Kansas City Southern 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class E-1 (Locobase 14454)

Data from DeGolyer, Vol 23, p. 97. Baldwin works numbers were 18095, 18096-18098, 18128, 18137, 18165-18166, 18188, 18207 in September 1900; 21681, 21691 in February 1903 and 21706, 21726, 21742 in March.

These Consolidations were delivered to the Port Arthur Route as Vauclain compounds. Obviously the railroad viewed the benefits promised as not worth the complication of maintenance because they started modifying all of the class within a year after receiving the last deliveries. See Locobase 6843 for the result.


Class E-1 - simpled (Locobase 6843)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

These were delivered to the KCS as Vauclain compounds with 15 1/2" HP and 26" L cylinders (see Locobase 44524), but were converted to simple-expansion engines in 1904-1906. Several of the class were superheated; see Locobase 9446.

Those that retained their saturated boilers received new ones with 276 2" tubes and a decrease in total heating surface to 1,974 sq ft (183.4 sq m). The rebuilds had a larger firebox--194 sq ft (18 sq m). 472 also received 12" (305 mm) piston valves actuated by Walschaert outside constant-lead radial valve gear.

It was this group -- save the 421 and 424 -- that was later reconfigured as 0-8-0 yard goats.

The 421 escaped such ignominy when it was sold in June 1917 to Western Equipment. WE found a buyer in the Compania Pavia do Fond de Fies as their 2130. After some service, the PdFdFsold it to Oliver American Trading Company, which sold it to the Nacional de Mexico as their lone class G-29. Renumbered 2130A, 1362(1st), and 1364, this engined served for more than 20 years with yet another new boiler; see Locobase 11970.

424 also avoided yard duty by being sold in January 1918 to the Tucson, Cornelia & Gila Bend and renumbered 52. The line closed in 1920 and the engine idled. Scrapping didn't occur until 1937.


Class E-1 - superheated (Locobase 9446)

Data from KCS 12 - 1942ca Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange and from NdeM 1950 Locomotive Diagrams Standard Gauge supplied in December 2010 by Allen Stanley.

Locobase 6843 notes that these were delivered as compounds (Locobase 14445), but soon simpled. Some time later, the KCS added superheaters. The usual exchange of tubes for flues - in this case 144 tubes for 26 flues - was the only significant change in the design aside from some weight growth.


Class E-2 (Locobase 6842)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 27, p. 19. Works numbers 22285, 22299, 22350, and 22407 in June 1903.

These relatively large Consolidations were to have been delivered to the Pittsburgh, Shawmut & Northern as their 50-53, but that railroad's financial straits were such that they declined delivery, so the four locomotives were diverted to the KCS. By 1916, the KCS decided they didn't fit their motive power needs, so the railroad sold the quartet en bloc to the Code de Metals (S.A.) (Minera de Penoles) in Mexico as their 2070-2073.

Five years later, the first three were sold to the Nacional de Mexico as engines 19A-21A and placed in Class G-37. By then, they had substantially different boilers; see Locobase 11978.


Class E-3 (Locobase 6844)

Data from KCS 12-1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Alco's Pittsburgh Works supplied twenty-seven locomotives (475-499, and 510-511) in 1906; works numbers were 38918-38929 in January, 40165-40175 in July, and 40176-40179 in August. Baldwin produced 21 in 1907 (512-532); works numbers were 32340, 32357, 32372-32373, 32385, 32414-32416, 32434-32435, 32456-32459, 32482-32484, 32506-32508 in December 1907.

These were the saturated-steam Consolidations that made up most of the 2-8-0 fleet. Firebox heating surface included 23 sq ft (2.1 sq m) of arch tubes.

In 1910, two of the class--485-486-- were fitted with the Hobart Allfree valve gear. See "The Hobart Allfree Valve Gear", Railway Age Gazette, Volume XLVIII, No 24 (17 June 1910), pp. 1575-1576 and Locobase 7820.

Locobase likes to include the list of "special equipment" to be installed on locomotives when they appear in a locomotive description:

The twenty-one Baldwins of 1908 featured the following suppliers:

Air brakes Westinghouse

Axles Taylor Iron

Bell ringer Western Railway Equipment Co.

