Steam Powered (1920s-1930s)
In 1928, the last steam powered engine was acquired, but the existing steam engines continued to run into the 1950s. During the 1920s, a number of gas-electric cars were designed, but the new engines did not have the staying power of the steam engines and were soon replaced with diesel in the 1940s. A few small changes in design of the final steam engines distinguish them from the models of the first two decades of the 20th century.
The most notable change in the construction of the new engines is the addition of a third set of wheels. Originally, engines had one set of small truck wheels in the front and a larger set of driving wheels in the rear. Eventually, a third set of small wheels were placed to the rear of the main driving wheels to further supplement the increasing speed of the engines. Note the additional wheels in the rear of the main driving wheels, which are the larger set of wheels in the center of the engine. Also note how the size of the main driving wheels has decreased. The wheel common wheel configurations of this time period were 2-10-4 ("The Texas Type") and 4-8-2 ("The Mountain Type"). A 2-10-4 is seen below with two truck wheels at the front, ten large driving wheels in the center, and four small driving wheels in the rear.
1920s Engine: Image courtesy of Robert C. Jones, The Central Vermont Railway: A Yankee Tradition, 1981
The smokestack has again decreased in size, barely extending past the top of the engine. The entire engine has increased in length, accommodating the new set of wheels, and the cabin in the rear is almost fully encompassed into the body of the engine. A smaller, more narrow headlight protrudes from the front of the engine, and the grille is more foreshortened. Examine the series of images below to gain an understanding of the intricate detail of the engines from this era. The front and profile views are quite distinguishable from earlier engines.
1920s Engine: Image courtesy of Robert C. Jones
1920s Engine: Image courtesy of Robert C. Jones
1920s Engine: Image courtesy of Robert C. Jones
