Santa Fe 2-6-2 "Prairie" Type Locomotives

Class 1000 (Locobase 4125)

See Railroad Gazette 22 November 1901. Data supplemented and corrected by AT&SF 7 -1901 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (also visited 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema .

Works numbers were 19578-19584, 19627-19634, 19642-19647 in October 1901; 19681-19684, 19721-19726, 19737-19740, 19764-19765, 19770 in November; and 19811-19812 in December.

This big Prairie Vauclain compound design was designed for the La Junta-Albuquerque section, which had steep ascents between Trinidad and Raton in both directions (more than 3%). Baldwin's design offered a very big, long boiler and grate, such that the engine shouldn't ever have been short of steam.

They came in two batches. 1000-1013 and 1014-1039.

Three were fitted with a Jacobs Shupert firebox; see Locobase 8257.

Werkema says that the later batch was simpled in 1912-1918 and the earlier group in 1922-1924. Drury (1993) says that part of the modification included fitting 69" drivers in 1922-1923.

The catalogue notes that another 103 Prairies were built for fast freight service and fitted with 69" drivers; see Locobase 8229.

Retirements began in 1941, with the last one leaving service in 1954. Another 129 Vauclain compounds and 88 balanced compounds arrived over the next two years. The AT&SF soon settled on 69" drivers for the type and later converted all those left in service to simple expansion.

Class 1001 (Locobase 8257)

Data supplemented and corrected by AT&SF 7 -1901 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (also visited 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema . Works numbers were 19578-19579, 19630 in October 1901.

Among the first Prairies purchased by the Santa Fe (see Locobase 4125) were three fitted with the stayless Jacobs Shupert firebox; see Locobase 463 for a description of this firebox design. This experiment in lower maintenance was not a long-term success, although the engines were still so equipped in 1920.

Class 1014/1050 - simpled (Locobase 8258)

Data from AT&SF 9 -1920 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (accessed 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema.

Although many US railroads converted their compound locomotives to simple-expansion layouts, few accompanied that change with a 10" decrease in driver diameter as in the case of the 1014-1039 batch of locomotive shown in 4125. The result was a pretty hearty passenger locomotive that operated on many Santa Fe lines for decades. The last of these was retired in 1956 and a least a dozen were preserved.

Class 1050 (Locobase 8229)

Data from AT&SF 7 -1901 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (also visited 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema .

Locobase 4125 shows the express-passenger variant of this 4-cylinder Vauclain compound Prairie design. In the present entry, the only difference is the diameter of the drivers. Of course, 69" drivers could still run, but they meant that the class was intended for a variety of services. Of the class, #1051 and 1125 supplied engine sets for a home-built 2-6-6-2 (1157).

Simpling the class began in 1912 and continued until 1924 (see Locobase 8258), after which they served for decades.

Class 1800 (Locobase 5387)

Data from table in the June 1907 AERJ. This set of balanced compounds capped AT&SF Prairie development. They were also among the biggest 2-6-2s built for any railroad. Drury (1993) describes them as "mainline freight power", an unusual role for the wheel arrangement.

In the 1920s, this class was converted to simple expansion and were soon relegated to branch-line, mixed-traffic and local freight service. Retirements in 1940 and continued until 1955.

Class 1800 - simpled (Locobase 6322)

Data from AT&SF 9 - 1920 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

When locomotive 1805 suffered a boiler explosion in Canadian, Tex in 1 April 1951, the inspection report that followed contained data on the simpled version of the 1800 class Prairies (Locobase 5387).

Class 1800 - superheated (Locobase 8277)

Data from AT&SF 9 -1920 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (accessed 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema.

In the 1920s, this class was converted to simple expansion and were soon relegated to branch-line, mixed-traffic and local freight service. Retirements in 1940 and continued until 1955.

Class 1855 - Jacobs-Shupert (Locobase 8276)

Data from AT&SF 9 -1920 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (accessed 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema. Works numbers were 30266 in February, 31106 in June, and 31210 in July.

The last 32 of the 1800 class (Locobase 5357) had 18" x 28" HP, 30" x 28" LP cylinders. Three of the 1800 class had stayless Jacobs Shupert fireboxes and that data is shown in the current entry (see Locobase 463 for a description of this firebox design). The class was simpled in 1926-1929.

Class 1857 - superheated (Locobase 8278)

Data from AT&SF 9 -1920 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (accessed 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema.

In the 1920s, this class was converted to simple expansion and were soon relegated to branch-line, mixed-traffic and local freight service. Retirements in 1940 and continued until 1955.

