General is the famous American used in 1862's Great Locomotive Chase in which a group of Union officers and men highjacked a Confederate locomotive and headed north. After several close calls, the persistence of the pursuing conductor Fuller paid off and the engine, out of fuel and steam, puttered to a halt. All of the Union men were captured and several executed.
Hollingsworth (1982) has an interesting take on this well-known incident, which he says highlights two characteristics of the US American design: "First, in spite of the rough track, high maximum speeds of around 60 mph were reached ...and both [the pursuing Texas was another 4-4-0 with the same basic dimensions but produced by Danforth, Cooke in October 1856] stayed on the rails. ...[Also], the range between fuel stops was very short. A full load of two cords of wood fuel ...would last for a mere 50 miles.
The specifications given come from John White's (1968) Appendix E and differ from those in Hollingsworth. The working pressure given in that data (140 psi) seems high for the period and it's possible this was a test pressure. A more likely setting was 120 psi.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Class | General |
| Locobase ID | 2545 |
| Railroad | Western & Atlantic |
| Whyte | 4-4-0 |
| Road Numbers | 36-37, 39, 41-42 |
| Gauge | 5' |
| Builder | Rogers |
| Year | 1855 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase | 7' |
| Engine Wheelbase | 20.50' |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase | 0.34 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) | |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) | |
| Weight on Drivers | 32000 lbs |
| Engine Weight | 50000 lbs |
| Tender Light Weight | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight | 0 |
| Tender Water Capacity | 2000 gals |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) | 2 tons |
| Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run | 27 lb rail |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter | 60" |
| Boiler Pressure | 120 psi |
| Cylinders (dia x stroke) | 15" x 22" |
| Tractive Effort | 8415 lbs |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 3.80 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Firebox Area | 71.08 sq. ft |
| Grate Area | 12.46 sq. ft |
| Evaporative Heating Surface | 819 |
| Superheating Surface | |
| Combined Heating Surface | 819 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 182.01 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 1495 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 1495 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 8530 |
| Power L1 | 3132 |
| Power MT | 431.55 |
| This page last modified: . | [Contact] | All material © 1999-2008 SteamLocomotive.com |