America's Obscure Steam Locomotives

Given that there are thousands of steam locomotives classes produced throughout the years, there are plenty that are popular while some fade into obscurity. From late-berkshires to one-offs, here are 6 steam locomotives that are usually forgotten, described by a canadian railfan.
Music, videos, photos and information belongs to there respective owners.

[@Pensyfan19]

Great collection of obscure steamers! I hope this topic becomes a series for the channel since it seems like a great chance to give light upon some of North America's forgotten workhorses.

[@Jaidencharlotte]

I find it rather funny that an American design took inspiration from a British design that was an evolution of another British design which took inspiration from American designs

[@rfirtfan2809]

We need more of this! Also railfans inventing names for steam locomotive classes should definitely be a thing

[@railmastergaming]

I do all the time. In fact I draw designs!

[@danius_huganius]

next level foaming? yeah well that happens alot pretty much,

[@SodorTrain1225]

The Nickel Plate Hudsons are some of my favorites, as are all Nickel Plate engines.

[@Drockthe3rd]

For a time there was 3 more NKP Hudsons. 174 was sold to the Louisiana Eastern in 1959, followed by 175, and 173 in 1961. All were cut up in 1963

[@russellgxy2905]

Buffalo actually does fit the A-2's quite well, size and power wise, but I feel like Berkshire works just as well symbolically. The A-2's were technically a subsidiary class of the NYC, in the same way the very first 2-8-4's (B&A A-1) were. Always found it funny that through subsidiaries, the NYC had the first and last class of Berks, but never used them for their _actual_ mainlines

[@Elliottblancher]

Alfred E. Pearlman: I WANT THAT STEAM LOCOMOTIVE!!!!!

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Not Buffalo. Maybe something like Anderondaks (mountains) or Valcour ( an island in New York )

[@rivitedrailfan]

Great video! Especially liked the part about ICRR 1/2499.

[@Haya_archive1]

2:01 my most favorite NKP steam locomotive

[@williamclarke4510]

Another NKP Hudson was part of the Paulsen Spence collection - Louisiana Eastern. When Mr. Spence died, his heirs scrapped most of them. The survivors went to Stone Mountain.

[@TheRandomRailfan]

You've gotta do some obscure electrics too. The PRR is a treasure trove for stuff like that.

[@DC4260Productions]

I haven't heard of most of these designs, apart from those weird Boston & Albany tank engines. They really do look like a tender engine that's just been crammed into a tank engine frame, sort of like New Zealand's WAB class (which were 4-6-4T versions of the AB Pacific). Incidentally I'm surprised you didn't cover the Baldwin 4-10-2 No. 60000.

[@PowerTrain611]

The CNJ also had a 4-6-4T inspired by a CN design. One of the CN units still exists at Steamtown.

[@Transit-Gaming]

Wow, great work carrying the torch for Chris Kovacs, since he also made videos talking about these incredible, but forgotten steamers.

[@uncinarynin]

Berkshire! We had them in Austria, the class BBÖ 214, CFR 142 or DRB and ÖBB 12. One of the original Austrian series (not operational) and one of the Romanian series (but rebuilt to look Austrian, operational) is preserved. I remember riding in a train behind the latter. Good times!

[@maciekkra539]

CFR142 version with the top mounted smoke deflectors and with that boiler cowling, possibly the most beautifull "Berkshire" in the world:)

[@mikestudioz216]

6:07 I call the 2-6-6 and 4-6-6 arrangements Albanys (Light Albany and Heavy Albanys respectively) after the only railroad to use such wheel arrangements

[@Combes_]

I call the 2-6-6Ts "Suburban"s!

[@mikestudioz216]

@@Combes_ No, a 2-4-6 is a Suburban

[@Combes_]

@@mikestudioz216 Really? I forgot that on wikipedia it was "Mogul" (yes wierd ik) and not "Suburban"

[@mikestudioz216]

@@Combes_ Yea, 2-6-6 and 4-6-6 don’t have any designation on the Whyte Notation, so I call them Light and Heavy Albanys

[@Combes_]

@@mikestudioz216 I guess you could call a 4-6-6T a "Boston & Albany", or a "Pocket Hudson" considering these were shrunk down NYC Hudsons

[@TheLocomotiveEngineer]

B&O 5600 makes for a fascinating study. Of the three Emerson steam locomotives, it's always been my favorite - but that's probably because I like both Duplexes and Vanderbilt tenders.

