Camelback locomotive

As Camelback an American steam locomotive design is called, which covered the driver's cab in the middle of the machine, astride like a saddle on the steam locomotive boilers, sits. This feature was necessary due to the design of the locomotive, in the center stood a heated with anthracite coal, particularly large firebox, which would have the engineer left only a very limited workspace and an extremely poor visibility. Only the heater kept his position at the firebox, but standing on the tender. In the early camelbacks he was wind and weather yet been delivered completely, later he was at a small wind roof on rear locomotive protect something.

The model of camelbacks is now called the American as " Mother Hubbard " and vice versa. That was not always so. The early machines were called because of their shape as " Camels ", later " Camel Backs ". It was not until after 1877 emerged the new design appeared for this the name " Mother Hubbard ".

The aim of the designer Ross Winans (1796-1877) was to develop a particularly locate attractive steam locomotive, the one parte coal simultaneously.

  • 3.1 ALCO L-1

Development

Precursor and early years

In the early 1840s, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was interested in a high performance steam locomotive for freight service. This created from 1844 to 1847 a Lokserie nicknamed " Muddigger ".

1853 designed and built by the American inventor and engineer Ross Winans, which among other things the " Muddiggers " had developed the first Camelback series with the wheel arrangement D. Winans had great experience in mechanical engineering. He had come in the 1820s to Baltimore and had as early as 1831 cars equipped with bogies. Therefore, he reported on October 1, 1834 a patent for moving axes. In addition to his work for the railroad, located Winans and his son Thomas also dealt intensively with contemporary shipbuilding.

The elongated cab of Winans early camelbacks ranged from powerful Schonstein to the fire chamber and sat directly above the boiler. The high ascent took place via a staircase at the rear of the locomotive. The workplace of the heater was in these early models on a large platform on the tender. From there he could support in some camelbacks through a chute, fire up the boiler with anthracite coal. This type of coal was the cause of Bauüberlegungen because although anthracite coal has a high energy content, but this only slowly releases what makes great fire grate surfaces and thus a large firebox necessary.

From 1853 onwards developed Samuel Hayes, another master of the American Lokomotivbaues, a number camelbacks with the wheel arrangement 2'C for passenger traffic. With innovations in the 1870s, this early Camelback type was held up in the 1890s in the service and retired after that.

Birth of the "classical " Camelback and financial success

The Camel Backs with her sustainably known remaining visual appearance were built until 1877. Most of this year being the year of birth of the actual Camelback. This construction had initially only the wheel arrangement 2'C, had, however, completely detached from the strange appearance of an American ten -wheeler carrying her cab on his back. The helm was then lowered to the sides of the tank and let the engine always something seemingly formless but in some ways be sleek. After all, this machine met all economic expectations placed in it. In comparison to the previously accrued on the routes other locomotives a Camelback saved the company the expense of then around $ 2000 per year ( worth about $ 30,000 today). While there are several versions. Camelbacks enjoyed great popularity, they were found in all types of service and with many axle assemblies, particularly frequent than 2 ` B, 2 ` C and 1 'D, as well as 1 `C and 2` D and the Erie Rd also than 1 ` E. This railway company also owned the only Camelback Mallets with the wheel arrangement D ` D. Of the many in the U.S. very frequent one ` D1 ` machines but ran only 7 copies of the Lehigh Valley Rd as camelbacks. Likewise, this track had the single Camelback Pacifics. Unique also remained ten 1 ` C1 ` locomotives of this path. The Philadelphia & Reading again perverted the single 2A1 ` 1 ` and B1 ` Camelback locomotives and at the St.Clair Tunnel Comp. the only e- tender locomotives of this type. Camelbacks appropriated by the way especially for quick trips. The high boiler location and based on the large Radiative overload capability had a positive effect.

Lack of vehicle safety and end

The Camel Backs were not quite safe due to its design-related construction in everyday driving for driver and stoker. Both had their own service at two different jobs do and were able to vote or support only difficult while driving. In addition to these communication difficulties the engineer had also fear for his life in an accident, but he was sitting directly over the crank linkage. The heater, however, was exposed despite a small protective roof of the locomotive on the tender to the ravages of nature and without support.

Camelbacks were still produced until 1927. Then they came more and more out of fashion and were retired or converted to conventional locomotives.

" Camelback " from Europe

As far as known, no Camelback found its way beyond the borders of the United States of America. But it seems to have become aware of in Europe at least on the working principle of these locomotives. From 1884 the Belgian company Cockerill built three machines with the cab in the middle. Due Belgian design conditions of the cab was built just to the right side of the boiler, which very much restricted the route view of the engineer. The firebox of these locomotives was charged with two heaters on three fire doors. The understanding between heaters and driver was a mouthpiece. The machine was not a success. After a renovation, the two remaining locomotives were scrapped during World War II.

Significant camelbacks

ALCO L-1

The largest Camelback, the L-1 with the mallet wheel arrangement D' D, was built in 1907 for the Erie Railroad by the company ALCO in three copies (No. 2600-2602 ). She was in her time the zugkräftigste steam locomotive in the Americas and was used in the Allegheny Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains, with driving on an incline. 1921 was followed by an end as Camelback locomotives. All three machines were given a full remodeling, in which the helm now conventionally moved to the rear of the engine and the wheel arrangement was changed to ( 1'D ) D1 '. In 1930, the L-1 were decommissioned. The tender of the L- 1, which had an empty weight of 192,300 kg, summed up 32,000 liters of water and 14,500 kg anthracite coal.

Camelbacks Received

Companies that camelbacks built

Companies in which camelbacks were in use

Fireman (steam engine) Passenger car (rail) Cockerill-Sambre B&O Railroad Museum Reading Company Paterson (New Jersey) Maine Central Railroad Company Southern Pacific Transportation Company
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