Heavy Metal

[67newport]

Construction Workers for the Empire State BuildingThere were 3,400 construction laborers who worked on the projects. They earned about $15 per day and built 2.5 floors every week. In total, construction finished in a record time of 1 year and 45 days - unheard of even in today's construction climate.

 

[amazinblue82]

Construction Workers for the Empire State BuildingThere were 3,400 construction laborers who worked on the projects. They earned about $15 per day and built 2.5 floors every week. In total, construction finished in a record time of 1 year and 45 days - unheard of even in today's construction climate.

$15 a day? That's like $300 a day in 2023. That's primo lettuce even today, let alone in the Great Depression.

CPI Inflation Calculator

No wonder that baby went up in record time. No shortage of guys ready to work their a***s off.

 

[Snotty]

I did not know the Repulse and PofW story. Only had peripheral understanding of these events.

Don't feel bad, most Americans are unaware of these events because we are centered on Pearl Harbor.

Don't know if that link said so or not, but the PoW still had one inoperable turret in this battle. A result of its fight with the Bismarck.

Most also do not know that about the same time these two British ships were being sunk the USAAF launched its first bombing sorties of the war. Also in the Philippines, Japanese targets were bombed with B-18 Bolos. Perhaps the only missions they flew in the entire war. The B-18 was a bomber version of the C-47/DC-3.

 

[67newport]

A 1934 photo of Ludlow & Southern No. 2, a former steam locomotive repowered with a Holt tractor gas engine, photographed at Steadman, Calif.​

The oddest of oddball locomotives - Trains

Is this the oddest of oddball locomotives? The Ludlow & Southern No. 2 was a former steam locomotive repowered with a tractor engine.

www.trains.com

 

[amazinblue82]

A 1934 photo of Ludlow & Southern No. 2, a former steam locomotive repowered with a Holt tractor gas engine, photographed at Steadman, Calif.​

View attachment 629259

http://[URL][URL][URL][URL][URL][UR...ocomotives/the-oddest-of-oddball-locomotives/

[/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL][/URL]

its about a 10 minute read at the link. some of the roots of the demise of stream locomotives?

fascinating story how a Holt (later absorbed by Caterpillar) gasoline tractor engine was retrofit (with a chain drive) into a "4-6-0" steam locomotive chassis.

Excerpt from link:

"During its operating day, [L&S had] a couple of secondhand steam locomotives were on the roster, including a former New York Central 4-6-0, kept busy hauling ore from the mine to Ludlow and then on the Santa Fe to Barstow for processing.

With the fortunes of the railroad tied to the mine it served, when the latter played out, the Ludlow & Southern, now with nothing to haul, basically just stopped running in or around 1916.

Lying in the middle of nowhere, the track remained pretty much intact for the better part of two decades.

Long before the mine gave out, the L&S’s primary locomotive, the boiler of that ex-NYC 4-6-0 picked up secondhand through a broker became incapable of safely operating.

Like everything else on the railroad, the deferred maintenance of the Ten-Wheeler led to another quandary. How to get the hopper cars from the mine to Ludlow?

With no money in the coffers, Santa Fe was not about to loan the L&S a locomotive, let alone investors who had seemingly turned a deaf ear to the railroad’s problems.

It was time for creative thinking.

Besides the boiler, all the other components of the 4-6-0 were in “serviceable condition.” What if the railroad could rebuild the steamer?

Well, if the boiler was no good, get rid of it. And so, the workers did. As well as the cab, pilot, and handrails.

In its place, a Holt Manufacturing Co. gasoline tractor engine was mounted on the frame and connected to the drivers by chain drive.

A fuel tank was installed where the cab used to be, and rudimentary engine controls were mounted on a stand. With no need for a tender, that was dispatched to wherever old tenders go.

The logic of using a Holt engine was flawless. Holt, which had already established itself as a manufacturer of tough tractors, was headquartered in Stockton, Calif., so replacement parts, if there was money on hand, were not that far away. Holt, by the way, was later absorbed by Caterpillar.

Incredibly, the contraption worked. While it could only go a few miles per hour, with a short 8-mile trip it really wasn’t much of an inconvenience.

