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KaneTakerfan701 — Milwaukee Hiawatha Coming Through
Published: 2019-09-04 15:07:49 +0000 UTC; Views: 709; Favourites: 13; Downloads: 0
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On a warm sunny day, Milwaukee Road steam locomotive, Class A Engine No. 1 comes flying by with the six coach Hiawatha express on CSW.Models & Route by K&L, Trainz and Download Station
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Comments: 3
That's a cute little streamliner but it sucks that one Class A wasn't preserved.......
At least we have the Lionel models to keep it alive, it'll always be a part of the Milwaukee Road and in the memories of those who've seen it fly by with the Hiawatha during it's time no matter who tells of it, it's sister engines and the MR Hudson engines and the train's history.
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AT the time I thought they were nothing like a steam engine. I guess as a kid they didn't win my interest but thank to K&L and the model itself and it's sounds it makes, it did win me over and now have an interest for it.
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During the years of the Great Economic Depression, very few railroads in America were allowed mortifying declines in traffic revenues including stocks.
One solution that many railroads attempted to overture to the public in order to maintain passenger ridership was to grant newly-acquired sleek-streamlined trains that could go faster as lower operating costs.
The Chicago Minneapolis St. Paul Railway (or Milwaukee Road) was no exception at that time.
But a fierce competition ensued between the Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Chicago & Northwestern and the Milwaukee Road to submit the fastest service between Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
First the CB&Q experimented with a streamlined diesel-powered consist called "The Zephyr", then the C&NW recommissioned a number of 4-6-2 'Pacific's and the road's current passenger cars, creating "The 400" for its 400 minute service, last but not least the Milwaukee Road ordered four revolutionary 4-4-2 Atlantic's from ALCO, long before their own shops designed and built two sets of six matching cars.
The result was the strongest 4-4-2 Atlantic ever formed (highest HP) and a fleet of passenger cars that weighed 35% less than a conventional heavyweight equipment of the time.
The locomotive had four enormous 84" drivers, shorter cylinders, and an eccentric arrangement of the running gear stemming from the lead driver rather than the second driver, which dramatically decreased piston speeds, much less taxing on the running gear overall.
The new 1935 timetable called for 422 miles in (7) hours with an average speed of 60 mph with only eleven stops along the route.
Consists began in '35 with a Tip Top Tap buffet lounge car, three coaches, one parlor car, and a beaver tail parlor observation car.
By the end of the 1st year, another coach was acquired to accommodate the increasing popularity of the train.
By 1937 before WWII, the train extended into nine cars in length, and still growing as needed.
At this point, the Milwaukee Road decided to modernize their 4-6-4 F-7 class Hudsons which pushed the 4-4-2 Atlantics to reassign on other Hiawatha trains.
Designed and built as oil-burners, equipped with a Leslie A-125 air horn instead of a usual steam whistle, the 'A' class was well chosen steam engine designed to cruise at about 100 mph on a daily basis, which they did for 16 years until eventually dieselization took over in 1951.
Sadly however, none of the (4) 'A' Class locomotives built in 1935 and 1936 survived the cutting torch from the scrapper.
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