Browsing through some pics on Railpictures.net, I came across two distinguishing images.

I have not had the pleasure of seeing #4501 in action though now knowing her original look, I am wondering just what the thought was here in what appears to be "extra fabric" or, a modification in her look in regards to a new feed water heater enclosure?

So -

why (if so)?

And (don't tell anyone I asked) but what is the function of the feed water heater and where was it located before - if at all?

Any decisions made yet regarding basic black vr green?
(Seems there were two shades of green, darker looked better, but maybe that
was just the new green all dirtied up).

Was #4501 actually painted green in service? Or only during excursion service?
Was it used in passenger service prior to it's excursion service?

Any best guess ETA for completion of restoration to operation?

Thanks- figured I might not be the only one interested in the answers!


Photo link to RP (Photo by Joe Nugent)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 685&nseq=0


Photo link to RP (Photo by John Dziobko)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 932&nseq=6


Photo link RP (original site location) Photo by David B Davies
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 304&nseq=0



/Mitch

Dear M;

Following is what I have been best able to put together from comments by others here on RyPN (the best railroad preservation site around, in my opinion):

The 4501 is Southern's very first Mikado, built in 1911; as built, she was hand-fired and boiler feed would be with two injectors. This was very typical for most locomotives from some time after the Civil War (when injectors replaced cross-head pumps) to the introduction of feedwater heaters around 1910, at least for mainline engines.

The purpose of the feedwater heater was, as its name says, to preheat the water going into the boiler. In actuality, injectors did this too, but the feedwater heater usually used exhaust steam that was otherwise "wasted" for this job; fuel savings were claimed to be about 10% in regular service, with a corresponding reduction in water consumption as well (the steam being used for heating condensing back to water and being reused again).

There were several different feedwater heaters available, made by locomotive auxiliary specialty companies such as Hancock and the Superheater Company. These were generally either the "closed" type (the exhaust steam and feedwater didn't mix in the heater, the condensed steam being piped back to the tender), or the "open" type (exhaust steam and feedwater mixed in the heater, and being fed into the boiler that way).

Besides the heater proper, such a system also typically needed two steam driven pumps, one to put the cold water into the heater, and another to pump the hot water into the boiler. These and the heater itself were also maintenance items, so not quite all railroads thought they were worth the effort, although many did.

There was also a device called an exhaust steam injector. This was an injector-pump combination that normally ran on exhaust steam, but would have a change-over device for used when exhaust steam wasn't available, as in cases of drifting or standing. Although billed as simpler and cheaper than a heater with its associated pumps, in reality most had a reputation for feed capacity problems and were maintenance headaches, too.

In the case of Southern's Ms 2-8-2s, most would get stokers and feedwater heaters in various rebuildings in the 1930s, but 4501 was one that didn't. It is getting both of those appliances now, about 80 years after its sisters did! I can assure you, the firemen in particular will appreciate the stoker; 4501 is a bit on the big side to be hand-fired.

As to colors, the 4501 always wore black in regular service; the green paint is from 1966 and on for excursion service. She looks good in both black and the two apparent shades of green (which, as you noted, may really be just dirt). What I do wish we could do would be to use proper looking trucks under the tender. Those modern freight roller bearing trucks just don't look right to me, even though I understand why they are being used (and thus appreciate seeing 4501 run again, partially because of them).

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 353&nseq=0

It will be interesting to see a broadside view to see how the front end looks with the FWH and it's extra length added to the smokebox.
I'm hoping it comes out in black w/graphite in place of the aluminum paint. However et comes out, it will sure be good to see her up and running again. A fitting companion to the 630, another great looking little engine.

Smokebox is the same length overall. The changes will supplement boiler health and fuel and water consumption more than anything, as well as requiring less crew for excursion service. Some purists may not be pleased, but much care has been taken to do it the way Southern would. One exception to that though is the mount height of the heater unit. Southern typical mounted them lower in the smoke box and put a sort of shroud to blend them in. However, mounting it that low would have obscured the superheater header, making access to to the units relatively difficult.

http://southern.railfan.net/images/arch ... u4505.html

I always thought the color changed a bit at some point also. That said, film stock, lighting conditions and amount of dirt/grime/coal dust plays a part. If you take this shot, http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 41&nseq=11, that's a fairly bright green not unlike pics of the later years.

The last I heard, it was likely going to come out black again so as to match the 630 for possible doubleheading at some point.

As far as the other questions...no, it wasn't green during the tenure on the Southern. That was reserved for passenger power (4-6-2s, 4-8-2s, etc). While I guess it's possible that 4501 might have pulled a passenger train at some point, it wasn't passenger power, and likely spent a lot of time in local service since it was never upgraded with a feedwater heater.

Not sure on a completion date. Sometime next year is probably a good guess. A lot of the shop guys being out on the road with the 630 are probably slowing things somewhat.

Now if they can just find that whistle that was on her in the early 90s again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2hGxlmUWV8 (I was riding this particular trip).
Kevin

She had a nice whistle on her back in the early '70s and Walter Dove liked to play it. The '90s whistle sounds nice.
On a couple trips she had a British peanut whistle on her along with the regular one.

I truly doubt it will ever happen but, I would love to see her dog house and dooley bonnet come back! In my opinion, they are two of the most distinctive features of Southern steam! Almost all the locomotives in freight service had some form of smoke deflector.

Btw, for those of you who are curios to how the Southern mikado locomotives looked with Worthington feed water heaters, here are two photos.

During her earlier career in the Southern Railway excursion program, No. 630 was painted in the black freight scheme while both 4501 and 630's sister 2-8-0 No. 722 both wore the "Virginia Green" made famous by the SR passenger engines such as the Ps4. On that count it's unlikely that having 4501 in green would make a difference as far as double-heading with 630. On the other hand, for the sake of historical accuracy, freight black might be more appropriate for an engine that spent the better part of its pre-celebrity life toiling as a work-a-day freight locomotive.

Agreed, surely there has to be a better looking set of roller bearing converted trucks out there, that particular set just doesn't look right.

Congratulations finderskeepers! You have just appointed yourself to the single-person truck committee. You tasked yourself with finding, delivering and installing a set of properly-springed roller bearing-equipped trucks which have new wheel sets. Don't forget to do proper and approved modifications to the brake rigging and provide a supply of brake shoes. Please keep us up-to-date with frequent posts and pictures of your progress.

Phillips, it's the axleboxes that are the chief source of bother -- specifically the visible roller-bearing ends. Rotating caps are pretty intrusive in drawing attention to themselves as a technical anachronism...

Probably not that difficult to make up some fakes to go over the roller-bearing endcaps, but that raises other authenticity questions... on the other hand, it should be a simple task for the 'truck committee'. Might even be able to make some thin flexible hollow castings of prototypical journal-box covers and rig some clips to hold them securely but allow easy access for checking...

That's been done before, but it's now a no-no. Fake boxes interfere with line side defect detectors.

Would you rather see 4501 running only down to Summerville or on the TVRM local or sitting cold (which it would almost certainly be doing without the about-face from NS regarding their history and their attitude toward steam), or would you rather have her blasting down the main at 40 (albeit with rollers on the tender)?

Except 99% of the non-railfan world won't notice the difference. It's a ROI thing - is it worth the time and money to make the change?

Also, like 630s and 4501s 26L brake system, you can find parts for the rb-tender trucks no matter where you are on the NS system, thus less spare parts to drag around.