When the railroad quit, presumably the desert, or the local scrap dealer reclaimed the makeshift locomotive."

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The following are examples (source - Wikipedia) of early 20th-century Holt tractor and a NY Central 4-6-0.

Not intend to/dont represent the equipment L&S actually converted, but what they used may have been similar.

 

[3175375]

Lifted from Facebook.

This aircraft also was discussed in a book that I am reading, that documents the history of the B-36.

Additionally, this aircraft has been moved to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio and is planned to be restored (date not set).

In July 1950, the XC-99 flew its first cargo mission, "Operation Elephant." It transported 101,266 pounds (45,933 kg) of cargo, including engines and propellers for the B-36, from San Diego to Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, a record it would later break when it lifted 104,000 lb (47,200 kg) from an airfield at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevation. In August 1953, the XC-99 would make its longest flight, 12,000 mi (19,000 km), to Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, by way of Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda and Lajes Field in the Azores. It carried more than 60,000 lb (27,000 kg) each way. It attracted much attention everywhere it flew.

The US Air Force determined that it had no need for such a large, long-range transport at that time, and no more were ordered. The sole XC-99 served until 1957, including much use during the Korean War. It made twice weekly trips from Kelly AFB to the aircraft depot at McClellan Air Force Base, California, transporting supplies and parts for the B-36 bomber while returning by way of other bases or depots making pick-ups and deliveries along the way. During its operational life, the XC-99 logged over 7,400 hours total time, and transported more than 60 million pounds (27,000 metric tons) of cargo. The aircraft made its last flight on 19 March 1957, landing at Kelly Air Force Base, where it would remain for the next 47 years. The then-United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, requested that the aircraft be flown there for display, but the Air Force refused due to the $7,400 cost of the flight.

Design capacity of the XC-99 was 100,000 lb (45,000 kg) of cargo or 400 fully equipped soldiers on its double cargo decks. A cargo lift was installed for easier loading. The engines face rearward in a pusher configuration.

Photo-Description:
Aircraft Type: Convair XC-99 attached to the MATS 1700th Air Transport Group, Kelly AFB, Texas, 1954. Note San Antonio Air Materiel Area (SAAMA) tail marking, indicating the aircraft was assigned to the Air Materiel Command.
Source:
Menard, David W. (1993) USAF Plus Fifteen: A Photo History, 1947-1962. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0887404839 Image source listed as United States Air Force.

 

[amazinblue82]

Rare, but they did blow.

Chesapeake & Ohio RR "2-10-4" locomotive, May 1948, Chillicothe, Ohio. 3 men killed (engineer, fireman, and the brake man) by scalding steam when boiler exploded.

Basically, we see the boiler turned "inside out", with the "tentacles" consisting of the exhaust pipes that exhausted the firebox/heated water, plus likely air lines and other engine control remnants.

Theorized that the crew ran the train for a little while with insufficient water in the boiler, something the industry learned 80 years before was not good. Up to ~300 psi/~350 degrees F° in some locomotives.

Insufficient water in the system could expose the boiler parts to heat-related fatigue to the degree boiler cannot contain the steam pressure - turning the boiler into a "bomb" in effect.

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Actual train

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Typical operating overview of most any steam locomotive, and an example/cutaway of an actual boiler with its associated firebox/flues (right side would be inside the cab, left side its front of the train, and the flues (tubes) that exhausted the fire box/helped heat the water).

 

[amazinblue82]

Actually, pretty neat. 18 minutes, if you have interest/time, of the P-51 Mustang D model, put in service in 1943..

Overview of structure, function, armaments, etc.

i read average age of a WWII US fighter pilot was 22 ... that's pretty young for such a responsibility for this awesome war machine it seems.

 

[3175375]

Decommissioned: 30 November 1970 - USS Razorback (SS-394), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named after the razorback, a species of whale (Balaenoptera physalus) found in the far southern reaches of the Pacific Ocean.