Class 564 (Locobase 8228)

Data from AT&SF 7 -1901 locomotive diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Information about how many, when, and by whom this class was supplied from http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfstea.html (also visited 6 Feb 2006), the Santa Fe All-Time Steam Roster maintained by Evan Werkema .

In Locobase 4125, we describe the 79" express passenger version of this prolifically supplied Vauclain-compound Prairie design. Although the 1902 description of locomotives shows the 17" cylinders found on the 1000 class, the 1901 diagram shows 16" in large numbers.

Like all of the compound engines, this pair was converted to a simple-expansion layout (the two undertaken in 1918).

Specifications
Class100010011014/1050 - simpled105018001800 - simpled1800 - superheated1855 - Jacobs-Shupert1857 - superheated564
Locobase ID4125825782588229538763228277827682788228
RailroadSanta Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)Santa Fe (ATSF)
Whyte2-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-22-6-2
Road Numbers1000-10391001, 1002, 10101014-11521050-11521800-18871800-18871800-18561855, 1857, 18651857-1887564-565
GaugeStdStdStdStdStdStdStdStdStdStd
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoSanta FeBurnham, Williams & CoSanta FeAlco-Schenectady
Year1901190119121901190319261920190619201902
Valve GearStephensonStephensonWalschaertStephensonWalschaertWalschaertWalschaertWalschaertWalschaertStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13.67'13'
Engine Wheelbase32.17'32.17'32.17'32.17'33.75'33.75'33.75'33.75'33.75'29.54'
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheebase 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.41 0.44
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender)69.48'70.48'61.90'69.59'65'61.83'65'65'65'58'
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle)51530 lbs51530 lbs50180 lbs63303 lbs63303 lbs
Weight on Drivers144610 lbs144810 lbs141690 lbs135000 lbs174700 lbs192100 lbs179006 lbs174700 lbs179006 lbs134500 lbs
Engine Weight209220 lbs209220 lbs210190 lbs190000 lbs248200 lbs272400 lbs260132 lbs248200 lbs260132 lbs211000 lbs
Tender Light Weight118000 lbs118000 lbs112610 lbs110790 lbs175000 lbs164500 lbs164500 lbs164500 lbs164500 lbs122700 lbs
Total Engine and Tender Weight327220 lbs327220 lbs322800 lbs300790 lbs423200 lbs436900 lbs424632 lbs412700 lbs424632 lbs333700 lbs
Tender Water Capacity6000 gals6000 gals7000 gals6000 gals9000 gals12000 gals8500 gals8500 gals8500 gals6000 gals
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal)10 tons10 tons10 tons10 tons14 tons3909 gals12 tons12 tons12 tons10 tons
Minimum weight per yard of rail on which locomotive could run80 lb rail80 lb rail78.72 lb rail75 lb rail97.06 lb rail107 lb rail99.45 lb rail97 lb rail99.45 lb rail74.72 lb rail
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter79"79"69"69"69"70"69"69"69"63"
Boiler Pressure200 psi220 psi200 psi200 psi225 psi200 psi225 psi225 psi225 psi210 psi
Cylinders (dia x stroke)17" x 28"17" x 28"23.5" x 28"17" x 28"17.5" x 28"25" x 28"17.5" x 28"18" x 30"18" x 28"16" x 28"
Low Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke)28" x 28"28" x 28"" x "28" x 28"29" x 28"" x "29" x 28"30" x 28"30" x 28"28" x 28"
Tractive Effort25446 lbs27991 lbs38097 lbs29134 lbs34846 lbs42500 lbs34846 lbs38884 lbs36978 lbs30620 lbs
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.68 5.17 3.72 4.63 5.01 4.52 5.14 4.49 4.84 4.39
Heating Ability
Firebox Area195 sq. ft195 sq. ft195 sq. ft195 sq. ft217 sq. ft217 sq. ft246 sq. ft231 sq. ft246 sq. ft219 sq. ft
Grate Area53.50 sq. ft51.70 sq. ft53.50 sq. ft53.50 sq. ft53.80 sq. ft53.80 sq. ft53.70 sq. ft59.50 sq. ft53.70 sq. ft51.25 sq. ft
Evaporative Heating Surface3738317937383738402032823282460632823666
Superheating Surface802802802
Combined Heating Surface3738317937383738402040844084460640843666
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume508.17432.17265.93508.17515.72206.31421.04521.29397.98562.62
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation10700113741070010700121051076012082.501338812082.5010762.50
Same as above plus superheater percentage10700113741070010700121051291214455.211338814455.2110762.50
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area39000429003900039000488255208066219.425197566219.4245990
Power L1621960307711.795432.196170.861699314179.08650713249.575260.86
Power MT284.43275.41359.97266.13233.62585.06523.88246.34489.54258.70

Photos

Reference

Credits

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

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