Atlantic Coast Line / Alabama Midland 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Type Locomotives

Class L (Locobase 7679)

Data from the ACL-3 1946 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Works numbers for the first 4 were 19568-19571 in October 1901. Those that went directly to the ACL in 1903 were 21498, 21505 in January 1903; 23144-23145, 23153, 23186, 23208-23210 in November; 24540 in August 1904.

Consolidations made up only a small part of all of the locomotives operated by the Atlantic Coast LineL and these were the first to be procured by the railroad in the 20th century. In fact, the first 4 went to the Alabama Midland Railway, which linked Bainbridge, Ga and Montgomery, Ala, when it still operated under the Plant System banner. The Plant System was absorbed by the ACL within months of this purchase. The ACL went back to Baldwin in 1903 to order a total of 10 more that were produced over the next year and a half.

They had a relatively small grate. Apparently, none of these was superheated. Several were converted to switch engines by the end of the teens. The whole class was retired in 1939-1942.

Class L-1 (Locobase 11168)

Data from the ACL 2-8-0 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Works numbers were 25153-25154, 25168 in February 1905

These light Consolidations completed the rather small holding of 2-8-0s on the ACL. The three L-1 appeared in 1905 as follow-ons to the Class L shown in Locobase 7679. The biggest difference between the two classes was the L-1's 50% larger grate.

Not long after they entered service, all 7 were superheated to the same standard; see Locobase 7680.

Class L-1-S/L-2-S (Locobase 7680)

Data from the ACL-3 1946 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

These light Consolidations completed the rather small holding of 2-8-0s on the ACL. The three L-1 appeared in 1905 (Locobase 11168) with the four L-2 following in 1911 (Locobase 11169).

Not long after they entered service, all 7 were superheated to the same standard. All had the "modern" steam chest using 8" piston valves with 6" travel. To incorporate the 26 flues, the design had to sacrifice fully half of its small tubes. The shops also raised the boiler's pressure by 15 psi.

Although present in small numbers and possessing relatively small boilers for their cylinder volumes, they showed staying power in the niche in which they operated and saw out steam on the ACL as they were scrapped in 1951-1955.

Class L-2 (Locobase 11169)

Data from the ACL 2-8-0 Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Works numbers were 35971-35972, 35984, 35996 in January 1911.

Six years after the three L-1 appeared (Locobase 11168), Baldwin supplied this quartet. The L-2s differed from the L-1s in the use of outside Walschaert valve gear and in weighing about a ton more. The tender also weighed more. (The builder's official name had changed to reflect that it was no longer a partnership, but a corporation.)

Not long after they entered service, all 7 were superheated to the same standard; see Locobase 7680.

Specifications
Class	L	L-1	L-1-S/L-2-S	L-2
Locobase ID	7679	11168	7680	11169
Railroad	Alabama Midland (ACL)	Atlantic Coast Line (ACL)	Atlantic Coast Line (ACL)	Atlantic Coast Line (ACL)
Whyte	2-8-0	2-8-0	2-8-0	2-8-0
Road Numbers	700-703, 704-713	714-716	714-720	717-720
Gauge	Std	Std	Std	Std
Builder	Burnham, Williams & Co	Burnham, Williams & Co	ACL	Baldwin
Year	1901	1905	1905	1911
Valve Gear	Stephenson	Stephenson	Walschaert	Walschaert
	Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase	15.67'	15.42'	15.42'	15.42'
Engine Wheelbase	23.75'	23.50'	23.50'	23.50'
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase	0.66	0.66	0.66	0.66
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender)	52.92'	55.56'	55.56'	55.56'
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle)	41740 lbs	40150 lbs	40150 lbs	40150 lbs
Weight on Drivers	146590 lbs	151800 lbs	151800 lbs	152800 lbs
Engine Weight	161230 lbs	167500 lbs	167500 lbs	170800 lbs
Tender Light Weight	120000 lbs	106900 lbs	106900 lbs	120000 lbs
Total Engine and Tender Weight	281230 lbs	274400 lbs	274400 lbs	290800 lbs
Tender Water Capacity	5000 gals	6000 gals	6000 gals	6000 gals
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal)	11.5 tons	15.5 tons	15.5 tons	15.5 tons
Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run	61 lb rail	63 lb rail	63 lb rail	64 lb rail
	Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter	56.50"	56.50"	56.50"	56.50"
Boiler Pressure	185 psi	185 psi	200 psi	185 psi
Cylinders (dia x stroke)	21" x 28"	21" x 28"	21" x 28"	21" x 28"
Tractive Effort	34367 lbs	34367 lbs	37153 lbs	34367 lbs
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort)	4.27	4.42	4.09	4.45
	Heating Ability
Firebox Area	183 sq. ft	187.30 sq. ft	187.30 sq. ft	187.30 sq. ft
Grate Area	33 sq. ft	49 sq. ft	49 sq. ft	49 sq. ft
Evaporative Heating Surface	2529	2533	1753	2533
Superheating Surface			392
Combined Heating Surface	2529	2533	2145	2533
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume	225.31	225.66	156.17	225.66
	Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation	6105	9065	9800	9065
Same as above plus superheater percentage	6105	9065	11564	9065
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area	33855	34651	44203	34651
Power L1	5345	5385	10432	5385
Power MT	321.54	312.83	606.02	310.78