| Posted by Snowy on July 30, 2008 | |
Is it possible that this engine is oil-fired? Because that gap looks about 10-12ft.
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Yes, you could well be correct. Oil firing would be a logical explanation for the difference in footplate heights - an early 'Camel Back' arrangement. Also those could be oil tanks in the tender. No doubt an expert on American steam locos out there will give us the definative answer.
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Actually, I am not sure about the fuel type, but this loco looks like an "almost" camel back loco. You can see that the firebox extends beyond the end of the cab. I believe the fireman's hand is resting on the backhead of the boiler, so the distance from tender to backhead isn't much more than typical. The cab has been moved forward and astride the boiler, just not a far forward as was typical in most camel backs. If I remember correctly, Reading fielded quite a few camelbacks, could this be some sort of proto-camelback from the early days?
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