Class F-15 - 1902 (Locobase 136)

Data from table in AERJ July 1903. Firebox heating surface included 23 sq ft of arch tubes.

First of a prolific line. These had no superheaters, Stephenson link motion, and a classic late 19th-Century profile. Among the first "Pacifics" to be built in the US. See Locobase

7605 for the as-delivered superheated version.

According to the C&O 9-1936 diagram books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection, those saturated engines that were superheated varied in the number of tubes and flues installed . 430's boiler held 149 2 1/4" tubes and 26 5 1/2" flues while 431 had 168 tubes and 30 flues. Almost all of the rest had 166 2 1/4" tubes and 30 5 1/2" flues. New-built F-15s with superheaters installed had 183 2" tubes.

Class F-15 - 1911 (Locobase 7605)

Data from reproduction of 1913 Alco Bulletin 1016 on Richard Leonard's http://www.railarchive.net/alcopacifics/index.html (accessed 16 June 2006).

In Locobase 136, one of the earliest examples of this long line of C & O Pacifics appears in its saturated version. By the end of the run in 1911, Richmond was delivering the class with superheaters installed. An observer can note the tradeoffs between evaporative heating surface and superheater area. The builder took the unusual approach of reducing the diameter of the individual small tubes from 2 1/4" to 2", but adding 5 1/2" flues instead of the more usual (for the time) 5 3/8". As usual in that period, superheating meant a reduction of boiler pressure, too.

It was a design modification that changed little else. Inside Stephenson link motion still actuated the valves, the firebox heating surface retained its 23 sq ft of arch tubes, and the grate area remained unaltered as well.

F-15s were later (1915-1924) rebuilt with superheaters, mechanical stokers, Walschaerts valve gear, new cylinders, and sometimes new frames. Saw steam out on the Chessie.

Class F-16 (Locobase 6489)

Information from Eugene L Huddleston's article in the January 1999 Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Review. Huddleston says that although these were Baldwin products, they duplicated Alco's #50,000 (see Locobase 128) in grate area, firebox size, heating surface, bore and stroke, and adhesion weight. (Locobase finds that data from C& O Locomotive Diagram book from 1936 (supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005) shows some differences from the Alco design.) As a concession to the C & O's hilly profile, driver diameter was decreased by 5".

According to Huddleston, "From their construction in 1913 to their scrappings in 1951-1952, the F-16s served well." At first they hauled flatland expresses trains, later taking the Charlottesville-Newport News and Ashland-Louisville sections. Over the years, the locomotives were fitted with automatic stokers.

After World War II, the class entered what Huddleston describes as heavy-duty local service such as the daily Ashland-Elkhorn run and the Columbus-Toledo "accommodation train."

Class F-17 (Locobase 3075)

These "Mountain Pacifics," if they can be so described, began their careers operating between Charlottesville, Va and Hinton, WVa over three mountain ranges. Their target was to pull 10-car trains (674 tons) at an average speed of 25 1/2 mph.

In addition to the Schmidt superheater, these engines had a Ragonnet power reverse gear, Locomotive Stoker Company type C, Street mechanical stoker and Franklin pneumatic grate shaker. Firebox heating surface includes 27.4 sq ft of arch tubes.

In the 1930s, their driver diameter was increased to 74". The boiler pressure seems low; all the dimensions -- including 16" piston valves -- suggest a design capable of even more power. See Locobase 9104.

Class F-17A (Locobase 9104)

Data from the C&O 9-1936 diagram books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Locobase 3075 describes this Richmond-built sextet as they first saw service rolling on 69" drivers. In the mid-1930s, the C & O rebuilt the engines with 74" drivers to enhance their usefulness on heavy passenger trains. Although the boiler layout remained essentially the same and still had the 4 arch tubes contributing 29 sq ft to firebox heating surface area, boiler pressure increased to 200 psi and the vessel now contained a Worthington feedwater heater; steam was still admitted to the cylinders by large 16" piston valves. Wheelbase grew by almost a foot, adhesion weight by almost 8 tons and engine weight by almost 11 tons. The loaded tender itself, which rolled on 6 axles, weighed 150 tons and would later grow to 347,000l lb as it held 18,000 gallons of water and 28 tons of coal.

Class F-18A (Locobase 7857)

Data from the C&O 9-1936 diagram books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The F-18 took the final form of the C & O Pacific that's better known as its slightly younger F-19s. In the early 1930s, the class was rebuilt as F-18A.

Class F-19 (Locobase 137)

Data from 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia table and from C&O 9-1936 and 12 - 1946 diagram books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Boiler had feedwater heater, piston valves measured 14" in diameter (less than those of the F-17). The omega of C & O Pacifics, they entered service with 12,000-gallon, 15-ton coal tenders, but were later fitted with the enormous vessels shown in the specs. Also, the all in the class were fitted with roller bearings on the engine trucks; most used SKF, 494 rolled on Timkens.