A 1938 Perspective on the 3460 Class

On this "throwback Thursday," enjoy a detailed article from the March 12, 1938 pages of Railway Age.  From the archives of a CSR Board Member comes this detailed look at the 3460-class of locomotives, of which 3463 is a member.  At the time, railroads tended to work with locomotive manufacturers to design locomotives to suit their needs, a uniqueness that was both beneficial in providing route-specific designs but detrimental in that it lead to a lack of standardization across companies and parts manufacuturers.

It is interesting to note the level of detail provided by the article, from detailing the camber of the driving axle springs to the specific type of staybolts employed.  It is worth highlighting that the designers were conscious of the potential need to change fuel types:

"The oil tank is integral with the water-tank structure. Conversion for coal can be made by removing the top of the oil tank over the coal space and substituting coal gates for the front oil-tank closure."

Read the entire article here or by clicking on the image above.