I just say a truck heading west on the turnpike near Harrisburg with three wheel sets with boxpok drivers. Just curious where they might be headed. Anyone have any idea?
Thanks

~George

midh91@hotmail.com

Sounds like 3985's drivers from one of the engines heading to the Strasburg shop.

frisco1522@sbcglobal.net

Confirmed. I saw them leave Strasburg's shop.

> Sounds like 3985's drivers from one of the
> engines heading to the Strasburg shop.

> I just say a truck heading west on the
> turnpike near Harrisburg with three wheel
> sets with boxpok drivers. Just curious where
> they might be headed. Anyone have any idea?
> Thanks

> ~George

Yeah, they were 3985's, heading back to Cheyenne. Brad and I just loaded them on the truck this morning.

Steve


Strasburg Rail Road
ssweaver@paonline.com

> Yeah, they were 3985's, heading back to
> Cheyenne. Brad and I just loaded them on the
> truck this morning.

> Steve

Thanks much for the info!


midh91@hotmail.com

May I ask: What are boxpok drivers? (I can act as if I know, but I won't learn nearly as much that way.)

Anyway, thanks for indulging my iggorance!

> May I ask: What are boxpok drivers? (I can
> act as if I know, but I won't learn nearly
> as much that way.)

> Anyway, thanks for indulging my iggorance!

A particular design of solid cast driving wheels (as opposed to traditional fabricated wheels with spokes). Cast drivers allowed for more accurate counterbalancing of the weight of the main and connecting rods, which became very important as cylinder pressure rose, driving and connecting rods increased in mass, and operating speeds rose late in the steam era. They were a common feature on late-design Super Power steam, but were also commonly retrofittd to older engines. Other types of solid cast drivers included Scullin (used on a number of NYC engines) and Baldwin Web disc.

Take a look at this nice page on the B&O President-class Pacifics to see a number of engines with Boxpok drivers retrofitted on the center driver only to help with counterbalancing the drive as well as the connecting rods.

http://www.ironhorse129.com/Friends/Dav ... idents.htm


B&O President-class Pacifics
eledbetter@rypn.org

> A particular design of solid cast driving
> wheels (as opposed to traditional fabricated
> wheels with spokes).

*PEDANT ALERT*

It's a minor point, but spoked drivers were cast as well.

*END PEDANT ALERT*

No, no, it's good to get the right dope, thanks. Sorry for the error.

B&O President-class Pacifics
eledbetter@rypn.org

It's also worthwhile to note the source of the name. Boxpok comes from "box spoke" and that's supposedly how "Boxpok" is pronounced. These drivers are actually hollow, the construction making them stiff and (relatively) light.

The Ultimate Steam Page
whodom2001@yahoo.com

> It's also worthwhile to note the source of
> the name. Boxpok comes from "box
> spoke" and that's supposedly how
> "Boxpok" is pronounced. These
> drivers are actually hollow, the
> construction making them stiff and
> (relatively) light.

Thanks, I've heard waaaay too many in the modeling community refer to them as "box pox" drivers; sounds like some sort of dreaded affliction.

It should also be pointed out that there were several similar competing designs; LFM and Baldwin Disk for sure, and Scullin Disk, although I'm not sure these were hollow. IIRC, the Boxpok design was manufactured by Commonwealth.

Dennis Storzek

dstorzek@elnet.com

RDG T-1's have "Boxpox by Baldwin" cast into their drivers, presumably cast by GSC in Eddystone.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association