| B&O VO-660 8200, La Grange, Illinois, November 15, 1964, photo by Chuck Zeiler. This locomotive was built in March 1941 (c/n 62489) as EJ&E 272. How it became B&O 8200 is a mystery to me. This locomotive illustrates Baldwin's second VO-660 design, or Phase 2, in which the radiator was changed from a Baldwin-built hand-assembled unit to a purchased unit. This solved several problems for Baldwin and reduced costs. The hand-assembled units (spotting detail was an oval opening on the front radiator grill) had a bad habit of springing leaks after a few hard couplings. Also the air flow was re-routed from a front intake-side discharge to a front intake-top discharge. The radiator shutters were change to air control, replacing the manual control of the previous design. The purchased radiators were spring-mounted to help cushion them during rough switching moves. As a result, the VO-660 (and VO-1000) was increased in length by 10 inches. Note that this unit does not have the characteristic cooling water expansion tank on the roof behind the headlight, a development introduced in 1943 as Baldwin addressed overheating issues. This unit also shows the styled contour sheets applied to the bottom corner of the cab and step from cab height to running board, abandon in 1943 as a cost-saving measure. It is seen here on Pielet Brothers setout track at LaGrange. |