Piko 38280 CNJ Camelback Steam Locomotive (DCC-Sound) G Gauge

CNJ Camelback Steam Locomotive (DCC-Sound) 1:22.5 scale model produced by Piko. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection. Features: DCC Sound Model This model mainly operates in USA This model is decorated in Jersey Central Lines company markings This model is best suited to 600mm radius curves Camelback steam locomotive with tender Fine paintwork and high-quality lettering Authentic smoke function Designed for battery operation with remote control Factory-equipped with sound Perfect addition for fans of US model railways Details The Camelback locomotive was a distinctive type of steam locomotive developed in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notable for its wide firebox and central cab position. It was built to burn anthracite coal, a hard, high carbon coal abundant in eastern Pennsylvania, which required a wide, shallow firebox to provide sufficient combustion surface. Traditional locomotive frames and cabs could not easily accommodate such a firebox, so engineers moved the cab to a central position astride the boiler, between the locomotive’s driving wheels. This unusual layout gave the Camelback its name, as the cab appeared perched on the boiler like a camel’s hump. The forward position placed the engineer near the centre of the locomotive, ahead of the firebox, while the fireman worked behind the boiler in a separate, exposed position tending the large firebox. Camelbacks were commonly built with 0 8 0, 2 8 0 or 2 8 2 wheel arrangements and were used primarily in heavy freight and coal train service on Pennsylvania area railroads, especially the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Although effective for their purpose, Camelbacks presented safety and operational challenges. The widely separated engineer and fireman made communication difficult, and the central cab left crews vulnerable in derailments and other accidents. As a result, the design fell out of favour as cleaner burning fuels and new firebox designs emerged.