Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: 4-8-4

#477.043 is a CSD Class 477 4-8-4T, making it one of the only 4-8-4's built for use in Europe. That it's a tank makes it even more unusual, in addition to its three cylinders and Kylchap double-blastpipe chimney. However, the 477 "Papousek" (Parrot) Class numbered 60 units in its heyday. The 477's were built by CKD from 1951 (I don't have a final production year, but this one was built in 1954), and remained in CSD service until 1981, being some of the last mainline steam locomotives to operate on CSD. #477.043 had an even longer career, however, becoming an industrial locomotive at a power plant in Malesice, not making it into the museum's collection until 2000. They were primarily suburban or express passenger locomotives, in spite of their odd configuration, and could run at up to 100Km/h, although no faster, maybe because they were tank engines, and maybe because CSD simply didn't have very good track for high speed running. Power was 1595kW (2139 horsepower, although the museum rounds this to 2100). Service weight was 130 tonnes, which was above average both for a Czech tank engine and for a Czech locomotive generally. Today, #477.043 still runs, and can occasionally be seen on excursion trains, although on the day I visited the CD Muzeum it wasn't in steam. It's officially allocated to Louny, but again not everything is what it seems.

As with all classic American train shows, the Steamtown Grand Reopening had to have a "Parade of Steam" featuring everything steam that could turn a wheel. Here's 261 doing its runby.

This shot is the best that I could get in this situation, unfortunately, as the crowding at the Grand Reopening of Steamtown was the largest that I had ever seen at a rail-related event up to that time, and still rivals anything that I've seen since. Even given that it was my best, I still ended up with a guy with a tripod. Notice that he's taking a video of a stationary object. Right.... I also had to crop this to hide a stain on the print that I scanned this from. Anyway, Reading, Blue Mountain, & Northern 425 is also visible in the background on the right.

Here's a final shot that I got of 261 as it departed Pocono Summit in a runby.

This is the second shot that I took of 261 on its farewell runby out of Pocono Summit.

Here's 261 doing a final photo runby on its departure from Pocono Summit, PA, which it backed up for to maximize the effect. Notice all of the tour buses, as the NRHS was regrettably forced to resort to bus transport in a country without an effective intercity rail passenger service!!

The 1995 NRHS Convention Special out of Steamtown terminated in Pocono Summit, but we were given a few farewell shots of 261 as it sat in Pocono Summit awaiting departure, which was done in the form of a runby.

Here's a detail shot that I got of 261 as it awaited its final departure from Pocono Summit. Although I don't remember for certain, the children protecting their ears on the right suggest to me that 261 was blowing its whistle at the time, perhaps in preparation to leave.

Here's 261 on its second runby a few seconds after Picture 5. It wasn't breaking any speed records, but it was doing a good clip for such a short running start. Again, kudos will go to whoever can figure out the correct location for me, as "Pocono Summit" is really a placeholder, and probably not accurate.

This shot, of former Milwaukee Road #261, was actually a photo runby, with two encores! There's nothing quite like a 4-8-4 being gunned. :-) The excursion was the finale for the 1995 NRHS National Convention.