of the sand boxes located under the running tive in 1947-1948.
boards.

193

Tender Drinking Water Compartment Smokebox Alterations

A compartment was added to the front of the tender of Ni- The smoke box front of poppet valve Niagara 5500 was
agaras and other steam locomotives to store drinking wa- modified in order to provide space for the poppet valve
ter containers. Date of this change is 11/4/48. (X-74616) gearbox mounted on the pilot beam. This was accom-
plished by modifying the smoke box front of a piston valve
Water Scoop Electro Pneumatic Control Niagara in order to provide a flat surface at the bottom.
(V-73880)
A serious wreck occurred on the west end of the railroad
in 1945 involving Niagara 6002. The cause of this wreck Latch-Folding Step
was a water scoop on an L-2 Mohawk that did not retract
completely and dislodged some road crossing planks. As The folding steps on each side of the boiler of S-1A 6000 Ni-
a result, the ICC recommended that a specific signal in- agara were provided with a latch that enabled these steps
dicating that a tender water scoop was fully retracted be to be folded into a locked position. Date of this change is
installed. The railroad developed a system that placed an 6/15/45. (S-72809)
indicator on the fireman’s side of the cab which relayed
an electrical indication that the air actuated water scoop Engineer and Fireman Seat Boxes
had fully retracted. The dates of installation on Niagaras is
1951-52. (V-85865) The fireman’s seat on Niagaras had a box shaped base,with
the seat hinged at the front to permit storage in the base.
PT Tender Overflow Pipe Removal (V-70808) The engineer’s seat used a pedestal base. (V-
85258)
The first overflow pipe at the front of the PT tenders was
removed. Date of this change is 10/9/48. The reason for Cylinder Cocks
this removal was that spray from the overflow was ice coat-
ing the Automatic Train Control (ATC) shoe in inclement The poppet valve Niagara 5500 used three cylinder cocks
weather. (G-72083, L-72085-E) on each cylinder. The piston valve Niagaras used two.

Worthington Feed Water Heater
Covers Missing

There is no drawing or record that identifies a decision of
the railroad to remove these feed water heater covers from
the feed water heaters located on top of the smokebox
ahead of the stack. J-3A Hudsons equipped with a smaller
version of this heater were never equipped with covers,
and they might have been judged superfluous on the Niag-
aras as well. A few Niagaras appear in photographs with no
heater covers, so this might have been a maintenance issue
and not a conscious railroad decision. (V-73189)

194



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 wheels of 275,000 lb., a change in the spring rigging might
heaviest steam locomotive ever operated by the New York have been made to redistribute the weight increase to the
Central Railroad. It was placed in service June 28, 1946, engine and trailing trucks.
and it arrived at the end of the Niagara production run. Be-
fore it was delivered, the railroad stated its intention to test A PT Tender Redesign
the engine, in order to determine what if any advantages
resulted from the application of a poppet vale system to The poppet valve Niagara was built with the single exam-
the engine, which was identical in all other respects to the ple of a PT-6 tender, which had a coal capacity of 47 tons
piston valve equipped production engines. The detailed and a water capacity of 16,000 gallons. (The piston valve
test report of this engine did not survive, but the summa- Niagaras were built with PT-5 tenders, with a coal capacity
ry letter of the results of this testing reveals the principal of 46 tons and had an 18,000-gallon water capacity.) The
conclusions. unique design features of this tender are identified in a sub-
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
lb. in working order. Total engine and tender weight was In the time period that the piston valve Niagaras were de-
892,100 lb. Total engine and tender length was 115’-9- signed, there was renewed interest in replacing the spool/
9/16” over couplers, making it exactly four inches longer piston valves with something better and having a greater
than a piston valve Niagara. In order to accommodate the degree of adjustment. Franklin Railway Supply led this ef-
poppet valve gearbox mounted on the front pilot beam, fort with a design of valve gear that used automotive type
the length of the GSC one-piece engine bed was increased, valves in multiples in each cylinder, replacing the single,
and the distance from the face of the front bumper beam large piston valve. Franklin called this system the “Frank-
to the centerline of the lead wheels of the front truck was lin System of Steam Distribution”, or FSSD, and it became
increased four inches. known as a “poppet valve system”.