[@stuartdougherty4078]

I knew of 5600's existence. I can't believe their is a physical photo.

[@TheLocomotiveEngineer]

@@stuartdougherty4078 They're rare to come across, but there are actually a fair number of photos that still exist of it. The B&O was quite proud of it at first, and it naturally caught the attention of the railfan community at the time, so it was documented about as well as any other experimental locomotive of that era.

[@jwrailve3615]

I loveeeeee small steam. Moguls, American type, 4-6-0’a, mikados. My layouts prototype one of my branch lines actually had the lastest full time serving 4-4-0 in the country, it ran up until 1946 when it wrecked in kingsville Texas.

[@StephenCarlBaldwin]

Excellent video on a rich topic -- great suggestion that A2 berk be designated "The Buffalo Class."

[@railmastergaming]

i loved this video and you found some pretty interesting locomotives i never knew of! also 0:11 big boy isnt actually a mallet. it utilizes equal steam pressure throughout all 4 cylinders.

[@ronanvave560]

Yup, those would be called simple articulateds.

[@FuelFire]

In the late 1870s there was a monorail called the Bradford & Foster Brook Railway. At first they had a double boilered locomotive that blew up. They then went to Baldwin and asked if they could build them a monorail locomotive and ended up getting an 0-2-0 that crashed through the rail on its fourth trip

[@RyansColoradoRailProductions]

I recognized the location of the pic of DRGW 1803 right away, it’s the bridge just north of Monument, CO where NS 8103 rolled over it so many years later. Video of it is on my channel. Compare the two - it’s the exact same bridge.

[@blackbirdgaming8147]

It’s worth noting that the A2 Berkshires were built so late that the tenders had to be subcontracted to what I believe was Lima.

[@matthewpowell2429]

I like the NKP Hudsons, I saw #170 at St Louis over 10 years ago. I'm familiar with the heavy tank engines, though the ones I mostly think of are the Canadian National/Ex-GTW 4-6-4Ts, one of whom (#47) I saw at Steamtown earlier this year. People need to know more about these steamers before all memories of them are gone forever.

[@overpoweredsteamproduction513]

how do i like a video twice. this is literally the best edit: sub earned

[@09JDCTrainMan]

I've actually seen NKP 170. A really pretty Hudson for sure.

[@K-Effect]

Excellent video, I enjoy learning about obscure, strange locomotives and steam engine technologies

[@ghidorahwarrior791]

I really want more of this. This was really interesting to me. You have earned a new subscriber because of this amazing work.

[@rocktrout8773]

In terms of the NYC A2s, they would have been named Berkshires, as the Boston & Albany, a NYC subsidiary, named the Berkshire class after the mountains they ran through.

[@mr.bl0ckm4nn]

Really enjoyed this video, please make this a series!

[@JimmyCasket02]

There’s a locomotive near Duluth mn more specifically in proctor that’s a 2-8-8-4, DMIR #225 it was primarily used to haul iron

[@SouRwy4501Productions]

This is a good video. While we’re on the topic of unusual steam locomotives, do you think you could cover the US army transportation corps s160?

[@Cbazz]

This was a really great video & I went ahead & subbed

[@alejandrocordero2492]

Wow😲😳. I gotta admit, those NKP L-1A Hudsons look pretty 😍🤩🎥🇺🇲🤠😎🤙👍✅💯👌badass cool-looking. Nice vid 😄👍 by the way! Keep up 😃👍 the great work 👍😎💪😃✅💯!

[@eirinoshrinestudio8098]

I actually just realized my custom American metre gauge steam locomotive "M52 pacific" actually share a huge resemblance to the V2 Hudson, smooth boiler, front-top smokebox lamp, and overall British appearance

[@jaredhebert942]

You just netted yourself another subscriber! While I know about the engines of Britain than our own all-American breeds, I'm glad to see the Boston & Albany commuter tanks get some love, since we never embraced tank engines as much as the Brits and these guys are a neat oddity (forgot there were 2-6-4Ts as well as 2-6-6Ts); if I was hired to work on Thomas & Friends, I'd be tempted to write in a character based on the B&A 2-6-6Ts

[@raymondleggs5508]

One of those Tank locos is at strasburg in the rusty locomotive line!

