Cotton Belt 4-8-4 "Northern" Type Locomotives

Class L1 - 800 (Locobase 254)

Data from tables in the 1945 Locomotive Cyclopedia, supplemented by StL&SW 1 - 1932 Folio 725 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The firebox heating surface includes 107 sq ft of thermic syphons and 104 sq ft in the combustion chamber. Piston valves measured 14" in diameter. The StL-SW diagram shows that of the driving wheelbase, only 12 ft 2" was considered "rigid", meaning the lead driving axle had considerabl lateral play. The frame and cylinders were combined in a integral steel casting. 800-804 truck bearings were Timken rollers while 805-809 ran SKFs. Later, all 10 were refitted with Boxpok drivers and Timken roller bearings on all driving journals.

The first 10 were built by Baldwin in 1930 and increased freight power by 30% while moving it faster.

Pine Bluff, the Frisco's main shop location, built its own variant; see Locobase 8479.

Class L1 - 810 (Locobase 8479)

Data from tables in the 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia, supplemented by StL&SW 1 - 1945 Folio 725 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The first 10 Northerns on the StL-SW came from Baldwin in 1930 and they're described in Locobase 245. In this entry, we show the second 10, which were produced by Pine Bluff, the Frisco's main shop location, beginning in 1937. These had roller bearings on all axles and Boxpok drivers. Also, the superheater lost 98 sq ft of heating surface, probably by eliminating elements from a few 3 1/2" flues, as the tube and flue counts remained the same at 52 and 200, respectively.

The Baldwin engines were modified to a similar standard and Pine Bluff supplied another 5 engines to support wartime traffic in 1942.

Specifications
ClassL1 - 800L1 - 810
Locobase ID2548479
RailroadCotton Belt (StLSW)Cotton Belt (StLSW)
Whyte4-8-44-8-4
Road Numbers800-809810-819
GaugeStdStd
BuilderBaldwinPine Bluff
Year19301937
Valve GearWalschaertWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase18.75'18.75'
Engine Wheelbase45'45'
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase 0.42 0.42
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender)87.58'
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle)61500 lbs62000 lbs
Weight on Drivers242500 lbs248000 lbs
Engine Weight422500 lbs425500 lbs
Tender Light Weight307000 lbs312000 lbs
Total Engine and Tender Weight729500 lbs737500 lbs
Tender Water Capacity15000 gals15000 gals
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal)5000 gals5000 gals
Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run101.04 lb rail103.33 lb rail
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter70"70"
Boiler Pressure250 psi250 psi
Cylinders (dia x stroke)26" x 30"26" x 30"
Tractive Effort61564 lbs61564 lbs
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.94 4.03
Heating Ability
Firebox Area469 sq. ft469 sq. ft
Grate Area88.30 sq. ft88.30 sq. ft
Evaporative Heating Surface47284728
Superheating Surface20601962
Combined Heating Surface67886690
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume256.47256.47
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2207522075
Same as above plus superheater percentage28774.2528549.01
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area152832.65151636.32
Power L140523.1539127.71
Power MT1473.621391.32

Credits

Introduction and specifications provided by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media.