There were additional changes required. There was no The official description of the poppet valve arrangement
room for the air pumps on the front deck of the engine, used on Niagara 5500 was “FSSD Type A1”. The 5500 pop-
so one air pump was relocated under a raised portion of pet valves were activated using oscillating cams, and the
the running board on each side of the engine. Due to the system was a variation of the FSSD Type A, probably due
height of the poppet valve gearbox, it was necessary to to the use of two intake and three exhaust valves on each
flatten the bottom circumference of the front smokebox end of each cylinder. (The standard Type A system used an
cover and a part of the smokebox in this area. As a result of equal number of intake and exhaust valves at each end of
these changes, the total weight on the front truck wheels each cylinder.)
was 102,000 lb., and increase of 11,000 lb. over the weight
on the front truck of a piston valve S-1B. The poppet valve The claimed advantages with the use of this Franklin Sys-
gearbox weighed approximately 3700 lb., and the re- tem of Steam Distribution were:
mainder of the weight increase was therefore due to the
heavier cylinders and the slightly longer engine bed. The -on a locomotive equipped with piston valves, the
weight on the trailing truck also increased by 3,000 lb., shortening of the cutoff restricts the port opening
while the adhesive weight on the driving wheels remained of the cylinder to an increasing degree. On a poppet
at 275,000 lb. In order to not exceed a weight on driving valve locomotive, the port remains wide open, and

197

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

steam admission and exhaust are determined by the piston valve Niagaras. The 5500 did not use the “NYC stan-
time interval during which the valves are open. dard” wheel reverse in the cab to actuate the valve gear.
Based on photographs of the cab interior, an air motor that
-intake and exhaust valve events could be separately was operated with a ratchet style lever activated the valve
adjusted, and this separation of valve events would gear on this engine to move the cams inside the gearbox,
yield greater economy and greater power. thereby adjusting the cutoff.

-a locomotive with this system could be operated at NYC and the Competition
lower minimum cutoff compared with a piston valve
locomotive, with a fuel and water saving. The Pennsylvania Railroad, Baldwin’s largest customer, be-
came enamored with a poppet valve system after a test
-the system required very little horsepower to actuate. installation was made on a 1914 era Class K-4 Pacific type
Some measurements showed that three horsepower locomotive,road number 5399. This locomotive greatly ex-
per side was the maximum power requirement. A pis- ceeded the performance of the standard K-4 locomotive,
ton valve system required approximately 50-60 horse- although some of the success may have been due to the
power per side for operation. The horsepower “saved” installation of a larger superheater and other changes. As a
by the poppet valve locomotive would go directly to result, the Pennsy specified that poppet valves be used on
the locomotive’s drawbar. two newly designed prototype divided drive locomotives
-a poppet valve system could be set to “drift” when in 1941. The PRR Class T1 4-4-4-4 duplex drives had two of
no power was required, such as during a descent of these cam boxes, one for each driving wheel set. On the
a grade. When this system was set to “drift”, no steam PRR T1, the box that controlled the front driving wheel set
would be used, saving both coal and water. was located on the front of the engine bed. The cam box
that drove the rear driving wheel set was placed vertically,
-a poppet valve can handle higher pressure and high- immediately behind and inside the rear cylinders due to
er temperature steam with no lubrication difficulties, space constraints. In this location, it was a maintenance
compared with a piston valve. nightmare. The performance of the two locomotives was
outstanding, however, and they ran at high speeds with
-the low weight of the major parts of a poppet valve heavy loads.
system, the valves, open and close like the valves in
an automobile. This valve action results in less distor- Paul Kiefer of the Central was probably at a decision point
tion of the valve events compared with a piston valve regarding his decision for a traditional two-cylinder piston
system with its heavier spool valve and the levers and valve locomotive. He may have been enamored with the
links used to actuate that valve. claimed advantages of poppet valves, and this might have
prompted the decision to receive one Niagara with the
The main component of the Franklin poppet valve system Franklin poppet valve system.
was the gearbox, which was designed to mount on the
front deck of a locomotive. The gearbox was filled with 5500 On Test
automotive type SAE30 oil. It was 57-1/2” long, 32-3/4”
wide over the drive shaft flange faces, and it was 26-1/4” The 5500 was one of the six Niagaras selected for a spe-
in height. There were four valve gears within the box, re- cial test to determine maximum locomotive performance,
quired for a two-cylinder locomotive in order to separate in competition with six contemporary EMD E7 passenger
the intake and exhaust events. Because of the geometry, locomotives, in Harmon, NY to Chicago service. During
the right-side crosshead drove the left side links, and vice this test, the locomotive operated with no problems and
versa. The valve gears inside the box were the Walschaerts these six Niagaras achieved an average monthly mileage of
type and were designed to work upside down as compared 25,300 miles per month per engine. The single incident for
to a conventional Walschaerts gear. Due to its location, this 5500 was a broken receiver stud. During this test, for the
cam box was less accessible for maintenance when com- month of October, 5500 accumulated 28,878 miles.
pared with the standard Baker valve gear applied to the

