Class I-1 (Locobase 8061)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Dickson delivered the first two in this class to the Intercolonial in 1893 with Canadian Locomotive Works adding another pair in 1894. The latter had the higher boiler pressure shown in the specs (the Dickson engines were set at 170 psi), but were otherwise identical. All four featured relatively tall drivers and a Belpaire boiler with its characteristic square-shouldered firebox and sloping grate riding over the last two axles; Belpaire fireboxes were a relatively unusual sight in Canada.

The class served about 30 years and was scrapped in the same year (1923) that the CGR was fully absorbed by the Canadian National amalgamation.

Class 110 (Locobase 8005)

Data from CN to 1953 locomotive diagram books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

This low-drivered set consisted of two batches, some from Neilson Reid in 1912-1913 and one from Baldwin in 1917. The earlier locomotives had a smaller firebox, but were shown with the same weights as the later engines in the CN's diagram book.

Class 233 / I-5 (Locobase 4087)

Profiled in the Railroad Gazette 14 June 1901, these ten-wheelers were fitted with Cleveland-patent cylinders. Designed by a pair of brothers (the Clevelands), the cylinder chamber was twice as long as the stroke and had two pistons separated by 39 inches. A ring of exhaust ports at half length allowed exhaust to escape. The idea was to reduce back pressure while encouraging early cutoff operation.

RG reported that the first of the ten-wheelers showed excellent performance on the DL&W and added that such a layout showed real promise. It added cautiously, however, it remained to be seen whether the increased performance would outweight the costs of extra maintenance on such large cylinders. Apparently they did not, as Locobase knows of no other locomotives that were delivered with such cylinders.

JF Webber's list of Dickson locomotives (conveyed to Locobase by Allen Stanley in March 2004) gives the works number as 1213 (April 1901). Six others -- 1245-1250 (road #234-236, 61-63) were delivered in March-April 1902 with the same basic power dimensions. Locobase suspects they had conventional cylinders.

The "Cleveland" engine stayed in service long enough to be given the Canadian Government Railways road #623 (Class I-5) and the Canadian Northern's road #1536. Locobase guesses that the Cleveland cylinders had long since been replaced by a conventional pair.

Class 300 / C-11a (Locobase 11445)

Data from "Locomotive Building," The Railway Age, Vol 41 (12 January 1906), p 71.

Locobase is treating these two classes as one because 321 apparently immediately followed 319 in CFW production and had the same power dimensions. Once in the Canadian National after the 1918 consolidation, however, the first 20 were classed C-11a and were not upgraded. The last 10, however, were retrofitted with 63" drivers and superheaters - these were classed H-5a. See Locobase 11446.

Class 333 / I-7 (Locobase 7615)

Data from the 1944 GT 2-1944 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Original builder's numbers were 29632-29634.

The diagram book does not show the superheater area for this boiler, but Locobase estimates the figure shown in the specifications based on a very similar design with slightly shorter tubes. It does note that 27.2 sq ft of firebox heating surface represents the area of the arch tubes.

Class 954 (Locobase 2660)

Data from the 1903 Grand Trunk locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The Montreal Locomotive Works supplied the first 5 while Schenectady delivered thae last 10.

Class 969 / I-6 (Locobase 7612)

Data from the 1903 Grand Trunk locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Class A-3 / I-8a (Locobase 11368)

Data from "Equipment and Supplies: Locomotive Building, Railway Age Gazette, Vol 44 (6 December 1907), p. 819-820. Baldwin's works numbers were 32774-32777, 32799, 32803, 32808 in May 1908 and 32809-32811 in June.

Interesting combination of small boiler and grate and tall drivers, which suggest a passenger engine pulling relatively short trains. Many were later superheated by the CNR; see Locobase 7616.

Class A-4 (Locobase 3282)

Data from Railroad Gazette (Vol XXX, #6 - 11 Feb 1898), which tells us that Schenectady built 4, Baldwin 4.

Class F-1-a (Locobase 8003)

Data from the CN to 1953 ocomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

These small, low-drivered Ten-wheelers rode lightly on the rails. The Temiscouata Railway F-1-c were later superheated, an alteration in which 100 small tubes were replaced by 16 flues.

Class F-2-a (Locobase 8004)

Data from the CN to 1953 ocomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

This single American Ten-wheeler doubtless served one of the many predecessors to the CGR after its arrival in 1905. It fit into a light-rail niche very well and operated essentially unchanged under many heralds until the Canadian National retired it in 1958.

Class G-10b (Locobase 10434)

Data from "Ten-Wheel Passenger Locomotive, Canadian Northern Ry," The Locomotive Magazine, Vol X (15 January 1904), p. 7. Works numbers were 586-610, all produced in June 1903.