Boiler lagging Keasbey & Mattison

Brake-beams Simplex

Brake-shoes "Perfecto"

Couplers Climax

Headlights Pyle-National electric

Injector Ohio

Piston rod packings Sullivan metallic

Safety valve Consolidation

Sanding devices Kansas City Southern standard

Sight-feed lubricators Nathan

Springs Railway Steel-Spring Co.

Steam gages Ashcroft

Tires, driving wheel Latrobe

Tires, truck wheel Latrobe

Tires, tender wheel Latrobe

Wheel centers, drivers Cast steel

They were superheated beginning in 1913 after a series of trials; see Locobase 5093.


Class E-3 - superheated (Locobase 5093)

Data from home.insightbb.com/~sammy56/folio/fo43-4.jpg (August 2002). See also "Modernizing Locomotives of the Kansas City Southern", Railway Age Gazette, Vol 58, No 9 (26 February 1915), pp. 371-372.

Kansas City Southern rebuilt many in this class to three slightly different configurations after testing the basic superheater upgrade with a saturated engine in which the grate was nearly doubled to 62.5 sq ft (5.8 sq m). The basic data stayed the same, however. Firebox heating surface includes 23 sq ft (2.1 sq m) of arch tubes. 477, the locomotive chosen to be fitted with a superheater also received 8" (203 mm) diameter piston valves, automatic fire door, and a brick arch. 497 received just the fire door and the larger grate and firebox, which now enclosed 207 sq ft (19.2 sq m). The 477's conversion cost 43% less than the firebox makeover required for the 497's grate increase.

The results couldn't have been more conclusive. In round trips over the same route, the 477 took 15% less time, burned 23.1% less coal per mile (still a hefty 151.25 lb /68.6 kg) and consumed 33.5% less water (down to 46.3 lb/21 kg or about 5.6 US gallons). Overall, the railroad concluded that the addition of a superheater was much more effective and economical than simply increasing grate area.

A diagram in the KCS 1942ca Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange notes that Walschaert gear was added to some of the locomotives in 1923; twenty would retain the Stephenson link motion, eighteen adopted a universal valve chest instead of a full piston-valve replacement. Thirty-six of the forty-eight would ultimately be converted to oil-firing.


Class E-4 (Locobase 826)

Data from home.insightbb.com/~sammy56/folio/fo43-7.jpg (August 2002).

Built at Richmond and completed with 24" diameter pistons, 175 lb (12.1 bar) boiler psi, and low, 57-in drivers. Set originally to 175 psi, boiler pressure soon rose to 185 psi (in 1921) and later to 200 psi when the system was upgraded with thermic syphons.

All but 556, 559, and 560 were rebuilt to the specifications described above. Eight were converted to oil-burning and trailed tenders with 3,500 US gallons (13,248 litres) of oil fuel and 8,220 gallons (31,113 litres) of water. Each of these tenders weighed 72,500 lb (38,884 kg) light and 168,700 lb (76,521 kg) full. The latter represented a reduction of 14,900 lb (6,759 kg) from the coal-bearing tenders.

Firebox heating surface includes 65 sq ft (6 sq m) of syphons, 13 sq ft (1.2 sq m) of arch tubes. The addition of syphons meant a 78 sq ft (7.25 sq m)increase in firebox heating surface at the cost of six firetubes (not a hard trade-off to accept).

These burly, reliable engines saw out steam on the KCS.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