[@lian3101]

if this becomes a series you need to cover the CB&Q hudsons and the B&LE 2-10-4s they are awesome and most people dont know about them

[@ronanvave560]

Especially 643.

[@Mart_7512]

The CB&Q S-4 is a great example. In fact, 2 of them were Aeolus streamlined and No. 3000 is preserved.

[@lian3101]

@@Mart_7512 alot of them are preserved, even 4000, one that was streamlined for the aeolus is preserved. I have no idea how they are so forgotten about

[@Mart_7512]

@@lian3101 Oh, and I forgot it's 3002, not 3000. I found out about the Aeolus in a whistles video 2 years ago. Sadly it's deleted most likely.

[@robertcameron2808]

A nice little video keep up the good work

[@SynchroScore]

That Stone Mountain Scenic 4-4-0 causes me pain.

[@rbmnrailfan2102]

I fricking LOVE this video!!! I never even knew the NKP had Hudson's! The NYC Berkshires are super interesting too. I would LOVE to see more episodes in this series!!! Also, the CNJ was a big user of those large tank engines. I could be wrong but I think they were even the same thing as the B&A ones, just ordered by the CNJ.

[@williamclarke4510]

Another NKP Hudson was acquired by the Louisiana Eastern, 173, I think. The collection, collected mostly of South/central equipment, an interesting collection. When Paulson Spence, owner of the Louisiana Eastern died, the collection was scrapped by his heirs, with the exception of the 4 4 0's at Stone Mountain and an IC 0-8-0 3525. This engine is now in a park in Winston Salem NC. It needs a new door sheet.

[@Revolverben190]

The NKP Hudson’s are wonderful! Weaver made an O scale model of those!

[@buecomet831]

The NKP L-1 Hudsons are pretty cool ngl. I like them.

[@wknogl2210]

9:06 love the CB&Q M4 /M4A Colorados

[@arthursparkman7800]

3:25 XD love that those T1a's give off such backrooms energy

[@luisitobardajibenitez8013]

I like when you showed the switcher and it looks like an average tender engine in europe. Feels bad

[@BruceFJRay]

Thank you for this video. Very interesting. I'd like to mention Erie Railroad's, REALLY large for the east coast, 105 Berkshire locomotives. That nobody knows about. Built by Alco, Baldwin and Lima.Sometimes found at the head end of a heavier than normal Erie Limited passenger train. Doing as good or better than Erie K5 USRA Heavy Pacifics. They were 16 ft., 4 inches high. And ran until 1953. They were blt. between 1927 - 1929. Just thought I'd mention them.

[@aj3751]

As a New Yorker, 3:40 had me dying. "Ska-neck-ta-dee"

[@Voucher765]

The first Berkshires were actually built for the NYC's Boston & Albany subsidiary, They were named so became of the Berkshire mountains

[@paulw.woodring7304]

B&O #1, "Lady Baltimore" ended her career ignominiously assigned to the B&O's local passenger train from Cleveland to Wheeling, via Akron, originating on the now Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. There used to be a balloon track that allowed trains to go from Southbound (timetable East) on the CT&V sub to Westbound on the Akron Division to get to the Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling Sub at Warwick Jct. (Clinton, Ohio). It came off the CT&V in the middle of the wye at Akron Jct., crossed the east leg of the wye on a diamond over the Little Cuyahoga River, and climbed steeply across Eastwood Av., across the lower yard on a trestle, and came out on the mainline near the still existing coaling tower. Word is that the "Lady" was too slippery to handle more than a couple of cars on the local, especially on the nearly 2% grade into downtown Akron that the CVSR still uses. The Cleveland/Wheeling train was discontinued around 1953 and the balloon track was removed soon thereafter. Now there are no tracks or yard left across Eastwood Av. in Akron at all. The mainline crosses over Eastwood on a bridge. If you look carefully you can sort of tell where the balloon track crossed Eastwood east of the old yard, before you get to the former Erie/Erie-Lackawanna RoW up the hill from it.

[@Train115]

The C&O H-7 class is very rarely talked about

[@WasatchGarandMan]

The New York Central Berks are pretty interesting. Even more so when you realizr the Tenders were welded up by Lima. Feel like Buffalos would have been a good name for em. I really love the big B&A Tanks. Just good lookimg locomotives

[@GMan9029]

Kinda shocked you didn’t mention the MILW Baltic’s, they’re not talked about all that much.