It is arguably the longest-serving submarine still existing in the world, having been commissioned by two different countries for 57 years of active duty. In 2004, the state of Arkansas adopted the submarine, although it was not named after the University of Arkansas mascot, and is now a museum ship at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine on 9 September 1943. She was launched on 27 January 1944 along with Redfish and Ronquil.

Scabbardfish was launched a few hours later, making 27 January 1944 the first and only time the US Navy has launched four submarines at one shipyard in a single day. Razorback was sponsored by Mrs. H. F. D. Davis, and commissioned on 3 April 1944 with Lieutenant Commander Albert M. Bontier in command.

After shakedown off New England, Razorback sailed to Pearl Harbor. Her first war patrol, commencing 25 August, was conducted east of Luzon as a member of an offensive group in support of the mid-September Palau landings. After sighting only enemy antisubmarine planes, she headed northeastward, arriving at Midway Island on 19 October.

On 15 November Razorback sailed from Midway Island on her second war patrol under the command of Lieutenant Commander Brown in company with Trepang and Segundo. Operating with these submarines in the Luzon Straits, Razorback damaged 6933 ton freighter Kenjo Maru on 6 December and sank the old 820 ton destroyer Kuretake and damaged another freighter on 30 December. She arrived at Guam for refit on 5 January 1945.

On 1 February Razorback set out for the East China Sea for her third war patrol, this time accompanied by Segundo and Sea Cat. After sinking four wooden ships in three separate surface gun actions, she deposited three Japanese prisoners at Guam before terminating her patrol at Pearl Harbor on 26 March 1945.

On 7 May Razorback headed west again. Assigned to lifeguard duty in the Nanpō Islands and Tokyo Bay areas, she rescued Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Taylor, a P-51 fighter pilot from the 21st Fighter Group on 25 May. On 5 June she rescued four B-29 Superfortress crewmen shot down during an air raid over Kobe, Japan. Razorback retired to Midway Island to end that patrol and refit on 27 June.

On 22 July Razorback departed Midway Island for patrol in the Okhotsk Sea, where she sank six wooden cargo sea trucks, aka. ammunition and fuel curriers, and damaged two in a surface gun action. The remainder of the patrol was spent performing lifeguard services off Paramushiro for Alaska-based planes. On 31 August Razorback entered Tokyo Bay with 11 other submarines to take part in the formal Japanese surrender. She departed 3 September, arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 11 September and San Diego, California on 20 September.

Under terms of the Security Assistance Program, she again Decommissioned on 30 November 1970 at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, CA; struck from the Naval Vessel Registry and was transferred (sale) to the Republic of Turkey.

Concurrently, the ex-Razorback was commissioned as TGC Muratreis (S-336) of the Turkish Navy. In 1974, Muratreis (S-336) departed the Golcuk Navy Yard, Turkey under combat conditions as a participant in the "Cyprus Peace Operations".
Decommissioned from the Turkish Navy on 8 August 2001, she was laid up at Golcuk awaiting final disposition.

Through the efforts of various veteran and civic organizations, the veteran submarine was purchased from the Turkish Government for the scrap price of $37,500. After receiving seaworthiness overhaul at a shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, the ex-Razorback again put to sea (under tow) on 5 May 2004.

After departure, she made port calls in Gibraltar and Key West, FL and arrived at her final berth at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, North Little Rock, AR on 16 July 2004. Since July 2005, ex-Razorback/ex-Muratreis has been open to the public.

Razorback received five battle stars for World War II service, and four stars for Vietnam service.

See: USS Razorback (SS-394) - Wikipedia
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08394.htm
http://aimmuseum.org/

 

[3175375]

As a superheavy tank, the E100 unsurprisingly carried immense armor, which, in places, would have been impenetrable to all anti-tank guns fielded during the Second World War. The front of the hull was 200 mm thick, and angled at 60 degrees. This combination resulted in an effective thickness of an incredible 400 mm! This would have been a challenge even for Cold War tanks. The sides were 120 mm thick, with the upper half covered by the removable side skirts that were 75 mm thick, for a total thickness of 195 mm. The Mighty E100: Germany's 136-Ton Superheavy Tank

 

[amazinblue82]

This is a giant topic.ultimately covering 1942 to 2030 - maybe. So, I am only gonna stick a toe in the water but include some references for "locomotive-files to dig in if interested

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First, duplex locomotives. 20 minutes to go over this particular design of steam locomotives. The "duplex" design.

