Big Boy Sight Glasses

nathansixchime · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:03 pm **Posts:** 948

Forgive the apparent silliness of this question beforehand...

In this photo on railpictures.net http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=181306
the beautifully laid out backhead of the Big Boy shows four water glasses, two visible for each side of the cab.

Given their placement, I wonder if this was an extra, extra precaution due to the length of the boiler?

On a side note, the publicly edited wikipedia has this uncited, but nevertheless interesting notation in its section on the Big Boy:

Quote:

The Big Boys did sterling service in the Second World War, especially since they proved so easy to fire that even a novice could do a fair job. Since many men who were unsuited to combat service were instead drafted into the railroads to replace crewmen who had joined up, this proved highly advantageous. During the war, after German agents filed reports that the Americans had giant steam engines that were moving huge trains full of vital war material over steep mountain grades at high speed, their reports were dismissed as "impossible".

Thanks for any info.

-KL

Greg Schultz · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:22 pm

nathansixchime wrote:

Forgive the apparent silliness of this question beforehand...

In this photo on railpictures.net http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=181306
the beautifully laid out backhead of the Big Boy shows four water glasses, two visible for each side of the cab.

Given their placement, I wonder if this was an extra, extra precaution due to the length of the boiler?

On a side note, the publicly edited wikipedia has this uncited, but nevertheless interesting notation in its section on the Big Boy:

Quote:

The Big Boys did sterling service in the Second World War, especially since they proved so easy to fire that even a novice could do a fair job. Since many men who were unsuited to combat service were instead drafted into the railroads to replace crewmen who had joined up, this proved highly advantageous. During the war, after German agents filed reports that the Americans had giant steam engines that were moving huge trains full of vital war material over steep mountain grades at high speed, their reports were dismissed as "impossible".

Thanks for any info.

-KL

If you will notice they are at different levels - this allowed a more accurate account of where exactly the water level was at any given time - it also showed the level when on curves that were super elevated.

At least that's how it was explained to me.

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:39 pm

nathansixchime wrote:

On a side note, the publicly edited wikipedia has this uncited, but nevertheless interesting notation in its section on the Big Boy:

Quote:

The Big Boys did sterling service in the Second World War, especially since they proved so easy to fire that even a novice could do a fair job. Since many men who were unsuited to combat service were instead drafted into the railroads to replace crewmen who had joined up, this proved highly advantageous. During the war, after German agents filed reports that the Americans had giant steam engines that were moving huge trains full of vital war material over steep mountain grades at high speed, their reports were dismissed as "impossible".

Thanks for any info.

-KL

I cannot prove or disprove this quote, but it is worth noting that the fully loaded centipede tender on a Big Boy weighs as much as an entire German "Kriegslok" 2-10-0, which is considered to be a large locomotive on the European continent.

Another quote I read in a magazine and am quoting from memory was from a Japanese admiral when touring Brooklyn Navy Yard. When shown the giant drydock there, he was quoted as saying "no wonder you won the war".

Such quoting aside, I have come to appreciate over time the massive industrial infrastructure that arose in the US during World War II. Not just the big shipyards turning out Victory and Liberty ships as well as warships, or the giant factory in Fort Worth turning out bombers, but the ammunition, synthetic rubber, and other more humble plants that were also built and brought online at the same time; some of which are still in use today. Not to mention the railroad's ability to move equipment and men to the two coasts; my mom has told me about the trains that she remembers running non-stop past their house on the Southern Pacific mainline during the war.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

John Bohon · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:04 pm **Posts:** 625

From the position of the second glass above the first, the extra glass was most likely used to show the level of the water when the boiler was on a steep assending grade. With such a large boiler a lot of water shifts back or forward when the engine is either assending or desending a grade. With the water shifted back to the rear of the boiler it would go over a single glass. If the railroad has a point where the track tops over a hill and quickly decends the opposite side it may be possible to need the second glass to show enough water to keep the crown sheet covered when the engine starts downgrade. N&W 611 was fitted with this arrangement for operation over Saluda grade for exactly this reason.

John Bohon

Jeff Badger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:19 pm

When I looked at the backhead in the picture, my attention was immediatly diverted to the rider in the right hand jump seat, I certainly hoped that was the reason for having a second water glass, cuz my eyes were not focused on either. Say where is my fireman at...

Oh its just an ad!

Ok enough humor, now back to business.