[N&W] Re: Water Buffalo?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

The arrows didn't appear on the drivers until about 1957 or so; the word at
the time was that a Roanoke Terminal engine was kinking rails somewhere on
the Norfolk Division.  This was a long time after the K-3s were gone.  The
word said that it was to provide reference points in connection with
high-speed movies.  There were an awful lot of engines that didn't get
arrows - the Js, for instance.  Bluefield assigned Ys.  Portsmouth assigned
As.

I never heard if they found the culprit; the arrows were found on some As,
most Roanoke Terminal Ys, and Roanoke Terminal-assigned Ks.  How an arrow
pointing at the edge of the counterbalance would assist in circumference
measurements is beyond what little mechanical comprehension I have.

EdK
_____________________________________________________
 >another note.  Weren't these the first locos to get the arrow point painted
 >on the main drivers?  I know later they supposedly painted arrows on all
 >steam power for circumfrence measurements.  The K3's 3rd driver would
 >'bounce' and speeds in the mid 40's!  I understand that Edgerton (inverntor
 >of strobe light and high speed motion cameras - EE&G) took some high speed
 >footage of a driver bouncing, and wonder if THIS was the engine type used?
 >
 >Mark Lindsey