Wheeling & Lake Erie Berkshire Type Locomotives

The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad bought thirty-two "Berkshire" type locomotives from the American Locomotive Company. They were designated as Class K-1 and assigned road numbers 6401 through 6432.

These locomotives were essentially copies of the Nickel Plate Road's Class S "Berkshires". They had 69" diameter drivers, 25" x 34" cylinders, and they exerted 64,135 pounds of tractive effort under 245 psi of boiler pressure and weighed between 413,170 pounds and 415,000 pounds.

There are no surviving W&LE 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type locomotives

W& LE 2-8-4 Roster
Class	Qty.	Road Numbers	Year Built	Builder	Notes
K-1	10	6401-6410	1937	ALCO	1
K-1	2	6411-6412	1938	ALCO	2
K-1	3	6413-6415	1939	ALCO	3
K-1	7	6416-6422	1941	ALCO	4
K-1	10	6423-6432	1942	ALCO	5

Notes

Numbers 6401-6410 renumbered NKP 6401-6410 in 1949. NKP 6401-6410 renumbered 801-810 in 1952. Numbers 802 and 810 scrapped in 1959. All the others scrapped between 1961 and 1963.

Numbers 6411 and 6412 renumbered NKP 6411 and NKP 6412 in 1949. NKP 6411 and 6412 renumbered 811 and 812 in 1952. Number 812 scrapped in 1961. Number 811 scrapped in 1963.

Numbers 6413-6415 renumbered NKP 6413-6415 in 1952. NKP 6413-6415 renumbered 813-815 in 1952. Number 813 scrapped in 1962. Numbers 814 and 815 scrapped in 1963.

Numbers 8416-6422 renumbered NKP 6416-6422 in 1952. Numbers 6416-6422 renumbered 816-822 in 1952. Numbers 816-822 scrapped between 1961 and 1964.

Numbers 6423-6432 renumbered NKP 6423-6432 in 1949. NKP 6423-6432 renumbered 823-832 in 1952. Numbers 823-832 scrapped between 1961 and 1964.

Specifications
Class	K-1	K-1	K-1
Road Numbers:	6401-6415	6416-6422	6423-6432
Wheel Arrangement:	2-8-4	2-8-4	2-8-4
Length:	101'-0"	101'-0"	101'-0"
Drivers:	69" dia.	69" dia.	69" dia.
Weight on Drivers:	263,000 lbs.	265,500 lbs.	265,200 lbs.
Total Locomotive Weight:	413,170 lbs.	415,000 lbs.	414,500 lbs.
Locomotive & Tender Weight:	777,770 lbs.	779,600 lbs.	779,100 lbs.
Grate Area:	90.3 sq. ft.	90.3 sq. ft.	90.3 sq. ft.
Cylinders (dia. x stroke):	(2) 25" x 34"	(2) 25" x 34"	(2) 25" x 34"
Boiler Pressure:	245 psi	245 psi	245 psi
Tractive Effort:	64,135 lbs.	64,135 lbs.	64,135 lbs.
Tender Capacity:
Water:	22,000 gals.	22,000 gals.	22,000 gals.
Coal:	22 tons	22 tons	22 tons

Photos

6412 (Nov. 15, 1939, Rush R. Webner, agent and operator, is shown prepared to handoff train orders to 6412 engineer, D.J.Evans at Wheeling and Lake Erie Station, Smithville, Ohio. Photo courtesy Micah Webner)

6412 (Closeup of previous photo. Photo courtesy Micah Webner)

6413 (Bob Bruns Photo)

References

The Nickel Plate Story by John A. Rehor, Published by Kalmbach Publications.

Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society
P. O. Box 381
New Haven, IN 46774-0381

Richard Duley