As it built its large stud of locomotives, the CNoR turned to a home-grown company to fill part of its requirement. Outfitted with a Belpaire firebox that offered relatively generous direct heating surface ratios, the design clearly was intended for local freight movement within the large CNoR ambit. Most remained in service for 30-40 years.

1066 was sold in February 1926 to the Alma & Jonquiere Railway. (This railway opened in August 1923 to link the Herbertville junction on the Quebec and Lake St. John Railway o a point between Grand Decharge and Petite Decharge. Another branch connected St. Joseph d'Alma and Jonquieres.) 1060 went to West Dominion Collieries in February 1927, the same month that Donnacona Paper Company purchased 1068.

An additional 4 locomotives (works 611-614) built for the Teskaming & Northern Ontario immediately after the CNoR order was completed followed the same templates; see Locobase 11105.

Class G-12-a (Locobase 8015)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Schenectady works #29532-29533 for this pair of freight Ten-wheelers. They had high-pitched boilers and a firebox that rode above the axles but inside the frames. A note on the diagram shows they were equipped with firetubes, but no arch. Neither was refitted with a superheater.

Retirements came in February 1923 and June 1924.

Class G-13-a (Locobase 8030)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Cooke works #2672-2673, 2676-2677 ran for a little more than 20 years before being retired along with many contemporaneous Ten-wheelers in 1924. This quartet had small grates even for the time (although firebox heating surface area was comparable).

Class G-16-a (Locobase 8032)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

MLW works #50809-50828, 52560-52589 of 1912 & 1913. Locobase believes this large class of Ten-wheelers was delivered with superheaters. For some reason, the diagram doesn't show the superheater area. Locobase applies an estimate based on several similar locomotives with identical superheater arrangements and adjusts for length of flue.

Toiling away on a variety of services, the G-16s entered retirement over a long period. The first engine went in 1943, the last at the end of steam in 1961.

Class G-17-a (Locobase 8031)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

MLW works #52652-52652. Sporting bigger cylinders and inch-taller drivers than earlier CN Ten-wheelers, this quintet was delivered with superheaters. For some reason, the diagram doesn't show the superheater area. Locobase applies an estimate based on several similar locomotives with identical superheater arrangements.

Whatever the actual size of the superheater or the relative merits of other elements of the design, the G-17s were satisfactory enough to operate on the CNR into the mid-1950s.

Class G-20-a (Locobase 8033)

Data from Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Locobase 3282 tells of an octet of locomotives delivered to the Grand Trunk in 1898. It's quite likely that those engines, joined by two others, became the G-20 class when the CN took over the GT. Along the way, some were superheated and, for a wonder, the 1953 CN book had the actual superheating surface area in the diagram. (Never fully satisfied, Locobase notes that 338 sq ft is low when compared to other 21-element superheaters of nearly identical length and described in the CN diagram book.)

The first of the class was retired in 1935, possibly still not superheated. The last to go, as late as 1953, certainly was.

Class G-3 (Locobase 8012)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Small freight Ten-wheeler quartet (works #785-788) that served the Canadian Northern and its CNR successor for 20-25 years. The 4 were retired in 1925-1934.

Class G-4 / T4-4 // I-3a/3b (Locobase 8063)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

After the I-1 and I-2 locomotives had marked a small trend on the Intercolonial toward tall-drivered Ten-wheelers, the I-3s solidified the design. Restoring the firebox to its more modern location over the rear two driving axles and broadening the grate still more, the Canadian Locomotive Works also enlarged the cylinder volume. The CLC's quintet (works 472-476, road numbers 610-614) held boiler pressure at 180 psi for the moment. Firebox heating surface was relatively more meager, however, a limitation that was not corrected when the railroad itself produced 8 more in 1903-1904; these had 200-psi boilers. (Manchester's slightly different take on the I-3 is described in Locobase 8064.)

Like the other CGR Ten-wheelers these did not long survive the merging of CGR assets with all of the other constituent studs of the newly minted Canadian National system in 1923. All had been retired by 1928.

Class G-7 (Locobase 8013)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. See also the Atlas of Alberta http://railways-atlas.tapor.ualberta.ca/cocoon/atlas/Chapters-8-1/, for a discussion of the CNoR.

Locobase doesn't know who originally operated these engines; they came from Brooks as their works #1259 (later road #1041), 1262 & 1263 (1039-1040). The profile shows a long-boilered design with a big firebox dropped between the last two drivers, spreading them over 3 feet wider than the distance between the first and second.

In 1905, the Canadian Northern bought 3 of them, two of which were numbered 164-165 and the other was credited to James Bay Railway as their 101.

