10-28-2011, 02:56 PM
If I'm not mistaken, the Camelback design was to accommodate the very wide Wooten firebox, which was developed to allow burning of Anthracite culm, a low-grade by-product of Anthracite mining. There would have been very little room for the engineer's seatbox, as the firebox widens as it nears floor level. The fireman stood, depending on the loco, on the footplate of the loco or on the front platform of the tender, somewhat sheltered from the elements by that short roof. There was at least one class of Camelback which was equipped with two firebox doors and, of course, two firemen. 
One of the big drawbacks of Camelback locos is that the engineer sits above the siderods. In the event of a failure (broken rod or bearing) several tons of moving parts were apt to be thrown upwards, into the cab. In 1927, new construction of Camelback locos was banned, although some survived into the '50s.
Wayne
One of the big drawbacks of Camelback locos is that the engineer sits above the siderods. In the event of a failure (broken rod or bearing) several tons of moving parts were apt to be thrown upwards, into the cab. In 1927, new construction of Camelback locos was banned, although some survived into the '50s.
Wayne