United States Railroad Administration 2-8-8-2 "Chesapeake" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Heavy (Locobase 330)

Data from tables in 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia, "Standard 2-8-8-2 Type Locomotives," Railway Mechanical Engineer, Volume 93, No 4 (April 1919), pp. 187-190, and from American Locomotive Company, Standardized Locomotives, US Railroad Administration (Alco Pamphlet 10049, 1918), pp. 34-35, reprinted by (Ocean, NJ: Specialty Press , 1973), and DeGolyer, Vol 58, pp. 186+.

See also "Standard Equipment Specialties," Railway Mechanical Engineer, Vol 93, No 3 (March 1919), pp. 137-138 for a list of all the "special equipment" by manufacturers--everything from air brakes to lubricators to rolled steel wheels--and the USRA designs on which they appeared.

Standard design based on N&W Y-2 Mallet compound locomotive. Firebox heating surface included 85 sq ft (7.9 sq m) in the combustion chamber and 49 sq ft (4.55 sq m) in arch tubes. Cylinders were served by piston valves measuring 14" (356 mm) in diameter.

Unlike the light articulateds, these engines were considered a great success. Alco (20 at Richmond and 45 at Schenectady) and Baldwin (15) built 80 of these, including 50 for the N&W as the Y-3, 20 for the Virginian, and 10 for the Clinchfield Railroad.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

ClassHeavy
Locobase ID330
RailroadUnited States Railroad Administration (USRA)
CountryUSA
Whyte2-8-8-2
Number in Class
Road Numbers10,000
GaugeStd
Number Built
BuilderSeveral
Year1919
Valve GearBaker
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)31 / 9.45
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)57.33 / 17.47
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.54
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)93.25 / 28.42
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)478,000 / 216,817
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)531,000 / 240,858
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)209,100 / 94,846
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)740,100 / 335,704
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)12,000 / 45.45
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)16 / 15
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)100 / 50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)57 / 1448
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)240 / 16.50
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)25" x 32" / 635x813
Low Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)39" x 32" / 991x813
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)101,465 / 46023.80
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.71
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)274 - 2.25" / 57
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)53 - 5.5" / 140
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)24 / 7.32
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)435 / 40.41
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)96 / 8.92
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)6120 / 568.77
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)1475 / 137.08
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)7595 / 705.85
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume336.71
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation23,040
Same as above plus superheater percentage27,418
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area124,236
Power L111,116
Power MT410.15

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