The ERIE, NYLE&W and their early railroads
#1
** ERIE Pusher Locomotives. " THE SPECIAL BREED "
* The ERIE as with other eastern railroads had to build their roadbeds where they could, and not often where they wanted. The ERIE's problem up to the 1890's, among others, was " Susquehanna Hill ". This hill had curves of 5 degrees combined with grades of 60 feet per mile. A freight train before this period was pulled by one consolidation locomotive to the foot of Susquehanna Hill. The 2-8-0 of the time pulled a load of 1,250 to 1,300 net tons and lading. Making a average train, pulling this weight, of around 45 to 50 cars in its train. Two more of these 2-8-0s were added to the train to push this average freight train up this hill. They were added to the rear as pushers. The need for locomotive of more power was evident. The New York, Lake Erie and Western, as the ERIE was known as then, had their engineers work with those of Baldwin to design a locomotive capable of replacing 2 of the 2-8-0s used at the time . They did better. They built the world's largest non articulated locomotive at the time. It remained the largest at a time of rapid locomotive development for over a year. It was unique in that it was the world's first Wooten type firebox, Decapod ,Camelback locomotive. No other Decapod camelback types were ever made. NYLE&W received 5. A sixth was built by Baldwin and sent to the Chicago World's Fair. After the fair ended is became the ERIE's sixth locomotive of the J1 class. They were numbered 800 to 805. Number 805 was the one at the fair. Millions of visitors to fair stood amazed, gazing at this huge beast of Iron, and Steel. Close up, in operation, it would have frightened half of them.
* This was ERIE's first specially designed Pusher.

*** Some links to free E-Book info on the Locomotive type.
From : Google E-Book, Railroad Gazette, Volume-24, 1892.

Subject: Erie 2-10-0c. Page-61

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Baldwin Compound for the World's fair. Page-844

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