New York Central No. 2569

New York Central No. 2569 was a L-1b class 4-8-2 Mohawk type steam locomotive that ran on the New York Central Railroad in freight service.
The locomotive was originally constructed as a regular two-cylinder built by the American Locomotive Company in January 1918 as part of an order of 185 L-1 class steam locomotives of this type. The #2569 was the seventieth 4-8-2 delivered to the New York Central and the class was used in freight service all over the System.
== Experimental service on the New York Central ==
In the early 1920s, the NYC #2569 along with sister locomotive #2568 were sent by the Central to be Rebuilt by the American Locomotive Company with three cylinders using Gresley valve gear with a combo of Walscherts valve gear on the outside rods. The New York Central experimented with these locomotives to determine if the use of three cylinders was more efficient than two to consider mass production. Both locomotives were already modified with Booster Engines on the trailing trucks with the elesco type water heaters and larger 12-wheel tenders. The Locomotive along with its sister ran normal in regular freight service for over a decade, no Issues mentioned but the #2569 didn't interest the New York Central enough to build more three-cylinder locomotives as the engine remained a three cylinder for the rest of its career. New York Central L-1b #2569 was retired from revenue service in January 1936 and was sold for Scrapping in July of that year. Its sister #2568 was retired the same month, but was scrapped sooner, making #2569 the longest-lived of any three-cylinder locomotive on the System.
== Performance Stats ==
While not much was known about the #2569's regular operating routine, the Locomotive, along with #2568 were the most powerful 4-8-2s the New York Central rostered when in service. When built new, the #2569's original design had 190 Lbs. PSI in the boiler with two 28" x 28" cylinders and a small 4-axle tender producing 51,380 Lbs. of tractive effort. When rebuilt by 1924, the boiler design was pressed to 200 Lbs. PSI with three 25" x 28" cylinders along with a trailing truck Booster followed by a large 6-axle tender producing 75,674 Lbs. of tractive effort with Booster in-use!
== Trivia ==
* The locomotive was one of only two L-1s converted with a third cylinder configuration, and only one of three NYC steamers ever to have three cylinders overall. NYC #800, a short-lived experimental high pressured 4-8-4 from 1931 was the third.
* The locomotive was one of the earliest retired L-1s, with regular withdrawn dates starting in 1934, with the last before 1954.
Category:4-8-2 locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Built in 1918
Category:New York Central locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Experimental locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:Three-cylindered locomotives
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Scrapped steam locomotives
Category:ALCO