Know Thy Early Mohawks

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This image of the fireman’s side of No. 2700 highlighted the booster piping, using either light grey or white paint.
(NYCSHS)

- A cover was applied over the cab turret. - Miscellaneous piping on the side of the engine
was either rerouted or covered, or hidden under
- The delta trailing truck suspension component the boiler jacket.
was eliminated.
- The tender lettering “New York Central Lines”
- A Precision power reverse mechanism was used, was reduced to “New York Central”. (While
replacing the Alco power reverse mechanism. systemwide operation of L-2’s was in the future,
The Precision mechanism was relocated closer the L-2A’s were delivered primarily for Mohawk
to the cab. Division service.)

- A larger main reservoir replaced the main reservoir - The most interesting area of the L-2A was the design
used on No. 2700. and the mounting of the front engine truck to the
frame. Additionally, there is evidence that these
- The relocation of some of the items under the dimensions changed with time. The original
running board resulted in a change in the height information is contained in the April 1926 edition
of running board sections vs. No. 2700. of the New York Central Magazine:

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“A more satisfactory weight distribution was ob- One additional reference exists that provides locomotive
tained through the construction of the engine truck. road numbers. William Edson kept records of modifica-
The 89-inch center line of the engine truck center pin tions completed on various classes of engines. His tabula-
is 6-inches to the rear of the transverse center of the tion of the date and shop location where Mohawks were
cylinders and is also 4-inches to the rear of the center modified with the location of the boiler feed pipe to the
line of the engine truck wheel base. This arrangement top of the boiler, lists seven L-2A’s (2701, 2704, 2707, 2715,
places a greater weight on the rear engine truck wheels 2716, 2724, 2794) that were modified at Collinwood in the
than on the front wheels, which shifts a greater period from 9/4/48 to 3/17/50.
proportion of the total weight of the engine onto
the truck itself.” The records for the modification at Beech Grove, IN con-
tain the following locomotive road numbers: 2703, 2705,
Later documentation contained in the elevation Diagram 2706, 2708, 2711, 2717, 2718, 2720, 2770, 2788, and 2790.
in the 1946 Steam Locomotive Classification Book lists the
L-2A front truck having a 90-inch wheelbase, which was This information is consistent with the previous assign-
10-inches longer than the L-1 front truck wheelbase. The ment of eighteen L-2A’ s on Line West.
center plate pivot point of the L-2A truck was displaced six
inches toward the cab end of the locomotive. As a result Edson’s tabulation also indicates that the remaining eighty-
of this change, the weight on the front truck increased and two L-2A’s were all modified at West Albany. It is unclear
the weight on drivers decreased, as evidenced by a com- from his notes whether this modification was performed
parison of the photopaster card specifications of 2700 and as a part of a class overhaul, or as a separate program.
2743.
Additional Evolutionary Changes
A review of the locomotive diagrams for later L-2 subclass-
es of Mohawks documents that the principal dimensions of Cab Roof Wind Deflector
the truck and its location differed among these subclasses. A cab roof wind deflector drawing was issued that called
for the application to the L-2A Mohawk. Date of this draw-
L-2A Assignments ing is May 13, 1929. (T-29392)

The L-2A’s were designed specifically for fast freight oper- Lubricators
ation over the Mohawk Division between Selkirk Engine Lubricators were applied per T-36161 dated November 20,
Terminal near Albany, NY, and the DeWitt Engine Termi- 1929.
nal, located approximately eight miles east of Syracuse,
NY. With the arrival of later L-2 subclasses and L-3 and L-4 Cast Case Headlight
Mohawks, these assignments changed. For example, as of The railroad began applying Pyle-National cast case head-
March 1, 1944, the following eighteen L-2A Mohawks were lights to motive power in the mid 1930’s. However, a num-
assigned to Line West (of Buffalo): 2700, 2701, 2703-05, ber of L-2A Mohawks that were retired as late as the early
2710-11, 2715-18, 2720, 2724, 2784, 2788, 2790, 2794, 2798 1950’s retained their original Sunbeam headlights.

At that time, all other L-2A’s were assigned to Line East. Main and Side Rods
Main and side rods were redesigned at least once, along
In a January 1, 1947 Recapitulation, the quantity of L-2A with a material upgrade from steel to manganese-vanadi-
Mohawks assigned by region had changed only slightly. um steel, and required driving wheels to be rebalanced.
There were 80 L-2A’s assigned to Line East,nineteen to Line Date of this change is March 27, 1936.
West, and one assigned to the Big Four. The additional L-2A
reassigned to Line West was No. 2770, based on the Loco- A note on Rev. F of V-34837 dated April 14, 1943, that elim-
motive Mileage and Tire Report dated 1/31/50. inated engine 2726 with Scullin wheels, most likely indi-
cates that the Scullin drivers applied to No. 2726 were re-
moved at that time. (V-29969,V-29970,V-34837)

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Continuous Blowdown Smoke Stack
The drawing specifying this change is dated A new stack and different method of manufacture was
September 4, 1936. (N-34935) specified, and this change made the stack for the L-2 and
the J-1 Hudson classes the same. Date of this change is
June 3, 1939. (V-70268)