199

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 still show 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
described a change in the poppet valve system to eliminate the drift setting.
the accessibility and maintenance issues with the poppet
valve gearbox applied to the PRR T1 class locomotives and While the engine was initially operated Harmon to Chica-
the NYC Niagara. In an effort to improve accessibility for go,in its latter years it was normally operated between Har-
maintenance, Franklin redesigned their poppet valve sys- mon, New York and Albany. There were shop forces at each
tem using rotary continuous cams, and redesigned the cam of these locations that were familiar with poppet valve
box. The modified cam boxes were designed for mounting gear, including American Locomotive Company (Alco) at
on the cylinder, replacing the steam chest. Schenectady, New York.

201

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)

203

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 done by GSC 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)

204

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. (NYCSHS)

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

207

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 on January 31, 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)

213

214

215

216

217

End Sheet of the PT-5 tender of the original S-1A Niagara No. 6000. New at Alco March, 1945. (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 indicate 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. These were built
for Hudson type locomotives, but four Niagaras, road num-
PT Tender History bers 6004, 6006, 6023, and 6024, were equipped with PT-4
tenders at times during their service lives. Conversely, four
PT-1 and PT-2 Tender different New York Central Hudsons trailed the PT-5 Niaga-
ra tender at different times, including Hudsons 5236, 5257,
The first use of this tender on the New York Central was 5443, and 5451. The ten PT-3 tenders used with Hudsons
made in 1944 when four bed type PT-1 tenders were man- had several improvements, including the use of 41-inch di-
ufactured at the railroad’s Beech Grove Shops. These ten- ameter wheels, a coal and water capacity of 46 tons and
ders had a coal capacity of 43 tons and a water capacity 18,000 gallons, overflow cistern with overflow pipes, and
of 17,500 gallons, and had a loaded weight of 401,100 lb. booster exhaust. The vertical water legs that were external
The railroad was finalizing the design, and these four ten- on the PT-1 tenders were piped internally on the PT-3. The
ders have some differences compared with later PT ten- PT-4 Lima tenders had 2-1/2” steam heat pipes compared
ders. Based on the Tender Historical Record Cards, tenders with the 2-inch diameter pipes used on previous versions.
T-3152 and T-3113 used 36-inch wheels and had 6x11 jour- The ATC reset box was mounted on the water deck. Roller
nals and SKF bearings. Tender T-3635 had 41inch wheels bearing axle journals were Timken. The PT tenders used

219

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)

clasp brakes, except for a single shoe brake on each of the This tender had a fully loaded weight of 407,100 lb. The
second and third rigid wheel sets. The reason for this is tender used SKF axle roller bearings. This tender, T-3208,
that there was no room for the brake beams in this area was applied to S-1A Niagara 6000 in May, 1952 after pop-
due to the existence of the water scoop. Tender brake cyl- pet valve Niagara 5500 was retired. At that time, a false
inders for the rigid wheelsets were located on the center- sloping coal sheet was added that covered the rear stoker
line of the tender. The front four axle swivel truck had its screw, and it and its clutch assembly were deactivated or
brake cylinder mounted externally on the truck frame. removed.

