Long Island 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class D-56s (Locobase 11508)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, 1903, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Vol 26, p. 220. Works numbers were 23570-23571, 23604, 23611-23612, 23642, 23647 in January 1904; 23663-23665, 23686-23687, 23696-23698 in February.

These were the bread-and-butter passenger local locomotives on the LIRR for about 25 years. The "s" in their designator suggests that the class was later superheated. In any event almost all were scrapped in 1929-1930.


Class D55a (Locobase 2153)

Data from Catalogue Descriptive of Simple and Compound Locomotives built by Brooks Locomotive Works, Dunkirk, NY (Buffalo, NY: Matthew-Northrup Company, 1899. See also "New Power on the Long Island," Locomotive Engineering, Volume XI, No 5 ( May 1898), p. 228. Works numbers were 2933-2937 in March 1898.

This Eight-wheeler class had an unusually deep firebox that was 11 ft long by 3 1/2 wide; it burned anthracite coal.

Sources give only one locomotive's scrapping date, that of the 78 in October 1925.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

ClassD-56sD55a
Locobase ID11508 2153
RailroadLong IslandLong Island
CountryUSAUSA
Whyte4-4-04-4-0
Number in Class155
Road Numbers86-1006, 8, 33-34, 42/77-81
GaugeStdStd
Number Built155
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoBrooks
Year19041898
Valve GearStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 7.50 / 2.29 7.50 / 2.29
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)22 / 6.7122 / 6.71
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.34 0.34
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)49.79 / 15.1848.42 / 14.76
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)90,000 / 40,82381,500 / 36,968
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)130,000 / 58,967115,000 / 52,163
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)85,000 / 38,555
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)200,000 / 90,718
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)5000 / 18.944000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 8.50 / 8
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)75 / 37.5068 / 34
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)68 / 172767 / 1702
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)200 / 13.80180 / 12.40
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 24" / 483x61018" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)21,660 / 9824.8217,757 / 8054.45
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.16 4.59
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)286 - 2" / 51225 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.93 / 3.6411.45 / 3.49
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)175 / 16.26160.90 / 14.95
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)35.28 / 3.2838.50 / 3.58
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1947 / 180.951504 / 139.78
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1947 / 180.951504 / 139.78
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume247.08212.73
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation70566930
Same as above plus superheater percentage70566930
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area35,00028,962
Power L181176563
Power MT397.66355.07

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