Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4s

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SD80MAC
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Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4s

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The following is another "Steam Sunday" segment I recently posted on my Michigan Railfans Facebook group. Once again, I'm not an expert, but the following is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Enjoy!

For the first Steam Sunday of 2021 (Happy New Year!), we’ll be taking a look at another group of my favorite steam locomotives that once called Michigan home: The Grand Trunk Western’s 4-8-4s. The 4-8-4 type has perhaps more regional nicknames than any other wheel arrangement, though the most common name is “Northern”, named after the Northern Pacfic Railroad who ordered the first 4-8-4s in 1926. While GTW’s 4-8-4s would be the largest locomotives on the GTW, they were small compared to other Northerns, and would earn the nickname “Pocket Northerns” because of their smaller size.

While parent railroad Canadian National referred to its 4-8-4s as “Confederations”, the GTW called theirs Northerns, of which they had 3 groups. The first were 12 U3a class 4-8-4s, GTW numbers 6300-6311, and were built by American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1927. These were the largest engines on the GTW at the time, but were relatively small compared to later 4-8-4s. They had 73” driving wheels, unique inside-bearing lead trucks, and odd trailing trucks in which the rear wheel set was larger than the front one. Boiler pressure was 250 psi, and they were 82 ft long including their tenders, which were the “Vanderbilt” style and held 20 tons of coal and 13,550 gallons of water, respectively. Like other CN-family steam locomotives, they had triangular number board housings, which were fixed to the top of the front of the smokebox. The 12 U3as were quickly put to work hauling the GTW’s premier passenger trains, chiefly the Chicago-Toronto “Maple Leaf”, bumping the earlier U1c class 4-8-2s and K class 4-6-2s from those assignments. They could also haul fast freight trains with ease. They worked primarily on the Port Huron-Chicago mainline, but also ventured down the Holly and Mt. Clemens Subdivisions to Detroit. After a few years of service, the GTW began to notice the frames bending and cracking on the U3as. Although the cracks would be welded, the engines were continually being pulled out of service for frame issues. Though nothing official was ever concluded, most believed the damage came from running the engines at high speeds. The problems were enough that the GTW transferred the U3as to the CN in 1942, where they went to work hauling freight on the Sarnia-Toronto corridor and never again ventured into the United States. The CN never appeared to have any troubles with them, and they served until the end of CN steam in 1960 alongside CN's own U2 class 4-8-4s.

The next group of 4-8-4s delivered to the GTW were unlikely to be mistaken for anything else. These were the 6 streamlined U4bs, GTW numbers 6405-6410. Built in 1938 by Lima, the U4bs closely resembled the 5 built for CN just prior (class U4a, CN 6400-6404), and were shrouded in sheet metal, with a large rounded front end with a recessed headlight and number boards that also enclosed the pilot and front coupler, along with skirted running boards. They were painted in a striking dark green, gold and black, and their boilers were shrouded in polished nickel (the boilers in later years would be painted gray or black). With 275 lbs of boiler pressure and 77” driving wheels, these engines could do 90 mph or better, and developed 52,000 lbs of tractive effort. The same Vanderbilt style tender design employed by the U3as was reused. These engines mainly hauled passenger trains, but could also pinch-hit in freight service if needed. In the 1950s, they started getting bumped off the Port-Huron Chicago runs by newly delivered EMD GP9s built for passenger service, so the Detroit-Muskegon runs became their home until they were retired. Unlike streamlined steam locomotives on many other railroads, the U4bs never had their streamlining removed. The shrouding made it very difficult to access certain parts of the locomotives for maintenance, much to the chagrin of the roundhouse crews.

