Neat photo. The additional steam exhausting from the booster certainly adds to the already impressive appearance of the locomotive. I wonder how difficult it is to maintain the booster in operating condition? The booster seems like an appliance that could be done without when restoring a steam locomotive.
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@Jeff Sell - Boosters can be quite tedious to maintain as they are basically a second set of cylinders that require more complex steam and exhaust piping and gear setups that could easily be damaged if not operated properly. North America was the only region where they were widely used, and even there most steam locomotives did not have them because many railroads considered them not worth the cost and complexity.
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Thanks Jeff. The R&N definitely uses the 2102's booster at times. The only other engine that I recall seeing in operation in the past 40+ years using its booster was the C&O 614, on Seventeen Mile Grade in 1981. It seems that some railroads liked boosters (NYC), and some, like the PRR, didn't use them much- PRR's only class fully booster-equipped were their 125 J-1 & J-1a 2-10-4s.
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