Yesterday we learned about Switchers or Switch Engines. I was looking through websites trying to find nice pictures of "old time" Switchers while also finding the importance of one.
Richard Leonard's Steam Locomotive Archive: http://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/gtw.htm
Switcher No. 8380 in the yards at Durand, Michigan during the summer of 1953. No. 8380 and its eleven sisters in class P-5-g were erected by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929. With cylinder dimensions of 22x28 inches, they sustained a boiler pressure of 220 pounds per square inch. They had 51-inch diameter driving wheels, weighed 215,150 pounds, and exerted 49,691 pounds.~ Thanks Mr. Leonard
I really love Mr. Leonard's site. I have gone there many times looking at old trains in Michigan.
I also went to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switcher, but we all know that sometimes there information might be wrong. I did end up find what purpose a "Switcher" has. "The typical switcher is optimized for its job, being relatively low-powered but with a high starting tractive effort for getting heavy cars rolling quickly. Switchers are geared to produce high torque but are restricted to low top speeds and have small diameter driving wheels. Switchers are rail analogs to tugboats." If you go to the Wikipedia website, they do show some nice pictures.
While I was on my adventure I found this video on YouTube. It's really neat.......
Oh to let you know, we have a new schedule of us on tour. Please come visit us......
September
St. Sebastian Church
3965 Merrick
Dearborn Hts. MI
September 25, 2011
11am thru 4pm
October
Train O Rama
Costick Community Center
28600 11mile Rd
Farmington Hills, MI
October 30, 2011
10am thru 4pm
November
Rails on Wheels
Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds
November 27, 2011
10am thru 4pm
December
St. Mary's of Orchard Lake
3535 Indian Trail
Orchard Lake, MI
December 4, 2011
10am thru 3pm
No comments:
Post a Comment