Welcome to Kuipersoft Train Simulator 2018 ?️, now with new graphics engine (I got a new camera lens!! ? ?)
Many thanks to @orhf for granting Kuiper permission to visit their historic steam locomotives at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. This beauty is Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. 197, built in May 1905. It’s classified as a “4-6-2” steam locomotive which means that it has:
? 4 small “leading” wheels in the very front (2 on 2 axles each.) These wheels are like the front wheel on a bicycle, i.e. they aren’t connected to the drive train. Importantly, also like the front wheels on a bike, they can move from side to side so they can help navigate curves.
? 6 large “drive” wheels (3 axles) that are hooked up to the engine via coupling rods
? 2 smallish unpowered “trailing” wheels (1 axle) behind the drive wheels which help distribute weight and hold up the firebox. That’s the part you shovel coal into (or @duraflame logs if you’re trying to go back to the future)
Because it has two sets of wheels in the front, and the drive and trailing wheel arrangement makes room for a large boiler, the 4-6-2 “Pacific” axle configuration is both speedy ? and stable ?. 4-6-2s were super commonly used for passenger trains from around 1910 into the early 1950s (World War II delayed the switch from steam-powered trains to diesel-electric trains ? in the US.)
The locomotive behind Kuiper (OR&N 197) debuted at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition (effectively a World’s Fair ?) in Portland and was in service til 1955. After serving faithfully for 50 years, OR&N 197 was donated to the city of Portland and subsequently sat outside in a small local amusement park ? for another 38. It has resided at its current location since 2012, where volunteers are working on restoring it to running condition.
OR&N wasn’t the only locomotive we saw at ORHC (which btw has free admission!) Stay tuned for a gorgeous Art Deco engine and the story of the Freedom Train! ?? Choo choo! #pleasestandby
Original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjaNs-UAURx/