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It introduces the Pennsyvania RR "T-1" "shown below), perhaps the finest steam locomotive ever made, unfornately "obsolete" (the emergence/power/operating efficiency of the diesel electrics late 1940's.

A "duplex design", could easiiy do 100 mph under load, "state-of-the-art" in steam BUT had huge drawbacks, lasted less than a decade (1945 to 1953).

ALL prototype and production models were scrapped, and NOT ONE of the 50+ made as production models, remains. That will be the point in PRESENT DAY where this post end.

source: Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 - Wikipedia

"The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) class T1 duplex-drive 4-4-4-4 steam locomotives, introduced in 1942 with two prototypes and later in 1945-1946 with 50 production examples, were the last steam locomotives built for the PRR and arguably its most controversial.

They were ambitious, technologically sophisticated, powerful, fast and distinctively streamlined by Raymond Loewy.

However, they were also prone to wheelslip both when starting and at speed, in addition to being complicated to maintain and expensive to run.

The PRR decided in 1948 to place diesel locomotives on all express passenger trains, leaving unanswered questions as to whether the T1's flaws were solvable."

1943- T1 prototype at the builder's yard before delivery to PRR

1943 - T1 prototyoe leaving Chicago

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Fast forward to PRESENT DAY. Pennsylvania_Railroad_5550

Some diehards trying to build, in the PRESENT DAY, a NEW duplex steam locomotive based on an improved version of the failed "T-1" design from the 1950's. Illustration below.

Recall again, NOT ONE locomotive remained in existence (thats rare) after PRR completed scrapping them ALL by 1955. They have fromed an in organization (The T-1 Trust) that wants to build one today.

I am NOT hawking the trust at all, but they have a couple bucks from me .. might be able to paint a rivit head with it, but every little bit counts

20 minute vid will get you up to date:

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I feel two ways about this. A steam locomotive, arguably in the rear-view mirror of transportation technology -why?

Well why do I, and many of you, have cars last made in 1978? We friggin' love 'em.

I wish these people luck.

 

[3175375]

This is a giant topic.ultimately covering 1942 to 2030 - maybe. So, I am only gonna stick a toe in the water but include some references for "locomotive-files to dig in if interested

---

First, duplex locomotives. 20 minutes to go over this particular design of steam locomotives. The "duplex" design.

---

It introduces the Pennsyvania RR "T-1" "shown below), perhaps the finest steam locomotive ever made, unfornately "obsolete" (the emergence/power/operating efficiency of the diesel electrics late 1940's.

A "duplex design", could easiiy do 100 mph under load, "state-of-the-art" in steam BUT had huge drawbacks, lasted less than a decade (1945 to 1953).

ALL prototype and production models were scrapped, and NOT ONE of the 50+ made as production models, remains. That will be the point in PRESENT DAY where this post end.

source: Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 - Wikipedia

"The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) class T1 duplex-drive 4-4-4-4 steam locomotives, introduced in 1942 with two prototypes and later in 1945-1946 with 50 production examples, were the last steam locomotives built for the PRR and arguably its most controversial.

They were ambitious, technologically sophisticated, powerful, fast and distinctively streamlined by Raymond Loewy.

However, they were also prone to wheelslip both when starting and at speed, in addition to being complicated to maintain and expensive to run.

The PRR decided in 1948 to place diesel locomotives on all express passenger trains, leaving unanswered questions as to whether the T1's flaws were solvable."

1943- T1 prototype at the builder's yard before delivery to PRR
View attachment 630690View attachment 630697

1943 - T1 prototyoe leaving Chicago
View attachment 630691

---

---

Fast forward to PRESENT DAY. Pennsylvania_Railroad_5550

Some diehards trying to build, in the PRESENT DAY, a NEW duplex steam locomotive based on an improved version of the failed "T-1" design from the 1950's. Illustration below.