[@MP_67_Productions]

Love the NKP Steam engines! Plus the Mario kart Wii online themes

[@RoyxlPFX]

Heads up for you, Cowl. ALCOs workshop is pronounced (Shke-neck-ta-dee) Schenectady.

[@lemmythebulldog8812]

Currently trying to restore liRR’s #8 in oyster bay. We don’t have the funding to get a heritage line but we’re trying to make it a mobile non running locomotive.

[@robertbalazslorincz8218]

"Monster Mallets" *shows a Big Boy, which is technically a simple-articulated*

[@844SteamFan]

I was kinda hoping you would mention something from the Omaha Road (Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway, reporting marks CMO [you may see this on some UP hoppers]), as it has some pretty obscure locomotives, as well as being pretty obscure itself. Also, boxpok Mikado

[@Misterjaythegreat]

The PRR Q2 was a weird locomotive with a 4-4-6-4 wheel arrangement. It was a strange locomotive

[@ronanvave560]

And they were more successful than the other duplexes.

[@metalgear6531]

6:32 "Y'know what? Fuck you." [Carbines your Hudson]

[@David-v2t8h]

Enjoyed this…thank you. If you want to know how to pronounce Schenectady…..just add an S to ‘connect’…..as in sconnect- day. I live near there. Love trains.

[@GoredonTheDestroyer]

I was half expecting this to be *_another_* side hustle of Justin from WTYP if I'm being honest. Like instead of making Franklin he's just doing weird videos on old trains. Well, _more_ videos on old trains.

[@SirLANsalot]

Reason Tank Engines can have better performance then a tender engine is because of the tender itself. Granted the drawback to a Tank engine is limited range due to smaller water storage usually in the form of saddle tanks on the sides of the boiler. However with a tank engine all the water and coal is carried on the locomotive itself, increasing its total weight for better tractive effort. So if two engines are built the same, but one is a tank and one is a tender, the tank engine would have a higher TE. Tractive Effort is important at low speeds or hills as its what keeps the train going, its ability to "stick" to the rails to pull the train.

[@crazyjack3357]

For the b&o locos they probably meant to preserve one but some how ended up scraped like what happened to there Baldwin em1 2-8-8-4

[@the_mississippian_railfan]

For the NYC 2-8-4’s you could go with the NYC’s traditional type of naming things after rivers and name them after the river the P&LE mainline was on where they worked for most of there lives giving you the the name the “NYC Monongaheilia”

[@BocoProductions189]

get this man to 2k subs he deserves it

[@H-24-66]

Howard Fogg is the only reason I am familiar with the NYC Berkshires

[@NW-gi1cp]

Honorable mention : n&w 1100

[@gregvassilakos]

The name Berkshire came from the Boston & Albany, which was a New York Central subsidiary. I'm fairly certain the New York Central would have been comfortable with calling them Berkshires.

[@Pershingtank]

Honorable mention: ANY 4-8-0. Rather unpopular wheel arrangement , with only ~5000 made worldwide.

[@coolcobra_5582]

Before this video I didn’t know that the NYC had any Berkshire but now I wish I style didn’t because they look ugly to me an the name Buffalo fit them perfectly

[@darthmichaelstrainz1519]

I can think of two obscure steam engines: Maine Central's two of a kind light hudsons

[@AlcoLoco251]

Sad that you didn't mention that three of the NKP Hudson were purchased by Paulson Spence for the Louisiana Eastern. Sadly they were scrapped upon his death.

[@vaclavmacgregor2464]

(Could have been worse we could have lost GMO 4-6-2!!!!)

[@AmityBlightAndSP4449Fan]

Maybe one of these deserve to be resurrected as full size replicas except for B&O J1 4-4-4 Jubilee #2 “Lady Baltimore” because how terrible its performance was.

[@nerfreak01]

I love the B&A 4-6-6T's.

[@jeffreyamlung3338]

I dig the song from Railroad Tycoon 3 around the 2 minute mark

[@kristoffermangila]

By the way, the pronunciation of Schenectady is Shen-neck-tady. Oh nice series about the most obscure of American steam locomotives!

