These were the principal motive power for the Canal Zone during the construction of the Panama Canal. They were ordered in a block for $11,307 each. (Alco's construction numbers are not a single series, however, probably because they were assigned regardless of actual builder. It's likely that this order filled Cooke's books for at least the remainder of 1906. These small Moguls had sloping tenders for greater ease in reverse-running.
One site -- http://www.geocities.com/cocolikid/old_299.html (visited 22 Dec 2004) -- notes that in 1913, the Panama Railroad hauled 2,916,657 passengers and transported 2,026,852 tons of freight across the Isthmus. At that time it was reported to have had the heaviest per-mile traffic of any railroad in the entire world!"
Once the Canal was done, most of the stud was sold off to various other railroads. The Alaska Railroad bought several -- most were scrapped in the mid-1930s but a couple survived to serve in World War II.
Compared to the 201 class ordered in the same year from Cooke (Locobase 6424), this Mogul design was bigger in all respects. The design's taller driver fitted it for mixed-traffic operation and its larger boiler meant more endurance. Unlike the 201s, the 601s had a conventional tender.The Panama railroad received at least 20 and operated them for 15-20 years. Several were sold off to the Alaska Railroad in 1922.
| Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class | 201 | 601 |
| Locobase ID | 6424 | 6425 |
| Railroad | ICC/Panama | ICC/Panama |
| Whyte | 2-6-0 | 2-6-0 |
| Road Numbers | 201-300 | 601- |
| Gauge | 5' | 5' |
| Builder | Alco-Cooke | Alco-Brooks |
| Year | 1906 | 1906 |
| Valve Gear | Stephenson | Stephenson |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | ||
| Driver Wheelbase | 13.33' | 14.50' |
| Engine Wheelbase | 21.25' | 22.67' |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase | 0.63 | 0.64 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) | 52.71' | 54.75' |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) | ||
| Weight on Drivers | 120500 lbs | 136040 lbs |
| Engine Weight | 138400 lbs | 158200 lbs |
| Tender Light Weight | 95500 lbs | 101100 lbs |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight | 233900 lbs | 259300 lbs |
| Tender Water Capacity | 4000 gals | 4500 gals |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) | 11 tons | 12 tons |
| Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run | 66.94 lb rail | 75.58 lb rail |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | ||
| Driver Diameter | 54" | 63" |
| Boiler Pressure | 180 psi | 180 psi |
| Cylinders (dia x stroke) | 19" x 24" | 20" x 26" |
| Tractive Effort | 24548 lbs | 25257 lbs |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 4.91 | 5.39 |
| Heating Ability | ||
| Firebox Area | ||
| Grate Area | 25 sq. ft | 31 sq. ft |
| Evaporative Heating Surface | 1560 | 2203 |
| Superheating Surface | ||
| Combined Heating Surface | 1560 | 2203 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 198.08 | 233.03 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | ||
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 4500 | 5580 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 4500 | 5580 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 0 | 0 |
| Power L1 | 0 | 0 |
| Power MT | 0 | 0 |
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