The PT-5 Niagara Tender Future PT Tender Designs

The PT-5 tenders were built by American Locomotive Com- The New York Central depended on the use of track pans
pany in 1945 and 1946, and were built specifically for Ni- to replenish water during each trip, so New York Central
agaras. They were much like the PT-4 tenders, with a few tenders were designed to maximize coal capacity at the
minor changes. The Automatic Train Control reset box was expense of water capacity in tender design. There were
placed within the tender shell, and accessed by a door lo- track pans on the New York Central mainline at nineteen
cated near the rear ladder on the engineer’s side of the different locations. Scooping approximately 6,000 gallons
locomotive. The Elesco oil skimmer was deleted, since of water at 80 mph placed a strain on these tenders, and
the Niagaras used Worthington equipment. There was no there are indications that they were replaced on locomo-
provision for a booster exhaust, since the Niagaras did not tives with high utilization quite often.
use a booster. Roller bearing axle journals were Timken.
Visually, the tender lettering for tender T-3323 used with When the railroad released a specification for a new type
S-1A Niagara 6000 followed the railroad’s drawing R-70475, of locomotive with a divided drive in March, 1945, there
which called for lettering centered on the vertical side was an attempt in the specification to further evolve the
sheets of the tender. The PT-5 tenders shipped with the PT tender. The first iteration of the tender to be used with
production tenders had the “New York Central” lettering the divided drive locomotive called for an enlarged PT
on a line with the cab side numbers on the engine, and with a coal capacity of 55 tons, water capacity of 18,000
the railroad lettering is elevated compared with the tender gallons, and an overall tender length of 63’-5-1/2”, with an
shipped with Niagara 6000. 11’-1” rear overhang.

The PT-6 Poppet Valve Niagara Tender Due to their rigid wheelbase, pedestal bed tenders some-
times derailed in service areas and on turnouts when back-
There was a single example of the PT-6 tender. This tender ing up. The Specification of the new locomotive was re-
had a coal capacity of 47 tons and 16,000 gallons of water. vised with an Addendum to call for a further increase in
It was built by American Locomotive Company specifically coal capacity to 64 tons, requiring an additional axle. The
for S-2A Niagara 5500. There were several differences com- Addendum called for the addition of a two-wheel swivel
pared with the standard Niagara PT-5 tender in addition truck at the rear of the tender, giving the tender a 4-10-2
to the different coal and water capacity. This tender had wheel arrangement. That two-wheel swivel truck was to
a vertical coal sheet when it was built. There was no coal have a clasp brake. This tender would not have had a coal
pusher as there was no need for one. The coal was deliv- pusher, and would have used a twin stoker screw arrange-
ered to the stoker auger using two stoker screws. Based ment similar to the PT-6 tender used with Niagara 5500.
on construction photographs, these stoker screws were of This tender would have had a loaded weight of almost
two different lengths, with the longer screw at the rear 480,000 lb., slightly more than the full-service weight of a
of the coal space. The stoker screw located in the coal Niagara locomotive. In an effort to further improve both
space floor nearest the rear of the tender was activated by strength and weight efficiency, the specification called for
a clutch mechanism. This clutch gearbox was located at this tender to be an all welded design. The engine and its
the back of the stoker trough. tender were never built, probably as a result of the excel-
lent performance of the two-cylinder Niagara locomotives.

221

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. (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 is missing or is obscured. Photo was taken at Air Line Junction
(Toledo), OH on August 13, 1955. (NYCSHS)

228

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 at top of water leg indicates that this tender
is equipped with “Overflow Control”. (AHP)

Interior view of this single example of a PT-6 tender confirms existence of a double stoker screw
with the rear portion clutch activated. Note this extra long stoker screw was used with a slope
sheet having a more extreme angle. This tender was not equipped with a coal pusher. (AHP)

View of the PT-6 tender looking forward, toward the coal gates indicates
that stoker screw had two different lengths, and that the screw nearest the
cab may have had a taper that narrowed approaching the camera. (AHP)

View of PT-6 tender
stoker trough under
construction at Alco.
Shorter front portion of
stoker screw has not yet
been inserted into stoker
trough. Note square hole
immediately behind
stoker clutch for water
scoop pipe into overflow
cistern at top of tender.
Tender slope sheet had to
fit between this hole and
the stoker clutch. (AHP)

View of the gearbox that drove the rear stoker screw of this tender. Stoker motor has not yet
been applied and would be installed at a right angle to the stoker trough, and be accessible
for maintenance via a door on the fireman’s side of the PT tender. (AHP)

233

Niagara No. 6023 pauses during road testing in the Fall of 1946. A dynamometer car
and coaches of various quantities were used to determine performance with trains
of various weights. This over-the-road testing was conducted on the Mohawk Division
near Syracuse, New York. (HC/TRG)

