KnowThyNiagaras

-Niagara #6023 recorded a maximum of 5070 drawbar 6024, ran 288,000 miles in 11 months. As a fleet, these
horsepower at 62 miles per hour with a boiler pres- 27 engines ran monthly mileages of 18,000 miles per
sure of 275 psi, the second highest ever recorded for month per engine when in service hauling first class
any two-cylinder steam locomotive. (A Santa Fe freight trains.
engine of the 2-10-4 type recorded 5660 drawbar
horsepower at 40 miles per hour. The Santa Fe Texas -The availability of Niagaras was 74%, the highest in the
type outweighed the Niagara by 67,000 lb. and ran at world for a steam locomotive.
a boiler pressure of 310 psi. A Norfolk and Western
streamlined J class 4-8-4 on test developed a maximum -A Niagara could accelerate a fifteen-car air conditioned
of 5028 drawbar horsepower at 41 mph when tested 1005-ton train from a standing start to 100 mph in 16-
with a boiler pressure of 300 psi.) 1/2 minutes and 21.3 miles. A 6000 HP 3-unit EMD
E7 diesel required 26-1/2 minutes and 37.8 miles to
-The S-2A Niagara 5500 developed 5000 drawbar achieve this performance.
horsepower at 62 mph, and achieved a coal savings of
16-18% vs. a piston valve Niagara. In the pages that follow, we have reproduced a portion of
the official records that support the above information. We
-The Niagaras established, in a controlled test of six have also included trade press advertising and correspon-
engines, the highest monthly mileage of any steam lo- dence with other railroads that support the test results.
comotive in the world, an average of 25,300 miles per The New York Central Niagara is regarded by many motive
month per locomotive. One of the Niagaras, number power experts as the best steam locomotive ever built.

This rare image shows a NYC EMD FT diesel being used This image during the testing of No. 6023 shows the
as the braking locomotive during the Niagara pull tests. balance scale that was used. Two firemen perched on
The diesel would use its dynamic brake to hold the the tender took turns shoveling coal into this scale,
train at a constant speed so that multiple drawbar pull and when a coal weight of 200 lb. was in the bucket,
readings could be taken, in order to accurately mea- the coal was dropped into the stoker trough, and from
sure drawbar pull in pounds. The drawbar horsepower there it went into the firebox. This process resulted in
at any speed could then be calculated, and a drawbar an accurate measure of coal consumption on each trip.
horsepower curve could be drawn after any corrections (HC/TRG)
for grade and curvature had been made. (HC/TRG)

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One year after stationary boiler tests had been conducted on the original
Niagara, S-1B No. 6023 was used for dynamometer testing on the Mohawk
Division.The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Test Codes
were used for this comprehensive test program. (NYCSHS)

The tender of Niagara No. 6023 was filled with a clamshell bucket at DeWitt Yard in Syracuse for this testing. The
coal used was subjected to a laboratory analysis to determine its heat value per pound, and its ash content. It was
important for the coal used to be consistent in its properties so that test results were not compromised. (NYCSHS)

