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4-14-4 AA20-1

I wonder if model vendors ever consider modeling failed trains. The 4-14-4 was a single prototype Russian leviathan that made only one publicity trip in 1935. It was apparently so heavy that it spread the track, wrecked the points of switches, was far too large for the turntables, too powerful for the couplers in use at the time, and, oops, had a grossly undersized boiler so it couldn't run very long at full power.

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Aside from a few flaws it seemed like a great train... Lionel could build it and release it in a set with special spreadable FasTrack and an accessory station with a little figure of Stalin that pops out with a dour look on his face.

Reply to
Spender
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This certainly is an interesting prototype. A sketch of this Russian monster, most likely by a very young Linn Westcott, appears on page 14 of the January, 1936 issue of MR. It may just be artistic license, but, the drawing shows the main rod connected to the fourth driver while the valve gear originates on the fifth driver! I've never seen this this kind of differentiation elsewhere. Is it true for the

4-14-4? Do other examples of this exist? Thank you in advance.

Jerry

Reply to
trainjer

I want to see how they get it around O27 curves!

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg Procter

I haven't seen the drawing but from your description I wonder if it was a futile attempt to reduce the excessive axle loading on the driven axle?

The Prussian P10 had a third set of Heusinger valve gear for the center cylinder driven from the third driving axle (two sets one side, one set on the other)

Reply to
Greg Procter

Of course the Russians did it!!!

All the pictures and data are a State secret.

Chuck D,

Reply to
Charles Davis

I have a photo in a book - you can't actually see the wheels because the photo was taken through a buttonhole of a winter coat and then through a dirty window but it's definitely a big loco!

Reply to
Greg Procter

Only one was ever built in the 1930s, and it only did one test run. It then sat around in a remote corner into at least the 1950s.

Therefore, photos of it are very rare:

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I forget what type of valve gear this is called, but I think it was popular in eastern Europe. You would have to ask misc.transport.rail.europe

It should be noted from that first photo just how massive Russian locomotives could get. They have a larger loading gauge (allowable equipment size) there than in the USA.

Reply to
gl4316

Yes, the few photos available show that the return crank was fitted to the crankpin of the 5th driver. I wouldn't say it's common, but there were other examples of European engines with this arrangement.

Cheers,

Mark.

Reply to
Mark Newton

So, did Andreev end up in the gulag?

Or did he get promoted? Oops; getting confused with corporate America.

Reply to
Steve Caple

Sounds like Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose!

Reply to
Rick Jones

Blind drivers?

Reply to
Frank A. Rosenbaum

I guess to me it seems somewhat remarkable that Russia never did much with articulated locomotives. The only articulated I have ever heard of is one example of a Beyer Garratt that was exported there. Unlike just about all other Beyer Garratt locomotives out there, it apparently wasn't popular and was never duplicated.

It seems to me that articulated locomotives would have been the way to deal with heavy trains on light rail.

Though, I suppose if your goal is to keep everyone employed, weather it makes sense or not, multiple heading much smaller locomotives is the way to go.

Reply to
gl4316

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