[N&W] Y-6 Pulling Productivity

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

In the current issue of the Arrow, Mr. King states in his article on the
Basics of Steam, Part 2, that "the rating of the Y-6 on a 1% grade was 350
tons more than Big Boy."  My questions are: how was this determined and
where is it documented?  And - is this simply in terms of pulling capacity?
(I just want to have my facts straight in case I need to lord this over a
couple of UP fans I know.)  Taken at face value, this seems an astonishing
fact - and a definite triumph of superior engineering design and locomotive
construction!  I'm not an expert on the technical details and aspects of
locomotives - I'm just a guy who grew up in N&W territory and stills loves
to watch trains go by.  Thanks in advance for any responses.

Bob Simpson
Dayton, Ohio