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The Divided Drive C-1A

In spite of his due diligence in estimating future traffic pat- ern steam designs, the calculated maximum piston thrust
terns, industry trends, the need to minimize motive power was 140,000 lb., and the dynamic augment, or rail pound,
investment with a dual service design, and the need to de- would be more severe.
velop an overdesign that had high availability to compete Johnson of Baldwin attempted to divide the steam supply
with contemporary diesels, there was one industry trend with the use of four cylinders of smaller diameter, reason-
forecasted that he probably had not considered. The AAR ing correctly that four smaller cylinders could be filled
identified the need for locomotives to be used in 100 mph and evacuated with steam more easily and quickly. The
passenger service hauling 1000 trailing tons. The PRR led use of four cylinders, instead of two, would permit the use
the way in this regard, and already had two divided drive of lighter main and side rods, which would be easier to
4-4-4-4 steam locomotives that were performing at this lev- balance and more beneficial to track and roadbed due to a
el. Kiefer must have had some doubts whether he chose reduction in dynamic augment, or rail pound.
the correct locomotive configuration in the design of the
original Niagara. At the time that Kiefer had drawn a paper design for a di-
vided drive locomotive, there were several issues with the
The divided drive locomotive concept was an attempt design on the Central. The most serious of these was the
to correct the perceived deficiencies of high capacity, inability to handle the engine at most mainline locomotive
two-cylinder locomotives. The idea belonged to Baldwin terminals. In addition to the greatly increased length, the
locomotive Works, and specifically to its Chief Engineer, much longer rigid wheelbase might have also been a prob-
Ralph Johnson. lem. New York Central from a facilities standpoint had not
yet caught up with the dimensions of the Niagaras. Only
Large modern piston valve locomotives with high boil- one shop on the railroad could handle them, the Beech
er horsepower were handicapped by the spool valve in Grove, IN Shop. The Niagaras, with a rigid wheelbase of
each cylinder that controlled the admission and exhaust 20’-6”, were equipped with two sets of lateral motion de-
steam from the boiler. The valve was of a fixed geome- vices which would permit them to operate in areas having
try and was not adjustable. Any adjustment of the steam tight turnouts and restrictive locomotive maintenance ar-
from the boiler into each cylinder also affected the rate eas. The Central had just made a quantum step in locomo-
and degree at which that steam would be exhausted after tive size and weight, from a 360,000 lb. Hudson with three
it had completed its work. The standard reaction to the driving axles and a 12-ft. rigid wheelbase, to a 471,000 lb.
limits of the piston valve was to increase its diameter, and Niagara with four driving wheel sets, and an overall length
this would admit more steam more quickly. However, the in excess of 115 feet.
weight of the piston valve was impossible to balance com-
pletely for the entire speed range of the locomotive since The divided drive design that Kiefer drew was a rigid frame
it reciprocated, so any weight increase in the piston valve locomotive with four cylinders and two sets of coupled
was not advantageous. With a necessary increase in cylin- drive axles. The design would not use poppet valves; it
der diameter required to obtain the necessary locomotive would use the standard Baker valve gear with piston valves
starting tractive effort, larger cylinders were more difficult having a diameter of twelve inches. Using the railroad’s
to evacuate quickly, and the contemporary thinking was classification system, the locomotive classification would
that locomotives with large diameter cylinders were hand- be “C-1A”. (The small 4-4-0 American type locomotives
icapped in the higher speed range. These larger cylinders with two coupled driving axles used by the Central at the
used larger and heavier main and side rods in order to turn of the century were Class C, and formerly Class N.)
meet the necessary strength requirements. On some mod- The diagram of the C-1A was labeled as “Preliminary”.

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Kiefer used this design exercise to identify the need for a would have had a total wheelbase of 107’-2-1/2”, exactly
much larger all welded PT tender. At the end of the day, ten feet longer than a Niagara. A tender capacity increase
that tender would have had a coal capacity of sixty-four from 55 to 64 tons would have increased this wheelbase
tons and 18,000 gallons of water, and would have required further. With the first iteration of the PT tender with a
an additional rear guide axle to support a total loaded 55-ton coal capacity, total length of the C-1A would have
weight of almost 480,000 lb. been 123’-1-1/4”. The elevation drawing shows a double
exhaust within a single large casing, and a total sand capac-
Total engine weight of the 4-4-4-4 road locomotive would ity of 3400 lb. including the capacity of four boxes located
have been 491,000 lb., and a total in service weight for en- below the running boards.
gine and tender of 970,400 lb. The design would have had
a rigid wheelbase of 25’-2”. The locomotive was required Railway Mechanical Engineer magazine, in its June, 1945
to negotiate an 18-degree 30-minute curve. A review of the issue, indicated that the New York Central made a “Loco-
Specification for the engine established a cylinder size of motive Inquiry”, with no builder specified, for a single 4-4-
20” x 26”, 79-inch Boxpok drivers, and roller bearing main 4-4 type of locomotive, described as “Experimental”. With
and side rods. The trailing truck would have used two pair a decision to use 79-inch driving wheels on the production
of 41-inch wheels, which predated that of the production Niagaras, an indicator of their primary use in high speed
Niagaras. The locomotive would have had a boiler pres- passenger service, there was no urgent need for a much
sure of 290 psi,a Niagara look alike but four feet 3 inch lon- longer divided drive locomotive that could not operate on
ger boiler with a maximum O.D. of 100 inches, and Baker much of the railroad due to its rigid wheelbase and greater
valve gear. The locomotive would have used multiple bear- weight. The early success of the EMD E7 diesels in high
ing guides and have 12-inch lightweight piston valves. An speed high utilization passenger service probably dictated
outside bearing front truck with clasp brakes would have a significant change in motive power policy for increased
been used, consisting of 36-inch front truck wheels and usage of diesels, at least for passenger service. The C-1A
a front truck wheelbase of 90 inches. (The Niagara front remained a paper design, and no divided drive locomotive
truck wheelbase was eighty-eight inches.) The locomotive found a home on the railroad.