Testing the Niagara

Overview land, or D&H revealed that “give or take a few pounds and
an inch or two, they are practically twin sisters”. A close
The New York Central’s Niagara type steam locomotive ar- look at the dimensional differences and the performance
rived near the end of the steam age. One reason for this of these other 4-8-4 types reveals that this information is in
late introduction was the outstanding performance of the error. The boiler diameter of the three Alco built 4-8-4’s is
road’s Hudson and Mohawk type steam locomotives. The the same, with an inside diameter of 84-1/4”. Two ran at
war delayed the arrival of this 4-8-4 locomotive type on the 250 psi and the D&H engine had a boiler pressure of 285
New York Central, so the first Niagara, officially described psi. In comparison, the inside diameter of the Niagara boil-
as a prototype, was not placed in service until the spring er was 90”and the original Niagara had a boiler pressure of
of 1945. 275 psi. The D&H and the Milwaukee engines, construct-
ed in 1943 and 1944 respectively, were conventional tube
Those principally responsible for the design were the and flue designs that utilized 5-1/2” large flues in order to
members of the railroad’s Mechanical Department, with accommodate a type“A”superheater. Superheating surface
Paul Kiefer in charge. Kiefer’s design successes included was a modest 1473 and 1438 sq. feet. The original Niagara
the introduction and evolution of the road’s Hudson type boiler used a type “E” superheater with a heating surface
locomotive, and the evolution of the road’s Mohawk type of 1977 sq. ft.
freight locomotive. The builder of this outstanding design
was the American locomotive Company of Schenectady, While almost all boilers built for locomotive use consisted
New York, the railroad’s preferred supplier. of cylindrical and conical sections, the internals of the boil-
er determine the boiler’s performance. Kiefer designed
The Niagara, although smaller in height than 4-8-4 type lo- the Niagara boiler to minimize gas flow restriction, and as
comotives on several other railroads, established several re- a result the Niagara boiler was fitted with 4” diameter flues
cords for performance and reliability that have never been in place of the industry standard 3-1/2” flue set for two-cyl-
exceeded by any other steam locomotive. inder locomotives. This design change resulted in a 30.7%
increase in free gas area through the flues. Additionally, the
The Niagara was extensively tested after delivery. Ear- larger flue diameter resulted in a reduced flow restriction,
ly testing of the original Niagara 6000 consisted of static since with the use of a Type E superheater, there were also
boiler testing at the New York Central’s Selkirk, New York a pair of superheater tubes within each flue. The flue gas-
test facility. This was followed by in service testing of S-1B ses were extracted by a smokebox design that the New
6023 using test trains and a dynamometer car on the Syr- York Central patented as a result of evaporation tests at the
acuse Division near Utica, New York. For this testing, the Selkirk Test plant in 1940. These tests increased maximum
protocols of the A.S.M.E. Power Test Codes, specifically the boiler evaporation almost 10 percent, or, alternately, pro-
Test Code for Steam Locomotives, was used. vided a similar fuel savings.

Static Boiler Tests Firebox Design

The secret of the Niagara’s evaporation performance/steam The firebox was another area where Kiefer obsessed the
generating performance was the boiler and firebox, and details. The original Niagara used a combustion chamber
the smokebox design. Paul Kiefer used size and science in with a length of 92-1/2”. A combustion chamber was locat-
the boiler design of the Niagaras. A number of years ago ed ahead of, and was also a part of, the firebox. The com-
a railroad magazine editor offered the opinion that a com- bustion chamber was a part of the direct heating surface
parison of 4-8-4 type locomotives owned by NYC, Rock Is- of the boiler. A designer’s goal was to have the maximum

235

During the boiler tests of No. 6000, a set of shop driv-
ing and trailing truck wheels were used, along with
jacks. The driving wheels were spoked and may have
been used originally on an early Mohawk. The Baker
valve gear was disconnected. Two test crew members
pause briefly for a photo, while a third member on
the elevated platform takes readings. (MC/TRG)

The original S-1A Niagara No. 6000 was tested in
October of 1945 at the Selkirk, New York roundhouse.
These stationary boiler tests were conducted to
determine boiler performance and efficiency,
and the performance of auxiliary equipment
that supplied the boiler. (MC/TRG)

The trailing truck wheels and
journals of the original Niagara
were replaced with an available
set that used friction journals
in this photograph made during
boiler testing. The large and flat
firebox gave the Niagaras enor-
mous furnace volume, and were
one secret of the outstanding
performance. A crew member
installs his earplugs during this
boiler capacity testing. (MC/TRG)

