NYC Niagara - Locomotive Details

Locomotive Details

The first actual Niagara ordered by the NYC was Class S-1a #6000 in 1945. The S-1b (6001-6025) were delivered in 1945-46. These were built as mixed-purpose locomotives. The 4-8-4 traditionally is a passenger locomotive, which the NYC used its Niagaras for after World War II, but War Production Board regulations prohibited the building of passenger engines in 1945. The NYC's last steam locomotive was a Class S-2 Niagara: #5500; it had poppet valves. One notable trait of the Niagaras was that they did not have steam domes, as most other steam locomotives did, which resulted in a very smooth contour across the top of the boiler. A perforated pipe was used to collect steam instead. This was necessary because of the lower loading gauge of the New York Central (15 ft 2 in versus 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) for the other American railroads).

These locomotives had quite a small water capacity (18,000 US gallons 68,000 litres) in the tender, because the New York Central was one of the few in North America which used track pans (or water troughs). This allowed for a larger coal capacity, which enabled the New York to Chicago run to be done with only one intermediate fueling: usually at Wayneport, New York (a few miles east of Rochester). Fuel capacity was an enormous 92,000 pounds (42 t).

On test, these locomotives achieved 6,700 hp (5,000 kW), and ran an average of 26,000 miles per month.

• Cylinders:
• Bore and stroke: 25½×32 inches (648×813 mm)
• Driving wheel diameter: 79 inches (2.0 m)
• Boiler pressure: 275 lbf/in² (1.90 MPa)
• Tractive effort: 61,570 pounds-force (273.9 kN)
• Axle load: 32 long tons (32.5 t)
• Valve gear: Baker valve gear
• Total length: 115 feet 5+1⁄₂ inches (35.192 m)
• Total weight: 405 long tons (411 t)

All bearings were either roller bearings or needle rollers.