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Locomotive and Tender
Historical Record Cards

The late William Edson, the last Chief Mechanical Engineer completion date of November 1948 for the electric light
for the New York Central, had an almost complete collec- and the sealed beam headlight may indicate that both wir-
tion of Locomotive Historical Record Cards for Niagaras. ing modifications might have been made at the same time,
The only two Niagaras for which we have no Locomotive and prior to winter operation which would risk failure of
Historical Record Card are Nos. 6005 and 6015. These re- the incandescent headlight bulb during bad weather.
cords provide some interesting information regarding re-
gional assignments for each Niagara, back shop overhauls The standard definition of Class Repairs, with dates indicat-
and cost, and at least a partial identification of the changes ed on the Record Cards, is as follows:
made to each engine. Rather than publish the record cards
for each locomotive, we have elected to provide a sample Definitions of Class Repairs for Steam Locomotives
for one third of the Niagaras and a selection of their ten- Effective 1/1/24 reported to the Car Service
ders, and have included the Record Cards for the original Division-Washington, D.C.
Niagara and the poppet valve engine. A Table summarizes Source: Locomotive Cyclopedia 1950-52, p. 894
the Record Card information for twenty five of the twen-
ty-seven locomotives. Standard Classification of Repairs
to Locomotives and Tenders
There are some qualifications to the data presented. There
are differences in dates between the application of a Class 1 New Boiler or new back end. Flues new or reset.
change and the date it was registered for cost purposes. Tires turned or new.
Where the card listed the actual date of a modification, we *General repairs to machinery or tender.
used it in the Table. The cards are incomplete with regard
to modifications made to some engines, when photograph- Class 2 New firebox, or one or more shell courses,
ic evidence exists that the change was made but not re- or roof sheet.
corded. Flues new or reset.
Tires turned or new.
There are also some descriptions that are unclear. For ex-
ample, most of the cards contain an entry for the appli- Class 3 Flues all new or reset. (Superheater flues
cation of an electric light, and there are also entries for may be excepted.)
the application of the twin sealed beam headlight to some Necessary repairs to firebox and boiler.
engines. We believe that either a union or an ICC require- Tires turned or new.
ment for a light under the cab required that application to *General repairs to machinery or tender.
these engines, and the date this application for almost all
engines is November, 1948. The cost of this light is listed Class 4 Flues part of full set.
as $23.00. Those Cards that contain the specific entry “Ap- Light repairs to boiler or firebox.
plication of sealed beam headlight” are a separate entry Tires turned or new.
and the cost was $19.00, and the date of this application *General repairs to machinery or tender.
is also November, 1948. The entries in the Table for either
the electric light or the twin sealed beam headlight were Class 5 Tires turned or new.
based on the cost of either $19.00 or $23.00. The low cost Necessary repairs to boiler, machinery,
of the sealed beam headlight may indicate that this was and tender, including one or more pairs
a cartridge insert into the existing headlight casing. The of driving wheel bearings refitted.