236

amount of water exposed to the direct heat of the firebox on the Niagaras was the largest offered by Worthington for
in order to increase steam generation. The Niagaras used locomotive use,and was rated at 270 gallons per minute,or
a combustion chamber length that was shorter than the 16,200 gallons per hour.
length of the combustion chambers some other 4-8-4 type
locomotives, and in the production Niagaras Kiefer made Steam Generation Capability
it one foot shorter than that of the original Niagara. The
original purpose of a combustion chamber in a locomo- The result of these careful design decisions resulted in a
tive boiler was to increase boiler efficiency by giving more locomotive boiler that could generate 136,000 lb. of steam
time for a particle of fuel, either coal or oil, to burn. On the per hour when fired at the maximum rate with coal having
Niagaras, the largest part of the radiant heating surface was a heat value of 13,800 btu’s per lb. (As information, the
directly over the fire bed where temperatures were highest PRR used coal having a heat value of 14,123 btu’s per lb.
and maximum heat energy was transferred to water that with all slack below ¾” screened out when testing loco-
surrounded the fire bed on three sides. This resulted in a motives at Altoona.) This boiler evaporation rate has never
furnace volume of 756 cubic feet, in spite of the fact that been exceeded by any other two-cylinder steam locomo-
the railroad was limited to a vertical mainline clearance of tive in the world, and resulted in 6680-cylinder horsepow-
15’-3”and a width no greater than 10’-6”. The firebox at the er at 85 mph when tested using the American Society of
bottom was almost horizontal, and the boiler height at the Mechanical Engineers (A.S.M.E.) Test Codes.
back head exceeded other 4-8-4 designs. For example, the
Niagara back head was 8-1/2 inches higher than the boiler The A.S.M.E.Test Codes consisted of an extensive and com-
used by the N&W J class Northern. This flat firebox floor prehensive set of measurements that would be taken in
reduced the tendency of the fire to “walk” forward as the order to determine the performance envelope of a steam
locomotive traveled down the track, and resulted in a flat locomotive. The applicable section for the Niagara over
and even thin fire that extracted the maximum amount of the road testing was “Test Code for Steam Locomotives”
energy from the coal and reduced the possibility of “holes” and specifically “Code for Road Test”. The Code for Road
in the fire, which would reduce the firebox temperature Test required all of the same measurements as for “Code
under periods of maximum draft. for Laboratory Test” and the addition of those measure-
ments for the Road Test. The Code received the approval
This boiler and firebox provided more evaporation capa- of the Main Committee of the A.S.M.E. in June, 1926, and
bility than the New York Central would ever use for pas- was updated until 1949, when it was withdrawn.
senger or freight service. Carlton Hulbert, Supervisor of
Locomotive Performance for NYC Line East,headquartered The boiler was tested at 275 psi. Limited testing was con-
in Buffalo, NY, told the author that a Niagara on any NYC ducted at 290 psi, which was the design pressure of the
train could never be worked to capacity for more than five boiler. Those results extrapolated to 6900-cylinder horse-
minutes, as “you would be at the speed limit.” He also con- power, and 5300 horsepower at the tender drawbar.
fided that “many times, a Niagara carried half a fire”.”
Dynamometer Test Results
Feedwater Heater
-The Niagara in over the road testing recorded a maximum
The railroad was not shy about installing boiler auxiliary of 6680 Cylinder horsepower using 275 psi steam pres-
equipment that would support a boiler with this capabil- sure, the highest horsepower ever recorded for a two-cyl-
ity. The Niagara boiler was equipped with a Worthington inder steam locomotive.
Type 7SA feedwater heater. A feedwater heater would pre-
heat incoming boiler water using the locomotive’s exhaust -The original Niagara on test recorded a maximum boil-
steam. The feedwater heater increased boiler performance er evaporation of 136,000 lb. of steam per hour.
by raising the temperature of the incoming water so that
the boiler did not have to, resulting in a fuel and water sav- -The Niagara in over-the-road testing with a dynamom-
ings of about 10% and at the same time increasing boiler eter car had a combined equivalent evaporation of
evaporation. The 7SA open type Worthington heater used 117,630 lb. per hour

237

This is the instrumented gage
board that displayed steam
pressure at various points
in the boiler and the auxiliary
equipment. (MC/TRG)

6000Test-CohnMax-006
IMAGE Missing

Locomotive No. 6000 undergoing boiler tests at Selkirk, New York, October, 1945. Note the use of jacks
to stabilize the engine, and the large steam pipe that was instrumented to determine the volume and
temperature of steam delivered to the cylinder. (NYCSHS)

238