The steam locomotive with wheels on its wheels - Fontaine Locomotives

In this video, we take a look at the stylish Fontaine locomotives and why they were terrible

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[_railfan]

With little to no friction with the drive wheel and the top piston wheel, they could've added some "teeth" to the 2. Basically using the Coalbrookdale Locomotive for reference.

[ericcriteser]

This is exactly what I needed 30 minutes before getting ready for work this morning in Detroit. Something I've wondered about since I saw one in a book as a child. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.

[jeannedarcalterberserker]

I first met this locomotive in the game train station and I was fascinated by its unusual look. I couldn't find that much information about them online back in the day though so that's that but thank you for making this video it was very interesting. Quite a shame they were rebuilt and none survived to this day it would certainly be a unique locomotive to look at.

[ThirteenMatt]

I suppose steel quality at the time would be the reason why they didn't make the intermediate wheels big gears instead, because it means the teeth would have stripped off the gears with all that torque? I also imagine none of the wheels in the drivetrain were sprung, so I don't understand how they ever thought they would have enough friction between the steel rimmed intermediate wheels with none pushing hard onto the other.

[David_Mattox]

I would LOVE to see Hornby or Bachmann make a model of this. 😂

[yellowsdotlxf]

Definitely look into the Scientific American Supplement issue 302. there was actually 2 and a half engines built. the second engine built had a drive rod from the middle wheels to the rear making it a more traditional 4-4-0 layout. Sadly even the rebuilds didnt last, as the two known ones number 324 and 1403 were scrapped in 1911 and 1927 respectively. Though I am happy to report they did go faster and the engineers on them did love them. Side note, I designed the lego version. Just a little self plug. hehe

[BustingSomeBuffers]

Early American steam locomotives are all just a funny fever dream that somehow everyone remembers, yet no one remembers why.

[RexyRonin]

Great video as always! Even if the odd design worked as intended, I imagine it wouldn't fare well in the event of a derailment; lots of parts wouldn't be sent flying!

[JakeCatmull]

Love that you used Jupiter as reference photos. I'm a trained fireman for her and 119. Though I don't get up there as much as I would like

I also feel like Shay took this idea and made it work by using gears

[davidjones]

This really does seem like a solution looking for a problem. At least they managed to salvage the locos by rebuilding them.

[RangerFan]

I love a good experimental engine video! You never cease to amaze me sir!

[cr]

What on earth could have been achieved with this absurd arrangement that couldn't have been matched by simply fitting 28% bigger drivers or reducing the piston stroke by 20% - either of which would give a corresponding increase on top speed (for a given piston speed) at the cost of an equivalent reduction in tractive effort?

[uncinarynin]

Also, with all this inefficient complexity there wasn't much space left for a powerful boiler .... lesson learned.

[kyovalye]

I hear that neverhood music, it's a perfect fit for this absurdity.

[TKS]

I swear, I thought the Fontaine engine was a Photoshop. I had no idea it was real, until this video.

[Straswa]

Great work ToT! Love those good old Western 4-4-0s.

[FuelFire]

Well, they might've had some weird ass experimental locomotives but hey, they managed to build the biggest steam locomotives ever :D

[TheGreyTurtleEntertainment]

I find it funny that while the 4-4-0 is only associated with the old west thanks to movies mostly, and is a design that was rather quickly phased out.

even I didn't know they weren't all that common (at least in their era as they were wildly used across the US for a short period before more efficient engines were invented) until very recently.

also of course we Americans would try something stupid like "I see you like wheels, so I put wheeled wheels on your wheels".

we like our transit both inefficient AND dangerous XD

[dragonblaster-vuwz]

I wonder how well this design would work today if actual toothed gears were used instead of friction wheels

[davidantoniocamposbarros]

This takes "they see me rollin, they hatin" to a whole other level