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The largest cost item of the various overhaul classifications was overhauled twice during the year. The year 1951 saw
is the Class 2 repairs completed on almost all Niagaras be- fifteen Niagara overhauls, the year 1952 recorded only five.
tween late 1947 and extending through 1948. These Class The last year that Beech Grove overhauled Niagaras was
2 repairs include the cost of replacing three boiler shell 1953, with engines 6002, 6003, 6019, and 6023 receiving
courses with a welded assembly. The Record Cards indi- Class 2 overhauls and Niagaras 6000, 6018, 6020, 6022, and
cate the fireboxes were included in the replacement pro- 6024 receiving Class 3 overhauls. Despite the lack of a
gram. These repairs might have been classified as Class 1 record card, we also know that Niagara 6015 had its last
repairs except that railroad labor was used to insert the Annual Inspection at Beech Grove on August 25, 1955, and
tubes and flues into the new welded boiler shells, which was out of service and stored at Air Line Junction round-
might have been provided by Alco, either at a discount or house in Toledo, OH from May 25, 1953 to August 25, 1955,
under a warranty. The New York Central railroad was Al- therefore being eligible for a flue extension.
co’s biggest and probably its most important customer, so
the probability is high that either a warranty or the sale A reasonable question from the use of this information is”
of welded boiler shells by Alco to the NYC was made at what was the best Niagara?” in terms of lowest overhaul
a discount for these locomotives, which were barely two cost, and what was the costliest Niagara? If the cost of
years old. all overhauls is added, the lowest cost engine is 6017, fol-
lowed by 6013, and the costliest Niagara was 6007. Of
There are only a few surprises in the Table, but they are those Niagaras that received three class overhauls, the low-
noteworthy. All Niagara overhauls were made at Beech est cost Niagara was 6022 and the most expensive Niagara
Grove, Indiana, except for Niagara 6013. Evidently this en- was 6002. There are indications that the earliest Niagaras
gine had recordable maintenance work completed at Col- might have been either stored or used in less critical ser-
linwood and at West Albany. The nature of that work is not vice in order to eliminate the need for a third overhaul,
recorded. Niagara 6023 evidently used five different ten- especially after the number of Niagara overhauls was re-
ders during its operational life, while seven of the remain- duced in 1952. One key point in this analysis is that these
ing Niagaras, including poppet valve 5500, kept their Alco engines were routinely operating approximately 18,000
built PT-5 tenders and single PT-6 tender until retirement. miles per month per engine on selected diagrams in the
The recorded overhaul dates show what engine numbers 1946-1950-time period, which resulted in the need for
received overhauls in the years 1947 through 1953. Nine- Class repairs almost annually and with individual engine
teen of the twenty-five Niagaras for which we have Record mileages of 200,000 miles.
Cards received only two Class 3 overhauls. There is no
record of Class 2 overhauls for Niagaras 6002, 6013, and Finally, there were nine overhauls performed in 1953, to
6017, in spite of the fact that we have boiler shell replace- Niagaras 6000, 6002, 6003, 6018, 6019, 6020, 6022, 6023,
ment records. The last Niagara to receive class repairs at and 6024. And we know that at least two Niagaras were in
Beech Grove was S-1A 6000, which was outshopped on the shop in August, 1953, engines 6013 and 6015, and there
December 24, 1953. In 1947, eighteen Niagaras for which were several Niagaras awaiting disposition at Beech Grove
we have records received class repairs, mostly Class 4. In in 1955, including Niagaras 6004, 6011, and 6012.
1948, twenty engines received Class 2 repairs, and twenty
Niagaras received welded boiler shells in a program that be-
gan in December 1947. In 1949 thirteen engines received
Class 3 overhauls. There were thirteen Class 3 overhauls in
1950, and sixteen Class 3’s in 1950, including 6006 which

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An unidentified Niagara parallels the Mohawk River with a sizable passenger train,
in this view at the end of World War II near the site of Gulf Curve. (NYCSHS)

