Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Locomotive No. 1
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 39° 46.285 W 105° 11.588
13S E 483459 N 4402405
This steam locomotive from the Pikes Peak cog railway sits in front of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado.
Waymark Code: WMFV3W
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/02/2012
Views: 7
The cog locomotives that were used to climb Pikes Peak were unusual in several respects. The grade was so steep that ordinary wheel-on-rail contact could not maintain enough friction to pull a train up the mountain. To solve the problem, a double linear gear track was placed between the two rails and a pair of gears driven by the locomotive engaged the gear track to pull the locomotive upward or retard its headlong rush downward. Because of the slope the boiler had to be mounted on an angle on the frame so that the crown sheet would always be covered with water, thereby avoiding a boiler explosion. These steam locomotives have been retired and replaced by cars powered directly by diesel engines. They too use the cog system for climbing Pikes Peak.
Locomotive Type: (required): Steam
If "other" what is the engine type? (optional):
None
Do you need to pay an entrance fee to view this locomotive? (required): No
If a fee is required what is the approximate cost for admittance? (optional):
0.00
How accessible is this locomotive display? (Required): Only touching is allowed.
|
Visit Instructions:Waymark creators for this category are encouraged to create a visit verification question for visitors. See individual waymarks for specific logging criteria.
Photos of visits are encouraged but not required for this category.