A misstep in the quest for more power at speed, these Columbias were among the very first of the arrangement to go into North American service. Numbered 154 when delivered in November 1895, the lead locomotive operated on the Wilmington & Weldon while 76 was assigned to the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta. Although they can't be said to have been sterling engines, they managed to be useful for almost 40 years.
A writer with an admitted passion for this oddball wheel arrangement has put up a website devoted to the Columbias. http://www.trainweb.org/jiquay/Columbiahx.htm, accessed 6 July 2006. He notes that the first American engine of the type had 84" drivers and ran as a Vauclain compound. This pair was more realistically scaled, although they retained the 50"-diameter leading truck wheels.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Class | I-2 |
| Locobase ID | 7666 |
| Railroad | Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) |
| Whyte | 2-4-2 |
| Road Numbers | 154, 541 / 93-94 |
| Gauge | Std |
| Builder | Burnham, Williams & Co |
| Year | 1895 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase | 6.25' |
| Engine Wheelbase | 31.50' |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase | 0.20 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) | 48.37' |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) | 38000 lbs |
| Weight on Drivers | 75000 lbs |
| Engine Weight | 124500 lbs |
| Tender Light Weight | 82900 lbs |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight | 207400 lbs |
| Tender Water Capacity | 3600 gals |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) | |
| Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run | 63 lb rail |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter | 72" |
| Boiler Pressure | 180 psi |
| Cylinders (dia x stroke) | 19" x 24" |
| Tractive Effort | 18411 lbs |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 4.07 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Firebox Area | 133.50 sq. ft |
| Grate Area | 26.11 sq. ft |
| Evaporative Heating Surface | 1687 |
| Superheating Surface | |
| Combined Heating Surface | 1687 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 214.20 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 4700 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 4700 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 24030 |
| Power L1 | 6457 |
| Power MT | 379.61 |
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