The Cameron County Historical Commission's website gives us the lowdown on this little railway -- http://www.cameroncountyhistoricalcommission.org/ValleyHistory.htm, accessed 30 July 2006. Located in a triangle bounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the country of Mexico, the SB & RGV received its first push from St Louis-San Francisco Railroad-backed interests whose agent was Sam Robertson. Robertson purchased some "junk locomotives and cars" from George Dilley in Palestine in 1910, but Locobase doesn't the current trio of Eight-wheelers were part of the mix as they were then only 5 years old.
Also known as the Spider Web or "Sam Robertson's Back Door Railroad", various lines and loops were added until in 1916, the SB & RVG owned 75 miles of track and 2 locomotives. The Frisco entered receivership that year, which pulled the SB & RGV in as well. At that point, the NOT & M bought the SB & RVG and brought its locomotives with it. Over time, the still independently operated railway added to its stud as one of the three was scrapped in 1933 and 2 still remained.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Class | E-63 - 15.0 |
| Locobase ID | 7769 |
| Railroad | San Benito & Rio Grande Valley (NOT & M/MP) |
| Whyte | 4-4-0 |
| Road Numbers | 952-954 |
| Gauge | Std |
| Builder | Burnham, Williams & Co |
| Year | 1905 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase | 8.25' |
| Engine Wheelbase | 22.25' |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase | 0.37 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) | 53.44' |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) | |
| Weight on Drivers | 58480 lbs |
| Engine Weight | 92910 lbs |
| Tender Light Weight | 103000 lbs |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight | 195910 lbs |
| Tender Water Capacity | 5500 gals |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) | 2466 gals |
| Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run | 49 lb rail |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter | 63" |
| Boiler Pressure | 160 psi |
| Cylinders (dia x stroke) | 17" x 24" |
| Tractive Effort | 14973 lbs |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 3.91 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Firebox Area | 119.10 sq. ft |
| Grate Area | 16.49 sq. ft |
| Evaporative Heating Surface | 1114 |
| Superheating Surface | |
| Combined Heating Surface | 1114 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 176.69 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 2638 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 2638 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 19056 |
| Power L1 | 4555 |
| Power MT | 343.44 |
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