# Christmas Gifts



## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

My daughter found this large print of B&O 5304 in an antique shop and got it for my Christmas gift. While the picture lacks the detail a train buff may want, it has an interesting framing angle of a photographer.

5304 was the 4th of 20 units built by the Baldwin Motor Works from 1927 - 1928. Beginning life as the President Monroe it is the only P7 class locomotive to be streamlined twice. First in 1937 as the 'Royal Blue' to a design by Otto Kuhler and reclassified as a P7a. Then again in 1946 as 'The Cincinnatian' to a design by Miss Olive Dennis and reclassified again as P7d. 

The photo given by my daughter shows 5304 in its second streamlining.

Pictures available on the web show many upgrades throughout its life, and many others were less visible.









Black and White print from my daughter.









President Monroe 1927 or so till 1937









Royal Blue in 1937 by Otto Kuhler









Cincinnatian in 1946 by Miss Olive Dennis


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Nice gift, good pictures. I wonder if the streamlining actually helped performance/efficiency?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

What a nice daughter. :smilie_daumenpos:
How large is the picture?

I like best the last picture, it has the old cart, and the water pipe.
But best is all the smoke coming out.

And it is blue my favorite color. :thumbsup:


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Big Ed said:


> What a nice daughter. :smilie_daumenpos:
> How large is the picture?


Print itself is 10x13. Professionally framed with matte and glass is 15x18.

Son gave me a collection of B&O and some other lines uniform buttons. He thought the neatest one was the "Motor Man" button.
Probably a New York Streetcar operator. When was the last time any railroad or subway employee wore a uniform?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Fire21 said:


> Nice gift, good pictures. I wonder if the streamlining actually helped performance/efficiency?


Always wondered that myself. Of course that's why they had so many variations of steam engines. Always an attempt to tailor the engine to the load and maximize efficiency.

When all was said and done though it all boiled down to the 'Hogger.' Moving that 'Johnson Rod' controlled the engine performance and efficiency for better or worse.

Now that I think of it, streamlining didn't help the diesels any. All of the cab units were abandoned for hood units!


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

rkenney said:


> Now that I think of it, streamlining didn't help the diesels any. All of the cab units were abandoned for hood units!


That's not why they were abandoned.....hood units could be accessed more readily/faster for maintenance....it's all about lower cost....


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

Very nice photos. :thumbsup: Quite a thoughtful gift.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> That's not why they were abandoned.....hood units could be accessed more readily/faster for maintenance....it's all about lower cost....


The post I was responding to asked if streamlining improved performance/efficiency. The only goal of which is to lower costs...Duh!


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Fire21 asked:
_"I wonder if the streamlining actually helped performance/efficiency?"_

I doubt it made ANY difference at all.
It was all _"for looks"._

If anything, the streamlining hampered routing locomotive maintenance. I'll bet at least some of the shrouding had to come off for many tasks...


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

J.Albert1949 said:


> Fire21 asked:
> _"I wonder if the streamlining actually helped performance/efficiency?"_
> 
> I doubt it made ANY difference at all.
> ...


I think your right! After a couple railroads did it, others did too. Gotta keep up with the Joneses.

There are all kinds of pumps and small steam turbines for generators and such underneath the Steam Era Streamlining, not to mention just harder to visually inspect things. Steam Engines were high maintenance equipment.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

rkenney said:


> The post I was responding to asked if streamlining improved performance/efficiency. The only goal of which is to lower costs...Duh!


You'll have to excuse me.....I was merely pointing out an answer to your comment of why diesels dropped streamlining, for the folks here who don't have your obvious superior knowledge of trains.....

Cheers!


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> You'll have to excuse me.....I was merely pointing out an answer to your comment of why diesels dropped streamlining, for the folks here who don't have your obvious superior knowledge of trains.....
> 
> Cheers!


Your snide comments aren't unnoticed. You just like to condescend people by asserting your opinion as a factual "correction". Just another sad old man trying to stay relevant!


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Children! Behave!!

We're only 2 days since Christmas. Control your testosterone.

Gee whiz, don't turn a friendly post into a battlefield.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Fire21 said:


> Children! Behave!!
> 
> We're only 2 days since Christmas. Control your testosterone.
> 
> Gee whiz, don't turn a friendly post into a battlefield.


I think you have the wrong thread. I am neither a child nor misbehaving. Nor do I believe testosterone has anything to do with it.

You do realize your signature quotes a Canadian chastising Americans as not being worthy of their country. Very poor taste!


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

rkenney said:


> You do realize your signature quotes a Canadian chastising Americans as not being worthy of their country. Very poor taste!


Talk about poor taste.....I mean, look at you, getting all bent out of shape because I was merely giving some friendly info about trains.....and nothing I stated was inaccurate......

Chill out man.....nobody was attacking you....hwell:


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Here is my American Flyer S scale Royal Blue. I never saw a pic
of the real thing. Cool thread. My model is a good reproduction
of the P7a. Notice the circles around the nose. My loco was made
in 1948.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)




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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Beautiful loco. One of my favorites. I like the unstreamlined version better. 
From what I always heard, streamlining did nothing for increasing performance of the locomotive. It was strictly for that look of speed. It was part of the Art-Deco era of design.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> Talk about poor taste.....I mean, look at you, getting all bent out of shape because I was merely giving some friendly info about trains..Chill out man....


You're the one that makes the snarky comments. I've read enough of your posts to know it is repeat behavior from you. Try taking your own suggestions, I wasn't talking to you anyway. 

Have you read your own signature line!


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

mopac said:


> View attachment 520012
> 
> 
> View attachment 520014


Great lookin' loco. I like the outdoor photos. My son want's to do some Forced Perspective photos with some of my Lionel similar to your photos.


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