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From: "Schuyler Larrabee" schuyler DOT larrabee AT verizon DOT net
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 00:06:02 -0500
Subject: ERIE steam locomotives - K5 and K5A
"Erie_2943_Marion_9-26-49_Ron_Dukarm.jpg" - image/jpeg, 2956x1681 (24bit)

Randy Brown wrote:

"I have Dan's book. It shows that K5s had the Cole trailer and K5As had the delta. The rebuilding
involved a cast engine bed which did not include any tail piece. What the loco started with, it
ended with."

That's correct

"The casting also did not include the valve gear hanger -- only the guide yoke."

That is NOT correct. See the attached photos. The 2929 has the original, fabricated, valve gear
hanger. It is a casting bolted to the lateral hanger which is bolted to the frame members. You can
see the bolts at the front end of the valve gear hanger. Now look at 2943 (many thanks to Ron
Dukarm). That shows you the one-piece-cast-as-part-of-the-replacement-frame valve gear hanger. It
is completely different, and has not been modeled in any commercial model in HO (or O, AFAIK). The
cylinders were also part of that casting.

"Finally, Dan shows a K5, 2932, un-"rebuilt" but with a full complement of Box Pok drivers."

That's correct, but there were only two K5 which exhibited that combination, 2932 and 2934. Source:
correspondence with Dan Biernacki.

Note also that these two photos also illustrate the other major changes made when the K5 was rebuilt
into a K5A: The trailing truck changed from a Hodges truck (not Cole) to a cast Delta, and the
crosshead changed from an Alligator, with top and bottom guides, to a multiple-bearing top-hung
style. Air pumps moved to the pilot deck with the shields, and the larger 16,500 gallon tender.
Various other minor changes as well.

"As a sidebar, the BoxPok was named for the cross section of the spokes in the driver -- they were
box shaped: therefore, box spoke, altered to BoxPok."

And pronounced "Box-spoke" too, not "Box-spoc" as I have heard many folks say. The driver consisted
of two fairly thin discs with holes in them, only connected laterally at the rim, the hub, and in
comparatively short sections of the "spokes." Much lighter and easier to counterbalance than the
original drivers. Some were applied to S-class Berkshires, too, and there are a few photos of one
or two Berks with full sets . . . .but that was pretty rare. Generally only the main and sometimes
the No.4 pair. If I could find the right ones, I'd love to change out the drivers in one of my
Berkshires to accomplish that full set look.

SGL


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