Class R-1 (Locobase 2899)

Pioneered the Prairie arrangement that would represent the Burlington's principal small freight arrangement for years. Also new to the railroad was the square-topped Belpaire firebox. These engines steamed surprisingly well on the lignite fuel.

Corbin & Kerka (1960). Some of the data comes from a 30 March 1900 Railroad Gazette article on the R class, which heralds the launch of these Burlington Prairies. They give the adhesion weight as approximately 96,000 lb and all up weight as 140,000 lb. See also locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r1t.tif (accessed 22 March 2003).

Two of this class of 4 were rebuilt as 0-6-0 switchers. The other two were retired in the early 1930s.

Class R-2 (Locobase 814)

See also locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r1t.tif (accessed 22 March 2003). Also see Corbin & Kerka (1960, p 94).

60 engines -- 50 from Baldwin, 10 from the shops -- were the first large class of Burlington Prairie. Six were completed as Vauclain compounds (class R-2-C); they had 16" HP and 27" LP cylinders. The design had the distinctive square-topped Belpaire firebox. All were later rebuilt as 0-6-0 switchers in the late 1930s. Had 12" piston valves.

Class R-3 (Locobase 1040)

50 larger mixed-traffic Prairies that followed the R-2s, but retained the Belpaire firebox, 12" piston valves, and upright cylinder arrangement. Tubes were longer than those of the R-2.

Data from a locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r3t.tif (accessed 22 March 2003) and Corbin & Kerka (1960).

Retired as Prairies in 1928-1930; many converted to 0-6-0 switchers.

Class R-4 (Locobase 1041)

Corbin & Kerka (1960); data corrected by table in AERJ June 1906 for "1950" (a Brooks engine); further amended by CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. (See also data from a locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r4a.tif (accessed 22 March 2003).

140 Prairies built by Baldwin (1900-1939, 2000-2039) and Brooks (1940-1989).

Design replaced Belpaire firebox with conventional one. Also, the cylinders canted inward (seen from in front) so that the 12-in piston valves were inboard of the drivers and run with inside valve gear. Moreover, some had 25" diameter cylinders and a lower boiler pressure of 165 psi.

Some rebuilt with Walschaerts gear and 25" x 28" cylinders, and some were converted to 0-6-0s. Others carried on until the early 1950s.

Class R-4A - Emerson (Locobase 7695)

Data from CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

In rebuilding the R-4 Prairies (Locobase 1041) with superheaters, the Burlington chose to equip some with Schmidt, some with Emerson superheaters. (See Locobase 5456 for the Schmidt variant.)

The subject of the current entry is the rebuilt R-4 with an Emerson superheater. Compared to the Schmidt variant, the Emerson has fewer superheater flues and a smaller area. (R-5As with an Emerson superheater -- Locobase 7696 -- had 4 more 2 1/4" tubes). The firebox heating surface included 33.4 sq ft in 4 arch tubes. Also, some of the rebuilt engines retained their 22" cylinders and 200-psi pressure setting while others increased cylinder diameter to 25" and reduced the boiler pressure to 165 psi. All leading truck wheels saw their diameters decrease from 37 1/4" to 33".

Class R-4A/R-5A - Schmidt (Locobase 5456)

Data from a locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r4a.tif (accessed 22 March 2003). Amended by CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

These are the superheated rebuilds of the R-4 and R-5 Prairies (Locobases 1041, 2900, and

7697). Firebox heating surface included 4 arch tubes with a total of 33 sq ft. The result was three sub-types. The one in the present entry reflects a common design using the Schmidt Type A superheater. The other two (Locobase 7695 & 7696)-- reflecting the introduction of an Emerson superheater -- differed in size from the R-4 to the R-5.

Once converted, the class carried on in light freight work until the end of steam in some cases.

Class R-5 - BLW (Locobase 2900)

Corbin & Kerka (1960); data corrected by table in AERJ June 1906 for "1950" (a Brooks engine); further amended by CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. (See also data from a locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r4a.tif (accessed 22 March 2003). Baldwin works numbers were 28396-28397, 28420-28421, 28426-28427, 28449, 28459, 28472, 28487, 28490 in June 1906; 28503-28507, 28536-28539, 28546-28547, 28569, 28580, 28590, 28595-28597, 28610, 28628, 28647, 28653, 28662, 28672, 28681-28682 in July; 28703, 28720-28723, 28754-28755, 28778-28779, 28798, 28821, 28831, 28864, 28900 in August.

175 R-5s -- 2055-2224, built by Baldwin and Alco-Brooks in 1906-1907 -- had a only slightly larger boiler, but were otherwise similar to the R-4s (Locobase 1041). The firebox heating surface included 33.4 sq ft in 4 arch tubes.

Some rebuilt with Walschaerts gear, and some were converted to 0-6-0s. Many were scrapped in the late 1920s-early 1930s. Others carried on until the late 1940s-early 1950s.

Class R-5 - Brooks (Locobase 7697)

Corbin & Kerka (1960); data corrected by table in AERJ June 1906 for "1950" (a Brooks engine); further amended by CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. (See also data from a locomotive diagram published on Vernon Beck's website -- http://home.earthlink.net/~vnlbeck/R/r4a.tif (accessed 22 March 2003).

175 R-5s -- 2055-2224, built by Baldwin and Brooks in 1906-1907 (see also Locobase 2900) were similar to the R-4s except (Locobase 1041) that this last set of 75 from Brooks had 12 more small tubes and consequently more heating surface area.

Some rebuilt with Walschaerts gear, and some were converted to 0-6-0s. Others carried on until the early 1950s.

Class R-5A - Emerson (Locobase 7696)

Data from CB&Q 3 -1953 diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

In rebuilding the R-5 Prairies (Locobases 2900 & 7697) with superheaters, the Burlington chose to equip some with Schmidt, some with Emerson superheaters. (See Locobase 5456 for the Schmidt variant.)

The subject of the current entry is the rebuilt R-5 with an Emerson superheater. Compared to the Schmidt variant, the Emerson has fewer superheater flues and a smaller area; the design hae 50 sq ft more of tube heating surface than the modified R-4 The firebox heating surface included 33.4 sq ft in 4 arch tubes. Also, some of the rebuilt engines retained their 22" cylinders and 200-psi pressure setting while others increased cylinder diameter to 25" and reduced the boiler pressure to 165 psi. All leading truck wheels saw their diameters decrease from 37 1/4" to 33".