| Massive and powerful just don't seem to be adjectives that due justice to the locomotive even though they are fitting in every sense. This massive 2-8-8-2 Chesapeake type steam locomotive was built by the Great Northern's own Hilyard Shops in 1929. The Great Northern called these monsters "R's" from their class name instead of the eastern US name of "Chesapeake". Coming out of the Hillyard Shops in Spokane, WA, these were the first steam locomotives built in the Pacific Northwest. Specs - R-2 class, 63" drivers, impressive 240psi boiler pressure, four 28x32" cylinders, engine weight of 630,750 lb and impressive tractive effort of 162,475 lb. The entire class of 2-8-8-2's were retired by 1946. Only two remain - one at the Illinois RR Museum at Union, IL and one at the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, MO. No information was given for this photo so the date and location are "guess-timations". |