NYC 999

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:57 pm

The famous one.

At West Albany, 5/93:

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... hr999b.jpg

At Syracuse, 5/11/93, one day after the speed run:

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... +hr999.jpg

At the World's Fair Chicago, 9/1/36:

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... hr999a.jpg

Chicago RR Fair, 8/15/48:

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... r999_2.jpg

Fitz · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:46 pm **Posts:** 188

Those 84 inch (I think) drivers were something else. That must have been one heckuva ride in that little engine. You notice that they have been "downsized" in the later photos.

Clem · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:00 pm

In a book that I have from 1906, it has the time card of the record setting event with the 999. It has crew names and all on it as well.

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:57 pm

Safely inside in Chicago. A JD Conrad restoration.

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... ry_013.jpg

jwallis · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:13 pm

Fitz wrote:

Those 84 inch (I think) drivers were something else. That must have been one heckuva ride in that little engine. You notice that they have been "downsized" in the later photos.

You couldn't pay me enough to go 112 in that thing.

Ron Travis · **Joined:** Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm **Posts:** 1543

If you raced the high drivered version against the smaller drivered version, could the high drivered engine reach a higher speed?

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:42 pm

Ron Travis wrote:

If you raced the high drivered version against the smaller drivered version, could the high drivered engine reach a higher speed?

That was the whole purpose for the high drivers, the larger diameter allowed the engine to go farther/faster with each revolution of the wheel. (The wheels couldn't spin any faster without your reciprocating stuff breaking loose.) They also made the engine more "slippery", so smaller drivers were installed later to make it the same as the other engines in its class after its record breaking run.

Ron Travis · **Joined:** Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm **Posts:** 1543

survivingworldsteam wrote:

Ron Travis wrote:

If you raced the high drivered version against the smaller drivered version, could the high drivered engine reach a higher speed?

That was the whole purpose for the high drivers, the larger diameter allowed the engine to go farther/faster with each revolution of the wheel. (The wheels couldn't spin any faster without your reciprocating stuff breaking loose.) They also made the engine more "slippery", so smaller drivers were installed later to make it the same as the other engines in its class after its record breaking run.

I understand what you are saying, but I was wondering if those larger drivers would have been essential to that speed record in order to prevent mechanical breakage. Were those drivers just put on one engine for the sole purpose of the speed record, or were the other engines of that class also built with large drivers and subsequently converted to smaller drivers?

Generally I understand that there were other railroads that had engines with similar extra large drivers. Was this just a passing trend that was found to be impractical for the slipping tendency or other reasons, or was deemed of insufficient benefit?

scottychaos · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:40 am

Ron Travis wrote:

I understand what you are saying, but I was wondering if those larger drivers would have been essential to that speed record in order to prevent mechanical breakage.

I dont know about "mechanical breakage"..but yes, the large drivers were essential to make the speed record.

Quote:

Were those drivers just put on one engine for the sole purpose of the speed record,

yes.

Quote:

or were the other engines of that class also built with large drivers and subsequently converted to smaller drivers?

no..999 was the only Buchannan engine to recieve drivers that large.
the drivers were designed for one puropse only..to make the speed record! actually, the entire engine was custom designed and built for that purpose alone. after the record breaking run, 999 recieved the smaller drivers so she could operate as a "regular" 4-4-0.

Scot

rjenkins · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:45 pm

One thing I hadn't noticed before, but it's pretty clear comparing the high-driver photos to the World's Fair and current shots that she received a new boiler at some point too, the taper is completely different. Presumably that was from a later rebuild though.

Ron Travis · **Joined:** Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm **Posts:** 1543

In the Burlington Bulletin No. 44, there is an article on Burlington & Missouri River locomotives. It covers their 4-4-2 engines #3700-3709 built in 1903 with 84 ½” drivers (compared to the 86” drivers of the 999). Some or all of these engines were later rebuilt with 78” drivers. I wonder if, as trains got heavier, it was deemed more practical to shift into a lower gear, in effect, by reducing the driver diameter.

k5ahudson · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:30 am **Posts:** 773

Now here's a shot of 999 in St. Thomas, Ontario I'm told was taken on its way to the World's Fair in Chicago. Notice how the main rods are off, so it must have been in tow. It had to have been towed backwards though because the engine is facing east.

The building in the background is the former Canada Southern Railway station and head office built in 1972. It later became part of the Michigan Central and New York Central. The building still exists and is currently under renovation.
http://www.railwaycapital.ca and http://www.narhf.org/