In 1942, the second World War was in full swing, and the GTW needed more locomotives. An order was placed with Alco for 25 more 4-8-4s to supplement and replace the troublesome U3as. These would be delivered as class U3b, GTW numbers 6312-6336. They were roughly the same size as the U3as, but were modern machines and were a bit more powerful, making slightly less tractive effort than the earlier engines (59,000 lbs vs, 60,000), but more horsepower, especially at speed. They featured 73” boxpok style driving wheels, and roller bearings on all axles (other than the drivers). Their Vanderbilt tenders were slightly larger than previous designs, holding 16 tons of coal and 14,300 gallons of water. From coupler to coupler, they measured 95 feet. They also had the familiar CN style triangular numberboards, mounted further down the smokebox than the U3as, below the bell. Like the U3as and U4bs, they wore GTW 6 chime whistles. The U3bs were fully intended to be dual-service locomotives, and were equally at home wheeling 15+ car passenger trains like the Maple Leaf and International or a hot freight train across the GTW’s relatively flat mainline. Unlike the U4bs, no U3bs ever operated north/west of Durand on the Grand Rapids subdivision to Muskegon. Unlike the U3as, the U3bs proved to be a very successful design, serving the GTW well for nearly 20 years. Interestingly, the U3bs had a badge on each cylinder that said “NORTHERN TYPE” in gold letters. I guess they wanted everyone to know what they were!
The GTW operated steam locomotives longer than almost any other Class 1 American railroad, with its last ones being retired in 1960. Into the late 1950s, the GTW still operated 2-8-2s, 4-6-2s, 4-8-2s, and the U3b and U4b 4-8-4s. They all finished out their days primarily in freight and commuter service between Detroit, Pontiac and Durand. The final regularly scheduled revenue passenger train to be hauled by a steam locomotive in the US was in March of 1960, with U3b 6323 doing the honors. After that, the GTW retained 3 of the U3bs, while the rest of the U3s and U4s were cut up for scrap. 6319, 6322 and 6323 operated for the next few years on excursion trains across the GTW system, including the Grand Rapids and Saginaw lines which had never before hosted a U3b. 6325 was also donated to the city of Battle Creek and put on display in 1959, chosen for donation because it had the distinction of pulling President Truman’s Campaign Train in 1948. Eventually 6319, 6322 and 6323 both would require major overhauls to continue running, and so they too were retired. While 6319 and 6322 were scrapped, 6323 was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL, where it remains on display to this day.

U3b 6325 gained fame in the late 1990s when it was purchased from Battle Creek by the late Jerry Jacobson, then owner of Ohio regional railroad Ohio Central. The 6325 was moved to Morgan Run, OH for a complete restoration, running again under steam for the first time in 2001. For the next few years it pulled many passenger excursion trains and photographer’s freight trains on the Ohio Central until it was sidelined in 2005 with an apparent bearing/axle problem. Not long after being retired for the second time, 6325 and the rest of Jerry’s vintage steam and diesel locomotive collection was moved to the new Age Of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, OH, after Jerry sold the Ohio Central to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. 6325 remains well-cared for and on display in the new roundhouse along with other famous steam locomotives such as Nickel Plate 2-8-4 #763 and Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 #1293. Perhaps someday, it will run again.

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Color photos of the U4bs seem to be hard to come by. Here we see #6407 at Milwaukee Junction in Detroit, circa 1958. Later in their careers, the streamlined U4s wore black and green with gold trim. Photographer not listed, from the GTWHS collection.

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This 1956 photo shows U3b #6333 leaving Pontiac with a freight train. Bud Lewis collection photo.

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Photos of the U3as in service on the GTW are very rare, as they were all sent to CN by 1942. In this photo, U3a #6301, now technically a CN locomotive, rolls past the depot in Clarkson, ON, in 1957. Photo by Bill Thomson.

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U3b #6323 was preserved after retirement and is displayed today at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL, where I shot it in 2008.

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Another photo of a U3a in Canada, from the Bill Grandin collection.

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U3b #6328 has just topped off its coal bunker in Detroit. Photo by David Leonard.

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U3b #6330 at Detroit in 1958. Photo by David Leonard.

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U3b #6333 pulls into Durand in 1958 with a freight from Detroit. passing the iconic Union Station. Photo by David Leonard.

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Another color photo shows U4b #6405 on the turntable at Milwaukee Junction, in August of 1958. David Leonard photo.

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U4b #6406 is at Detroit, ready to leave with train #21, the Detroit-Muskegon Express, in September of 1958. David Leonard photo.

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A U4b at speed at an unknown location in the 1950s. Interesting seeing the Monon baggage car on the head end. Photo from the Andrew V Kent collection.

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U4b #6407 somewhere in the Detroit area, 1957. David Leonard photo.

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U4b #6408 gets refueled at Milwaukee Junction, September 1958. Photo by David Leonard.

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U3b #6325 as it appeared in the late 1980s, on display in Battle Creek. Photo by Philip Goldstein.

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#6325 after being restored on the Ohio Central, pulling an excursion train. No photographer noted.

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#6325 on a photo freight in Ohio, 2004. Photo by Mitch Goldman.

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#6325 at night in Morgan Run, OH. Photo by John Ryan.

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Another shot of #6325 on a photo freight in 2004. Photo by Steve Berry.
Last edited by SD80MAC on Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AARR
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Re: Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4s

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Another excellent report and pictures SD80! Thank you for posting.

I might have missed it but when were the first batch of 12 Northerns built for GTW?
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SD80MAC
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Re: Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4s

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You missed it because I omitted it for some reason! The U3as were built in 1927.
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AARR
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Re: Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4s

Unread post by AARR »

SD80MAC wrote:
Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:26 pm
I might have missed it but when were the first batch of 12 Northerns built for GTW? You missed it because I omitted it for some reason! The U3as were built in 1927.
Thanks. I've heard about the first batch of GTW Pocket Northerns but your report is the most extensive I've seen about them.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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