Recall again, NOT ONE locomotive remained in existence (thats rare) after PRR completed scrapping them ALL by 1955. They have fromed an in organization (The T-1 Trust) that wants to build one today.

I am NOT hawking the trust at all, but they have a couple bucks from me .. might be able to paint a rivit head with it, but every little bit counts

View attachment 630689
View attachment 630694

20 minute vid will get you up to date:

---

I feel two ways about this. A steam locomotive, arguably in the rear-view mirror of transportation technology -why?

Well why do I, and many of you, have cars last made in 1978? We friggin' love 'em.

I wish these people luck.

Thanks for sharing - very neat!

 

[polara71]

This is a giant topic.ultimately covering 1942 to 2030 - maybe. So, I am only gonna stick a toe in the water but include some references for "locomotive-files to dig in if interested

---

First, duplex locomotives. 20 minutes to go over this particular design of steam locomotives. The "duplex" design.

---

It introduces the Pennsyvania RR "T-1" "shown below), perhaps the finest steam locomotive ever made, unfornately "obsolete" (the emergence/power/operating efficiency of the diesel electrics late 1940's.

A "duplex design", could easiiy do 100 mph under load, "state-of-the-art" in steam BUT had huge drawbacks, lasted less than a decade (1945 to 1953).

ALL prototype and production models were scrapped, and NOT ONE of the 50+ made as production models, remains. That will be the point in PRESENT DAY where this post end.

source: Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 - Wikipedia

"The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) class T1 duplex-drive 4-4-4-4 steam locomotives, introduced in 1942 with two prototypes and later in 1945-1946 with 50 production examples, were the last steam locomotives built for the PRR and arguably its most controversial.

They were ambitious, technologically sophisticated, powerful, fast and distinctively streamlined by Raymond Loewy.

However, they were also prone to wheelslip both when starting and at speed, in addition to being complicated to maintain and expensive to run.

The PRR decided in 1948 to place diesel locomotives on all express passenger trains, leaving unanswered questions as to whether the T1's flaws were solvable."

1943- T1 prototype at the builder's yard before delivery to PRR
View attachment 630690View attachment 630697

1943 - T1 prototyoe leaving Chicago
View attachment 630691

---

---

Fast forward to PRESENT DAY. Pennsylvania_Railroad_5550

Some diehards trying to build, in the PRESENT DAY, a NEW duplex steam locomotive based on an improved version of the failed "T-1" design from the 1950's. Illustration below.

Recall again, NOT ONE locomotive remained in existence (thats rare) after PRR completed scrapping them ALL by 1955. They have fromed an in organization (The T-1 Trust) that wants to build one today.

I am NOT hawking the trust at all, but they have a couple bucks from me .. might be able to paint a rivit head with it, but every little bit counts

View attachment 630689
View attachment 630694

20 minute vid will get you up to date:

---

I feel two ways about this. A steam locomotive, arguably in the rear-view mirror of transportation technology -why?

Well why do I, and many of you, have cars last made in 1978? We friggin' love 'em.

I wish these people luck.

I finished both Vids Ray, start to finish. I have more questions than answers. Still very insightful. Neat stuff.

 

[3175375]

Interlocking Armor.
Later WWII German tanks often employed 'interlocking' armor at plate joins.
There are a few reasons for this.

Joining any two thick steel plates together is no easy task, and requires some serious strength. Many countries opted to cast parts of their tanks to avoid welding large plates together and increase production speed.

Germany mainly used plates as their choice of armor, which has a slight benefit in armor protection, but, as mentioned, is much harder to join. Additionally, welds run the risk of cracking when the armor is impacted.

Germany also faced another problem in the later years of the war: materials. The materials and ingredients required to make strong, high quality armor were in ever decreasing supply. To compensate for this and maintain protection levels, steels with a much higher carbon content were used.

However, these suboptimal ingredients meant these steels became harder to weld together, further increasing the risk of welds breaking open after an impact.
So the Germans added interlocking armor to bolster the strength of the joins.
Before any welds are even added, interlocked armor joins are already strong as they are held together by gravity. As a result, they normally don't require as much weld to hold together.