[@LearnwithJanice]

Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸

[@AndrewTheRocketCityRailfan4014]

Here’s another batch of obscure American locomotives: Pere Marquette Mikados Pere Marquette 2-10-2 “Santa Fe’s” CB&Q 2-10-4 “Colorado’s” Southern Railway “Mountain” types Santa Fe 4197 Clinchfield and D&RGW Challengers. Northern Pacific Yellowstones

[@amtrakproductions-mx9ib]

And also the illinois terminal railroad steam locomotives

[@jquarters1896]

I think I have found some obscure steam locomotives I want to build out of Legos.

[@Toni73RU]

S2 достаточно известный локомотив чтобы не упоминать его тут?)

[@ErieRRfan]

Yes, the S2 Berks are very overrated

[@Dat-Mudkip]

It never really occurred to me that tank engines basically don't exist in America until you pointed it out. You think living here I would have noticed that sooner...

[@1225polarexpress]

I think a perfect name for the NYC A-2 berkshires would be manhattan I just think it fits well and when you say it it sounds good For Example: the Manhattan class

[@michaelbenitez539]

I'm sad we didn't have an American 2-6-4 Adriatic

[@PatrioticCoservativeAmerican]

How many steam locomotives are currently preserved in the U.S as of 2023?

[@randyrobey5643]

I love them all.

[@woodrubber4538]

I never heard anyone talk about Union Railroad's 0-10-2

[@cmag19]

I wish people would talk about the Wabash P Class history more. I love those things to death and wish more people know about them.

[@OfficialSEIC2K6]

The most forgotten steam locomotives of the US.

[@RaisedLetter]

For the NYC Berkshires, it fit just like the Hudson name did for their Hudsons. Reason being, the Boston and Albany railroad which New York Central took over. In fact, the first Berkshire model was tested on the Boston and Albany railroad through those mountains. It would be very unwise to want to change the name of what is already an asset to a New York Central Railroad predecessor.

[@Railman1225]

A few things I just wanted to say: 1. Please tell me you didn't just call the Big Boys Mallets. . _.a lot of people are gonna be upset because they're simple articulateds_ 2. It's pronounced "sce-nec-te-dy"(yes, the h is silent). You're welcome. 3. I _somewhat_ recently found out that the 2-8-4 nickname is pronounced "Berk-sure". . .don't ask me why, it makes about as much sense to me as it does to you!

[@genesisrailfan1507]

Is it me or is the NKP hudsons looked like a squashed version of the UP's FEF northerns

[@TomedysTrains]

It's a shame that most of the locomotives in this video didn't make it into preservation. I would think preserving at least one of each locomotive class would've been beneficial to all, for both business and history's sake. As for the New York Central A-2 Berkshires, there's no need to change their wheel arrangement name from Berkshire to something else. It was the Boston & Albany, which was part of the New York Central, that ordered the first 2-8-4 steam locomotive in tender engine form, and thus, the New York Central served the Berkshire sub mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains.

[@sargentrowell81]

The Big Boy was not a Mallet. I know you didn't explicitly say that it was buy you showed it on screen as you said "monster mallet's."

[@jordandorsett3106]

The Boston and Maine T1's (the Berkshires you shows) looks odd and very erie

[@fantailspringdale]

Come on mate, the most unique locomotive was the Jersey Central's Camelback ten wheeler. You missed a great opportunity to showcase the Big Little Railroad!!

[@michaelmeliambro5117]

Surprised you didn't bring up Milwaukee Road's F6 Class 'Baltics' or the ERIE K-5's, the only TRUE USRA Heavy Pacifics ever built.

[@steamandsmoke97]

A few minor corrections on pronunciation: 🚫Berk-shyre 👍Berkshire=Berk-sheer 🚫shUnahdablablah 👍Schenectady=Sken-Neck-Teddy 🚫AHLbany 👍Albany=ALLBany

[@burlingtonfan7492]

Being a native to MA, where the Berks got their name from, I’m pretty sure it’s pronounced “Berk-shure” with no emphasis on “shire”. plus you nearly got Schenectady right, it’s “skuh-neck-tuh-dee”. hope this helps 👍

[@riderstrano783]

A bit bummed you didn’t mention anything off the New Haven, especially the R3s or the Y4s, as they were rare instances of three cylinder designs proving their worth on American rails

[@nikerailfanningttm9046]

To be honest the NKP Hudson’s with smoke deflecting ears look like “baby” FEF-3’s. That’s what they are, baby FEFS!

[@thelongislandplanesandtrai3638]

Ngl I think the prr Q2 is underrated aka 2-4-6-2 or 2-4-6-4 I forgot