ClassE-1E-1 - simpledE-1 - superheatedE-2E-3
Locobase ID14454 6843 9446 6842 6844
RailroadKansas City Southern (KCS)Kansas City Southern (KCS)Kansas City Southern (KCS)Kansas City Southern (KCS)Kansas City Southern (KCS)
CountryUSAUSAUSAUSAUSA
Whyte2-8-02-8-02-8-02-8-02-8-0
Number in Class151515448
Road Numbers420-434/ 460-474420-429 / 460-474460-474450-453475-532
GaugeStdStdStdStdStd
Number Built15448
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoKCSKCSBurnham, Williams & Coseveral
Year19001904192219031906
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephensonStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)15.25 / 4.6515.25 / 4.6515.25 / 4.6514.50 / 4.4215.25 / 4.65
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)23.92 / 7.2923.92 / 7.2923.92 / 7.2923 / 7.0124.25 / 7.39
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.63 0.63
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)53.73 / 16.3853.73 / 16.3853.73 / 16.3855.08 / 16.7956.39 / 17.19
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)51,240 / 23,242
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)165,020 / 74,852157,000 / 71,214162,000 / 73,482175,000 / 79,379182,650 / 82,849
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)187,620 / 85,103177,000 / 80,286185,000 / 83,915195,000 / 88,451205,500 / 93,213
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)105,000 / 47,627105,000 / 47,627105,000 / 47,627105,000 / 47,627119,180 / 54,059
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)292,620 / 132,730282,000 / 127,913290,000 / 131,542300,000 / 136,078324,680 / 147,272
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)6000 / 22.736000 / 22.736000 / 22.736000 / 22.736000 / 22.73
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)14 / 1314 / 1314 / 1314 / 1310 / 9
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)69 / 34.5065 / 32.5068 / 3473 / 36.5076 / 38
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)55 / 139758 / 147358 / 147351 / 129555 / 1397
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)200 / 13.80200 / 13.80200 / 13.80185 / 12.80200 / 13.80
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)15.5" x 30" / 394x76221" x 30" / 533x76221" x 30" / 533x76222" x 28" / 559x71122" x 30" / 559x762
Low Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)25" x 30" / 635x762
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)32,184 / 14598.4338,778 / 17589.4338,778 / 17589.4341,785 / 18953.3844,880 / 20357.25
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.13 4.05 4.18 4.19 4.07
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)306 - 2" / 51306 - 2" / 51162 - 2" / 51400 - 2" / 51376 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)26 - 5.375" / 137
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13.50 / 4.1113.67 / 4.1713.50 / 4.1114.75 / 4.5014.50 / 4.42
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)219.30 / 20.37194 / 18.03194 / 18.03193 / 17.94214 / 19.89
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)33.80 / 3.1433.80 / 3.1433.80 / 3.1457 / 5.3033.50 / 3.11
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2379 / 221.012382 / 221.381879 / 174.633282 / 305.023063 / 284.67
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)400 / 37.17
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2379 / 221.012382 / 221.382279 / 211.803282 / 305.023063 / 284.67
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume362.89198.00156.19266.40232.05
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation67606760676010,5456700
Same as above plus superheater percentage67606760797710,5456700
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area43,86038,80045,78435,70542,800
Power L13738538710,36454215740
Power MT199.75302.58564.16273.17277.13

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

ClassE-3 - superheatedE-4
Locobase ID5093 826
RailroadKansas City Southern (KCS)Kansas City Southern (KCS)
CountryUSAUSA
Whyte2-8-02-8-0
Number in Class4815
Road Numbers475-532550-564
GaugeStdStd
Number Built15
BuilderKCSAlco-Richmond
Year19131913
Valve GearWalschaertWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)15.25 / 4.6517 / 5.18
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)34.25 / 10.4426.83 / 8.18
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.45 0.63
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)56.56 / 17.2466.75 / 20.35
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)59,300 / 26,898
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)194,560 / 88,251232,400 / 105,415
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)222,380 / 100,870262,400 / 119,023
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)165,700 / 75,160183,600 / 83,280
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)388,080 / 176,030446,000 / 202,303
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)8280 / 31.367600 / 28.79
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)3500 / 13,24818 / 16
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)81 / 40.5097 / 48.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)57 / 144863 / 1600
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)210 / 14.50200 / 13.80
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)22" x 30" / 559x76226" x 30" / 660x762
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)45,471 / 20625.3254,724 / 24822.42
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.28 4.25
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)190 - 2" / 51213 - 2.25" / 57
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)32 - 5.375" / 13738 - 5.5" / 140
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)14.50 / 4.4215.50 / 4.72
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)217 / 20.16273 / 25.37
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)33.50 / 3.1162.50 / 5.81
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2300 / 213.753047 / 283.18
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)575 / 53.44761 / 70.72
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2875 / 267.193808 / 353.90
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume174.24165.24
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation703512,500
Same as above plus superheater percentage844215,000
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area54,68465,520
Power L112,93712,824
Power MT586.37486.61

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