But the higher carbon plates did need more weld, and interlocking armor helped here too. The notches increased the join area, meaning the line of weld can be much longer without much cost in size.

In the event that a weld did break, the interlocking plates held each other in place.
The drawback of interlocked armor plates was the added complexity on production lines, reducing production speed. The notches had to be cut out of plates sometimes up to 250 mm thick - as on the Jagdtiger - by highly skilled engineers, and then required more highly skilled welders to finish the join.

This contributed to the lower production rates of German vehicles.

In short: A lack of materials made German armor plates harder to weld together. Interlocking armor increased join strength by supporting itself under gravity and providing a larger area to weld.

 

[67newport]

 

[3175375]

This could have gone in Nose Art, too.

Stratovision - Wikipedia

 

[amazinblue82]

View attachment 631181

We have this one here .. can't fiind it though. She's a beauty though. With tender, 800,000 lbs that could easily get 100 mph -- in 1941.

source: Southern Pacific 4449 - Wikipedia

Excerpt

"Southern Pacific 4449, also known as the Daylight, is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's "GS-4" class of 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives,

And one of only two GS-class locomotives surviving, the other being "GS-6" 4460 at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri.

The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Southern Pacific in May 1941; it received the red-and-orange "Daylight" paint scheme for the passenger trains of the same name which it hauled for most of its service career. No. 4449 was retired from revenue service in 1956 and put into storage.

In 1958, the Southern Pacific donated the locomotive to the City of Portland, Oregon. The City then put the locomotive on static display near Oaks Amusement Park, where it remained until 1974.

After this, No. 4449 was then restored to operation for use in the American Freedom Train, which toured the 48 contiguous United States as part of the nation's 1976 Bicentennial celebration. The locomotive has operated in excursion service since 1984."

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11 min vid. Beautiful scenery of this fine restored machine. Its loud .. so watch your volume.

 

[amazinblue82]

Can these (refurbished) old steam jobs still do 100 mph?

Here the Flying Scotsman (the name of the traiin), using this LNER_Gresley_Class locomotive built in 1920's, and stilll runinng today.

Alleged to be doing 100 mph here (in 2019), 90 second video, with no speed measurement devices except your eyes/ears, and see what you think.

Dunno if its 100, but to me its hauling a**.

 

[amazinblue82]

This photo is here somewhere. I cant find where I commented on it as I recognize the location

This photo is alleged to be Detroit, in 1950.

However its location IN the city is listed as 2-3 different places. Though 1950 predates my time on the planet, I did live in Detroit since 1967, worked in this area in the 1980's, etc..

I am pretty sure this is the Lodge Freeway, southbound on the left lanes, obviously looking north toward the train), at roughly Grand Boulevard. That building at upper right still stands and is located on Baltimore Street.

Two, short blocks away (to the right, or east) is the Fisher Building and original (built 1927) GM Building.

This RR track (AmTrack may still be using it), as you continue east, goes into an area of Detroit that was PACKED with major industrial buildings (and connecting RR spurs serving specific locations), many buildings still there as historical sites and/or reuse structures (e.g., Ford and Chrysler in Highland Park, hulking, former Murray Auto Body (now the Russell industrial Center), former Dodge Main in Hamtramck, former Packard Complex, two of the biggest, former Fisher Body Plants, Chrysler Jefferson Avenue, Budd, Briggs Body, etc.).

Red circle is overpass location over the Lodge, red line is directional main route through the city.

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My point, other than fascinated with Detroit's once globally-mighty industrial past.

I wanna identify the locomotive. Been trying without success.

Its BIG (huge boiler, tall drive wheels, made for heavy hauling at speed, etc.,), nearly 100 ft. long (looks like an "4-8-4") it appears (with tender) nearly span all six lanes/then medians of the freeway.

AND by 1950, it was a heavy metal "dinosaur" as the diesel-electrics were well on their way to domination, meaning relatively FEWER RR's were using big, honkin', steam rigs like this one by then.

This locomotive look familiar to any of you all? Any local folks know the route through the city?

 

[67newport]