C&O K-4 2755 at Chief Logan S. P.
At the Saint Albans C&O Modelers get-together on March 29, 2025, we were afforded the opportunity to get a close-up examination of displayed C&O K-4 2755. For many years 2755 has been surrounded by a chain-link fence to prevent vandalism and injury. The park agreed to have the gate open from 0900 until noon for us to visit.
After the Merrill mine closed in 1956 and the Chief Logan State Park was created, 2755 was donated for display. It was moved up the branch in 1961, and the track was removed behind it.
1. Head-on view with pump shields and the aftercooler. The aftercooler cools the compressed air in the brake system.
2. New York Air Brake Co. air compressor for the braking system. Note the "NY" logo embossed on the side. Timken roller bearings are on the front truck.
3. Engineer's side of the cab. The injector lever is on the left side at floor level.
4. Fireman's side of cab. The seat behind his is for the head brakeman.
5. Standard Stoker Co. type HT.
6. Franklin Railway Supply Co. Butterfly-type fire door.
7. Levers to shake sections of the grate. A long rod used to move the levers.
8. Coal doors on the tender.
9. Leaves cover the lid over the stoker screw. Compartments are used for tool storage.
10. Uncoupled flexible water hose from the tender to the engine. The cone-shaped apparatus is on the steam pipe to the booster.
11. The long booster exhaust line is attached to the side of the firebox. The flexible cold water line from the tender to the Pyle-National Co. cold water pump is attached to the rear truck.
12. Equipment trust plate for Chase National Bank, trustee, owner, and lessor.
13. All I can determine about that large hole at the bottom of the mud ring involves draining water during a routine boiler wash. It probably had a plug at one time, but this was unnecessary after the boiler was drained. There are smaller plugs on the boiler to facilitate washing it out each month. Below the boiler and firebox is the ash pan.
14. Prime-Alemite button head lube fittings on main and side rods.
15. Nathan Manufacturing Co. mechanical lubricator type DV-7 lubricates valves and other parts on the locomotive.
16. Detroit Lubricator Co. mechanical lubricator for valve oil.
17. ALCo power reverse gear was also used on locomotives such as the Lima-built H-8 and the Baldwin-built H-7A. The power reverse controls the cut-off position of the valve motion. It replaced the old manually operated Johnson bar of an earlier generation.
18. National Malleable and Steel Castings Co. journal box lid on tender. Next to it is the brake cylinder.
19. Symington-Gould Corp. journal box mounted in the Buckeye Steel Castings Co. tender truck. Buckeye was a good choice, as it was a hometown product whose factory was located beside Parsons Yard in Columbus.
This concludes our walk-around of 2744. You noticed, as I did, that the engine is suffering from the ravages of time. It appears that many small parts were removed by C&O following retirement for use on other active steam locomotives. Others may have been stolen when there was no security fence. Perhaps some were removed during the restoration of sister 2716 years ago.
I used the following for reference:
How a Steam Locomotive Works by C&OHS member Karen Parker and published by TLC in 2008.
Manual For Locomotive Firemen, published by C&O in 1947. Photocopies are available from the C&OHS.
Locomotive Cyclopedia Of American Practice - 1941, published by Simmons-Boardman in 1941 and republished in 1971 by Kalmbach Publishing Co.
Train images used by permission of Everett N Young