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SteampunkPup261 — Potomac Test Run
Published: 2018-12-18 01:48:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 974; Favourites: 21; Downloads: 0
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Description
New K&L engine, new screenshot!When a new engine or an engine has returned from a rebuild on the FL&HPRR, a series of tests are done. One of them is a little trip down a set of track just to make sure everything is working properly and is running like it should be. It has been like that for years and it's always a treat seeing a new or returning engine running light down a set of track, chugging along past towns, cities, farmlands and hills. This was the case with one of the railroad's Potomacs they resurrected from the dead. Presumably scrapped, one Potomac managed to get into Fantasy Land and had been restored to operational condition. She was soon put to testing and after a successful run down near the lake outside of Houndvalley, she was ready for work. She's now seen hauling heavy freight trains and hauls excursion trains up and down the mainline, while also being used on tourist trains on some of the tourist lines.
Game used: Trainz: A New Era.
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Comments: 11
In 1947 two years after the final straw of the 2nd world war, the Western Maryland railroad took the liberty of purchasing the delivery of (12) 4-8-4 steam locomotives which were built by Baldwin.
But instead of naming these newly-built locos the 'Northern's like most other railroads, the WM chose to go with the name; 'Potomac'.
Classified as the 'J-1's (sounding familiar to the classifications of the Pennsylvania Railroad 2-10-4 'War Babies'), the Potomac's were given numbers from 1401 up to 1412.
True to their massive size, their boilers stretched nearly 9 feet in diameter, very impressive for such a huge 4-8-4.
The Potomac's saddled on eight 69 inch driving wheels, weighing in at about 506,500 Ibs, and they produced a tractive effort of 70,600 Ibs when running at a boiler psi of 255.
While traveling at 45 mph, the Potomac's nearly head the familiar performance as the cumbersome 'M-2' class 4-6-6-4 Challengers.
Very interested by the engine crews, this was due to the fact that the Potomac's had enclosed all-weather cabs and a comfort-providing (4) wheel trailing truck.
Timken roller bearings had been fitted on all locomotive and tender axles including on the back end of the eccentric rod.
Every of the locomotive's link motion pin used needle bearing while the driving wheels were manufactured of the Box Pox design.
Although the trailing trucks were designed to accommodate a booster engine, they hadn't been added at all.
While on the 1.75% grade out of west Cumberland, Maryland, the Potomac's were limited to 1,180 tons without needing assistance.
On the level track, they were strong enough to handle upwards of 5,500 tons while the 8000 tons were limited for running downhill.
At the time when dieselization was over the horizon, the 4-8-4 Potomac's turned out to be the final steam power on the WM that newly received for freight service.
Retired in 1954, the entire fleet of (12) Potomac's had been stored in Hagerstown and Cumberland for three years until the equipment trusts came to a eventual end.
This resulted in their inevitable scrapping choice for all twelve 4-8-4's on the WM, leaving not even one "prisoner" behind.
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For my trainz fleet, I normally renumber a engine with a number higher than the final member of a class. For example, my Reading T1, Sue, is #2130, although in reality, the T1's numbered up to #2129. Let's just say she was built extra, but not documented.
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How come they don't have original numbers if I may ask?
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Well, the North Central Railroad is known for finding or buying engines that have presumably been scrapped. In the world the North Central Railroad is in, there are extra built engines with a higher number than the class in real life, like a Western Maryland J1 #1413, but in reality, there was no member of the class with that number, the extra number was used to make people believe when a class of engine is extinct, they don't realize there's a forgotten member somewhere in the country, waiting for a chance to return to service someday.
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Interesting. Do you have a map of the NCRR? I remember there were possibly shots of the railroad if I'm correct other than sprites.
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Well, it's still a work in progress, and I need a good capture program to take screenshots, I'll see I can get some before the new year.
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Awesome! I wish they only saved one Potomac for excursion service. 
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Me too! It would've been awesome to see one hauling excursion trains on the mainline in the 80s. Maybe have one be part of SR's steam program, but disguise it as a fictional Southern Railway 4-8-4 perhaps?
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Or, if possible, have one be used on the Western Maryland Scenic.
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