Class I - 20 1/2""//IA (Locobase 5292)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1902 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy-lbp203.gif (visited December 2002).

The guide notes that part of the order was delivered with 20 1/2" diameter cylinders. Those are shown in this entry. Also represented are the 25 IAs from 1902. These were identical except for a front truck wheelbase increase of 3", which increased engine wheelbase to 27' 6".

See 5293 for the 21" version. According to the guide, these classes were fitted with traction increasers that increased the weight on the drivers by 10,000 lb. Engine weight was redistributed from the leading and trailing trucks.

Class I - 21"" (Locobase 5293)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1902 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy-lbp203.gif (visited December 2002).

The guide notes that part of the order was delivered with 21" diameter cylinders. Those are shown in this entry. See 5292 for the 20 1/2" version. According to the guide, these classes were fitted with traction increasers that increased the weight on the drivers by 10,000 lb. Engine weight was redistributed from the leading and trailing trucks. Firebox heating surface included 27.09 sq ft of arch tubes.

Arthur Curran, writing in "Yesterdays on the New York Central," Railway & Locomotive History Society Bulletin #1 (1921), p. 9, notes that Arthur Waitt had designed a Ten-wheeler, but quickly decided he needed a new arrangement for his express engines. He designed the "Central Atlantic", which, Curran says, "[i]n neatness of general design and refinement of detail these ...engines were pre-eminent and unique. Their performance on the road was characterized by a consistency and smoothness of running that won for them the approbation of the men who ran them and the passengers who rode behind them."

Class I-1 (Locobase 4092)

Taken from a table in Paul T Warner's article on Atlantics in the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin #62 (1943, p 20), this data refers to a balanced-compound Atlantic supplied to the NYC. American Engineering and Railroading Journal's July 1904 table shows additional data and identifies it as a Cole balanced compound. The locomotive also appeared in a report of Tests of Locomotives at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition published in Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (Volume 27 - 1906), pp. 630-632.

Firebox heating surface included 28 sq ft of arch tubes.

It appears to have been unsatisfactory, because the Water-Level Route almost immediately ordered dozens of 2-cylinder simple 4-4-2s from the same builder.

Class I-100a (Locobase 5351)

Data from table in July 1904 AERJ.

Firebox heating surface includes 24.41 sq ft of arch tubes. The class was later superheated -- see Locobase

Class I-100a - superheated (Locobase 6764)

Data from NYC 1 - 1946 Locomotive Diagram book (supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection)

When the P & E's Atlantics (Locobase 5351) were superheated, it resulted in the usual tradeoff of overall heating surface decreasing, but effective heating surface increasing. At the same time, it appears that the NYC removed the arch tubes from the firebox, which reduced direct heating surface. The result was something of a wash in terms of power and steam supply at speed, Locobase supposes.

Class I-10h (Locobase 5547)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1930 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy..pdf (visited May 2003).

These were superheater rebuilds of the I-class Atlantics.

Class I-2 (Locobase 108)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1902 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy-lbp205.gif (visited December 2002).

Staufer (New York Central's Early Power, 1967) says that this trio "pretty well sum up the locomotive philosophy of this railroad [the St. L & A]-- the latest, best and fanciest." Like other Atlantics, they could be slippery, so the design included a "traction increaser" that transferred 3,700 lb of weight from the trailing truck to the drivers. Later renumberings put the lead engine at 2800, then 3800, and finally at 800.

Class I-3 (Locobase 5384)

Data from AERJ's June 1907 table. Works number was 25000 in January 1905.

The record shows this to have been the Baldwin balanced compound counterpart of a Schenectady-built Cole balanced compound tested by the railroad. Although the heating surface was nearly identical, Baldwin used fewer, but larger and longer firetubes.

The NYC seems to have been in an almost obscene rush to scrap this lone Baldwin as it sent it to the boneyard in November 1913.

Class I-40A (Locobase 5548)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1930 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy..pdf (visited May 2003).

Data from NYC 8 - 1917 Locomotive Diagram book (supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection) surprised Locobase because it showed these Atlantics to have been superheated by August 1917. The viewer can see what the locomotives looked like in their short time as saturated engines on Locobase 7339, which profiles 5 identical locomotives supplied to the Ann Arbor in the same year.

Class I-60 (Locobase 6685)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Interesting anomaly of a quartet of Atlantics that the Big Four did not superheat (at least not by 1914). They had a generous amount of heating surface, and perhaps the trend toward hotting up the 4-4-2 had passed on the New York Central system.

Class I-61 - superheated (Locobase 4097)

Taken from a table in Paul T Warner's article on Atlantics in the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin #62 (1943, p 20). Additional data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Official name for the railroad was the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, & St. Louis. These were obvious successors to the eight-wheelers put into service on the Big Four's expresses just a few years earlier. They offered little more power, but with the substantially bigger boiler and grate, were probably able sustain that power for much longer with a much heavier train.

The I-62s came in 1901, followed by the I-63s in 1904. They were later superheated to a design in common with the I-61s. See Locobase 6686.

Class I-62/I-63 (Locobase 6687)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

According to RAS Hennessey, driving piston valves (in this case, 11" in diameter with 5 9/16" travel) with inside Stephenson link motion was a trademark of Brooks's Atlantic designs. This class followed the P & E into the Big Four by 1904.

Both subclasses were later superheated; see Locobase 6686 for the I-62, 10758 for the I-63.

Class I-62/I-63 - superheated (Locobase 6686)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Most of the Big Four's Atlantics were superheated using a common boiler. The I-62/I-63s had smaller grates.

Class I-63 superheated (Locobase 10758)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Only a slightly higher weight distinguished the superheated version of the I-63 from that of the I-62 (Locobase 6686).

Class I-80 (Locobase 11473)

Data from "New Locomotive Equipment," The Railway Age, Vol XXXI, No 2 (25 January 1901), p 75, corrected by "New Michigan Central Locomotives," The Railway Age, vOL XXXII, No 2 (12 July 1901), pp. 25-26.

This class of Atlantics was very similar to the New York Central's I-class locomotives (Locobase 5293), but with a few more boiler tubes. Schenectady delivered 6 in 1901, 10 in 1902. The July report was able to supply more accurate information as well as giving the usual glowing report of their performance: "The engines are giving very good satisfaction since their delivery, one of them on the Canada division having hauled traiu No. 31. consisting of nine cars, from Saint Thomas to Windsor, 111 miles, in 102 minutes."

Class I-J (Locobase 6683)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The last of the Big Four's Atlantics, these continued the basic pattern of the railroad's express engines. Like the others, these were superheated not very long after their introduction. See Locobase 6684.

Class I-J - superheated (Locobase 6684)

Data from the CCC&StL 3 - 1914 Locomotive Diagrams, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

These superheated Atlantics show the usual tradeoffs in such an upgrade. By later standards, the amount of superheat is relatively modest and total heating surface area has actually decreased. Still, the steam was drier and total available power increased.

By 1914, 6949-6950 had been fitted with Walschaert gear and 6945 used Baker gear. some had received arch tubes in the firebox which contributed to the 202 sq ft of direct heating surface.

Class IB (Locobase 5294)

The data comes from a reproduction of the New York Central's 1902 Locomotive guide found on http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ncy-lbp204A.gif (visited December 2002).

Similar to the I and IA classes, but with a slightly smaller boiler and fewer firetubes. According to the guide, these classes were fitted with traction increasers that increased the weight on the drivers by 10,000 lb. Engine weight was redistributed from the leading and trailing trucks.