The Final Miles

A mileage and tire report for Line West for the month of all trains east of Cleveland will be diesel powered”, so the
January, 1950 shows that the eight-odd numbered Niaga- railroad must have been ahead of schedule.
ras, starting with road number 6011, were being intensive-
ly used. The best monthly mileage was delivered by 6017, The Mileage and Tire Report for the month ending Decem-
with 18,227 miles. Three Niagaras, 6011, 6013, and 6019, ber, 1954 identifies twenty Niagaras assigned to Line West.
all ran over 16,400 miles each. Engines 6023 and 6025 Of these twenty locomotives, twelve were“awaiting shop”.
had just entered service after classified repairs, with 6023 (6004, 6006, 6008-6013 inclusive, 6015, 6017, 6021, and
running just 611 miles. Based on overhaul dates, these two 6025.) Each of these locomotives had operated approx-
locomotives may have been stored for a few months after imately 250,000 miles since their last class repairs. Eight
overhaul. Niagaras operated in December: 6001, 6003, 6007, 6016,
6018, 6019, 6023, and 6024. The highest mileage was 6024
The Niagaras moved west with all other New York Central with 5989 miles.
steam as dieselization progressed. The September, 1953 is-
sue of the Central Headlight magazine included the title In December, 1954, there were six Niagaras assigned to the
“Steam Era Ends at Harmon”. The last steam locomotive Big Four: 6000, 6002, 6005, 6014, 6020, and 6022. All ac-
dispatched from Harmon was Niagara 6020, which depart- cumulated mileage, with the best showing by 6020 with
ed on train 185 on August 7, 1953. With that departure, it 7602 miles.
claimed “that all freight and passenger trains east of Buffa-
lo are now diesel powered”. For the record, the engineer A roster published by Railroad Magazine in April, 1955 in-
on that day was Harold Cappalo and the Fireman was J. R. dicated that all Niagaras except for 6005 were assigned to
King. Line West, and 6005 was assigned to the Big Four.

Based on limited information, the retrenchment of steam One year later, in December, 1955, the status of the Niaga-
from Harmon to Buffalo may have taken effect in steps. A ras was markedly different. There were only six Niagaras
letter written by Richard Palmer to William Edson in 1999 rostered, all in service on Line West. All accumulated mile-
noted that Palmer received some old train registers from age, with the monthly mileage champ engine 6015. Other
the Erie Boulevard Station in Syracuse for late August, 1953. Niagaras in service were 6000, 6019, 6020, 6023, and 6024.
Those train registers indicated that Niagaras were assigned Twenty Niagaras had been retired starting in August, 1955.
to Mail and Express trains,and the last entry for westbound By March, 1956, the only Niagara on the roster was 6015,
steam was Train X-5 on August 29, 1953 at 8:03 PM with assigned to the Southern District of the Big Four. During
Niagara 6022. The entry for the last eastbound is 6025 at March, the 6015 had operated 5318 miles and had accu-
10:49 PM and it had the odd entry of the “Blue Goose” in- mulated only 32,370 miles since it had been returned to
stead of a train number. Someone told Palmer that it was service.
the nickname of the Century, but it was the wrong time of
day for that. The Inspection Schedule for the second half of October,
1955, issued by B. L. Srohl, Master Mechanic, for the Third
In August, 1953, this author, accompanied by my dad, vis- and Fifth District of Line West, called for monthly inspec-
ited the cab of Niagara 6007 on Train 52 during its station tions of 6015, 6019, 6020, and 6024 at Air Line Junction.
stop at Erie, PA. This was on a Saturday, and since my father Toledo, Ohio. That schedule for the first half of Novem-
always took his two-week vacation during the first two ber called for a monthly inspection of 6023, a quarterly for
weeks of August, it must have been either August 1st or Au- 6000,and noted that 6000 would require an Annual Inspec-
gust 8th. I do remember the engineer saying there would tion in January, 1956. For the second half of November,
be no more steam through Erie by the end of September. the schedule called for a monthly for 6024, quarterlies for
The Central Headlight article indicated that “by year end, 6015, 6019, and 6020, and noted that 6020 would require

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A Niagara leaves Albany in the early 1950’s. This image provides
an excellent overview of the city and the river. (RB)