Camelback Steam Locomotives

Camelback steam locomotives, while not necessarily the safest such design ever conceived were certainly one of the most unique. The Camelback is not a named wheel arrangement like the 4-6-2 Pacific or 2-8-4 Berkshire but a term only meant to describe a distinctive design feature found on some steam locomotives. While Camelbacks were banned citing safety concerns in the early 20th century they proved quite successful to the anthracite carriers, who could use them to burn a cheap and plentiful anthracite coal waste known as culm. The design also made John E. Wootten famous for his patented Wootten firebox. Today, at least three of these unique designs remain preserved around the country although none are operational.

A Jersey Central 4-6-0 Camelback and a 2-8-2 Mike lead a westbound freight through Elizabeth, New Jersey during December of 1937.

The Camelback received its name for the unique positioning of the locomotive cab which sat astride the boiler giving the design a center "humped" appearance. While the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad developed something similar to the later Camelback in the 1840s, known as "muddiggers", it was not until John Wootten (who worked for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, a Reading Railroad predecessor) patented his Wootten firebox and boiler design in 1877 did the design really catch on.

Because the locomotive was developed to burn the very abundant anthracite coal waste, culm, Camelbacks became fantastically popular with the railroads which staked their livelihoods on the resource (names like Central Railroad of New Jersey; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Lehigh Valley; Lehigh & New England Railroad; and the Lehigh & Hudson River). Other lines which came to use the the Camelback design included the B&O, Erie, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania, Wheeling & Lake Erie, and Maine Central.

CNJ 4-6-0 Camelback #776 has a two-car commuter train near the 8th Street station in Bayonne, New Jersey some time during 1938. Note the railroad's then meticulous four-track main line. This steamer, Class L-7as, was built in 1913 by Baldwin.

Some railroads like the Lehigh & New England rebuilt common wheel arrangements as large as 2-8-0 Consolidations into Camelbacks and the Erie Railroad's 0-8-8-0 articulated design (Class L-1) was the largest ever built (and only articulated design ever developed). In total, nearly 3,000 Camelback steam locomotives were either rebuilt from conventional designs, custom-built by individual railroads, or purchased from manufacturers.

While Wootten's design allowed railroads, particularly the anthracite carriers, to gain huge savings on fuel costs it also came at an increased safety risk. Because the firebox on Camelbacks was so large, as to gain the necessary and needed fire temperatures, it forced the cab to be placed astride the boiler and over the driving wheels (so the engineer could gain proper clearance). This not only made for an extremely uncomfortable and hot ride during warmer months for engineers it also made them more at risk to injury if any part of the driving wheel assembly failed while at-speed.

To make matters worse the fireman was left exposed to the elements back by the firebox, where of course he had to remain to feed fuel to the locomotive. Due to these safety issues the Interstate Commerce Commission began to seriously look at the hazards Camelback steam locomotives exposed to train crews and by 1927 the agency had completely banned new or rebuilt locomotives which featured the Camelback design. For more information about Camelback steam locomotives and those which survive today please click here to visit SteamLocomotive.com, the online resource to steam locomotives.

Jersey Central 4-6-0 Camelback #173 is seen here at the road's major terminal in Jersey City on December 13, 1948. This Class L-5 steamer was built in 1902 by the Brooks Locomotive Works and was retired just a few years after this photo was taken in the early 1950s.

For more reading about steam locomotives a few books to get you started on the history of the motive power include How Steam Locomotives Really Work by authors P. W. B. Semmens and A. J. Goldfinch as well as Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title of the first book illustrates, it discusses the general history of the steam locomotive and describes how it functions. In the second book you will learn how the motive power was refined over the years with newer technologies that improved the efficiency of steam to haul trains such as the superheater. There are certainly many more books on the subject of steam than these two titles. However, they are excellent starter editions on the subject and provide a very nice overview of the topic. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.