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Engine Bed Changes haul of all of the L-2 Mohawks since many of these mods
There were a number of engine bed changes, including the were completed during the War. It is also possible that the
application of a partial cast steel engine bed assembly for change was made due to unavailability or limited supply of
use with a two-rail frame. (This may indicate more than certain sizes of tubes and flues during the War.
one frame design. No drawings exist to confirm this.) This
cast front bed assembly included the front deck with air Superheater Header
compressor mounting flanges,front bumper,new cylinders The header was redesigned to remove the bifurcated su-
and saddle,valve gear mounting brackets,and pedestal jaws perheater tube design. (T-36420)
that included the first and second driving wheel set. Loco-
motive record cards include this information, but a specific Cab Side Ventilator
assembly drawing reference is not available. (N-36485) Drawing V-72451 was issued on November 14, 1944 to add
cab side ventilators to the L-2 Mohawks. As information,
The frame pedestal caps were changed specifically on lo- the L-1 class was added to this drawing per Rev. C dated
comotives 2736, 2757, 2758, 2773, 2787, and probably oth- April 9, 1946. (V-72451)
ers. (T-36097)

There were internal changes in the cylinder saddle, includ- Larger Sand Dome
ing the enlargement of steam passages and also provision The railroad replaced the original sand dome with a sand
for booster exhaust. (N-35510) dome of greater capacity on its L-2 Mohawks and J-1 Hud-
sons, based on a drawing date of December 28, 1944.
The cylinder internal exhaust pipes were enlarged from (While the official drawing name used by the Central is
4-1/4 x 10 to 5-1/4 x 10. (V-70195,V-70529) “sand box”, the author has elected to use the words “sand
dome”, as the container that was used to contain sand on
Tube and Flue Layout Change a NYC steam locomotive was not rectangular but had a
There was a tube and flue layout change, based on the En- domelike shape.) (X-72405)
gineering notes of William Edson, Chief Mechanical Engi-
neer. Beginning in mid-1944 and continuing through at Sander Cover Removal
least October of 1950, the quantity and diameter of the The L-2 Mohawks arrived with sander covers. These were
tubes and flues was changed on all L-2 Mohawks. On subsequently removed, based on photographs. No draw-
the L-2A class, Edson’s notes indicate that the tubes and ing exists that specifies their removal.
flues were changed from 210 – 3-1/2” and nine – 2-1/4”
to 180 – 3-1/2” and 74 – 2-1/4”. (The specifications on Bell Relocation
the back of the photopaster card differ.) On the L-2C and A bell application drawing was issued on February 2, 1945,
L-2D Mohawks, the tubes and flues were changed from 199 that relocated the bell on L-2A Mohawks (only) to a location
– 3-1/2” and 40 – 2-1/4” to 180 – 3-1/2” and 77 – 2-1/4”. immediately ahead of the stack. Photos indicate that some,
Most of these modifications were made at West Albany or and perhaps all, L-2A Mohawks received this modification,
Collinwood. Most of the modifications to the L-2B’s were which may have been required with the use of a larger
made at Beech Grove. These changes are also different sand dome and relocation of the boiler feedwater pipe and
than the tube and flue layout described by the photopas- valve to a top check design. The following Mohawks, as
ter card for the contemporary J-1 Hudson with the same a minimum were modified: 2732, 2745, 2750, 2757, 2762,
diameter boiler. There is no explanation for this change, 2768, 2769, 2771, 2772, 2775, 2792, and 2794. (T-72549)
but it must have occurred as the Edson notes document
individual locomotive road numbers with locations and
dates. Since this program started well after the modifica-
tions to the Selkirk drafting arrangement were made, there
may have been some extraneous reason or reasons for this
modification. The modification may have been made to
standardize the type and quantity of material used for over-

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Auxiliary Air Reservoir not all L-2A’s, based on photographs. There is no drawing
This auxiliary reservoir became a requirement for le- documentation for this change.
ver-type air operated power reverse gears for locomotives
in road service, and date of this drawing is April 9, 1946. Union Web Spoke Main Driving Wheel
(V-73283) A replacement Union Web Spoke main driving wheel was
specified for L-2 Mohawks in a drawing dated February 10,
Top Boiler Check 1949. There is no photographic evidence that any L-2A’s
The railroad determined that a better entrance for water received this replacement driving wheel, but a number of
into the boiler would be at the top of the boiler and not at L-2D Mohawks were modified. (X-74889)
the sides. Accordingly, a modification for this change was
implemented to mainline steam after the War. No drawing Selkirk Drafting Arrangement
is available that applies specifically to L-2A Mohawks. That The railroad modified many of its locomotives in mainline
modification drawing for Hudsons was issued December 4, service to the Selkirk drafting arrangement, starting about
1945, and a similar drawing specifically for Mohawks must 1940. Mohawks were modified as they were shopped.
have followed at about the same time. The earliest date we
have for modification of an L-2A Mohawk is September 4, Booster Removal
1948 to L-2A No. 2794. (Edson) Boosters were removed from many locomotives in 1948.
There is no drawing that specifies a date for this change.
Cast Steel Steam Pipes
The railroad began specifying cast steel for steam pipes in Sand Box Cleanout Port
1948. A cleanout port was added to the sand box drawing for
many classes of steam locomotives in a drawing dated June
Valve Gear Yoke/Frame 29, 1949. There is an earlier date of April 2, 1949 on a sec-
A redesigned valve gear frame was applied to some but ond drawing. (T-74972, X-72405)

The engineer of L-2A 2730 is looking at his lap, and probably his watch, as he leaves a station stop with a mixed
train in this view of railroading on the Mohawk Division in the early 1940’s. (NYCSHS)

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