Phil Horton, a regular contributor to steamlocomotive.info contributed two photos today of oddly modified DR steam locomotives, a 2-6-2 and a 2-8-2. Details can be seen here:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/blogs/i ... ifications

Would appreciate any input as to what these mods were actually for.

If it wasn't outright crazy it almost looks like you could connect the smoke box into the ductwork of a heating system. Perhaps they were stationary boilers at some period and somebody figured out how to use the heat from the smokebox for some purpose as well.

Wouldn't be that bad of an idea to heat something in a pinch as long as that something wasn't alive and had adverse effects to alot of CO2.

Most likely for an electric induced-draft fan, ducting, and stack as per standard stationary boiler practice. The locomotive stack appears to be removed on the second photo and most likely blocked-off on the first.

Agree with the postings regarding stationary boiler service; the fact that the cylinders and rods are missing from the second engine seem to confirm that.

Such usage seemed pretty common in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; maybe in part because of the cold climate.

More likely because we bombed all their boiler houses out of existence in WWII.

There is a photo of a steam switcher with 2 dynamos - because it had Magna-Traction! I think it was on the Los Angeles Jct. Rwy. about 1946, before Lionel did it.