The CNoR was begun in the mid-1890s as a subsidized attempt by the government of Manitoba to establish a rival to the dominant Canadian Pacific and received its federal charter in 1899. According to the Atlas, William MacKenzie and Donald Mann established a business strategy that called for drawing much of the traffic in potentially busy areas by offering a low-cost rate structure. Even though they were subsidized, MacKenzie and Mann narrowed the gap between expenses and revenue and sped the date of service commencement by building a relatively cheap railway in what Mann described as "'the pioneering method of railroading'".

"As markets became established and towns and villages grew up," says the Atlas account, the railway lines were improved.

Beginning in the Winnipeg region, the CNoR spread in three directions. First its two developers, William MacKenzie and Donald Mann headed south and soon connected Winnipeg with the Lake Superior port of Port Arthur. Their focus was the creation of main lines across the Prairies that would be fed by an extensive network of branch lines.

Then the lines headed east along the northern shore of the Great Lakes to Quebec (where the railway built a tunnel for electrified railroading under Mount Royal) and west through Saskatchewan and Edmonton, Alberta (1905) to Vancouver. By 1915, the railway amounted to 9,971 miles when the final-spike ceremony was held at Basque, BC.

But it was ever the poor sister to the CPR and by 1912 the company was feeling the strain. the coming of World War One choked off much of the traffic on which the railway depended. In 1917, a Royal commission assessed the financial health and prospects of both the CNoR and the Grand Trunk Pacific and concluded that neither could stand on its own. MacKenzie in particular took the news that the railways would be forcibly combined very hard. By 1918, the establishment of the government-owned Canadian National ended the CNoR's independence.

Class G-9-a (Locobase 8014)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Baldwin's works numbers for these freight Ten-wheelers show they came in two batches --19506-19507 and 19624-19626. The boiler had a sharp taper from the big second course to the relatively small and short first course. Retirements from this class came in 1901.

Class H-10-a (Locobase 8056)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Locobase admits that the superheater area is a) an estimate, and b) a trifle arbitrary, despite the elaborate calculations and comparisons he conducted. The compiler is faced with similar numbers of flues of identical diameter measured over approximately the same length and results that vary by as much as 50 sq ft. He settled on a number that fell most in line with what Canadian builders of similar machines had reported for their engines. It's close.

Locobase took the trouble because this was a numerous class of Ten-wheelers of moderate size but decent tractive effort. Montreal LW delivered 600-619, while the Canadian Locomotive Works contributed the last 10.

Many were converted to oil burning, as shown in the specs; tenders held either 2,600 or 3,000 imperial gallons (3,120-3,600 US gal). Others trailed 10 or 15-ton coal tenders. And obviously the trouble taken to superheat this class proved worth the effort as virtually all of the class ran until the late 1940s and some lasted until the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Class H-2-c (Locobase 8052)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Big Baldwins with large-diameter 2 1/4" fire tubes that operated on the CGR at the turn into the 20th Century. CN's diagram suggests that the class originally numbered at least 8 (4540-4547) and probably more.

Class H-3-a (Locobase 2659)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The first two locomotives- 1207-1208 - came from the Alco-Brooks works at Dunkirk, NY. Montreal Locomotive Works supplied the balance in 1906. At least 4 of the latter had a slightly smaller firebox that measured 153 sq ft in surface area. Unfortunately, the diagram book does not show the superheater area; Locobase estimated based on an installation in the Toledo and Ohio Central locomotives of the same period.

Class H-3b/H-4a, H-4b (Locobase 11444)

Data from "Locomotive Building," The Railroad Age, Vol 41 (12 January 1906), p 71.

Both Montreal Locomotive Works (described in RA as Locomotive & Machine Company() and the Canadian Locomotive Works supplied locomotives to this specification. Unfortunately, RA does not give details about the heating surfaces (beyond the grate size). Locobase observes that LMC engines (H-3) had 248 tubes, while the CLC H-4s had 236 tubes. CLC works numbers were 736-741 in August 1906, 742-745 in September-October.

Class H-4a (Locobase 11447)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. The superheater surface area is calculated based on other locomotives with similar numbers and lengths.

The Canadian Locomotive Works' contribution to the Canadian Northern's 18" x 24" stud of 63" Ten-wheelers had, as noted in Locobase 11444, fewer tubes and thus less heating surface area than those supplied by Montreal Locomotive. This discrepancy carried over into the superheated upgrades. The number of flues was the same, but each was a few inches shorter.

Class H-5 (Locobase 11446)

Data from CN to 1953 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

The original saturated-boiler Canadian Northern locomotives supplied by Canadian Foundry (Locobase 11445) had 57" and thus a more purely freight-oriented design. The superheater surface area is calculated based on other locomotives with similar numbers and lengths.

Class H-6 (Locobase 3325)

Became the H-6 class when the Canadian Northern was rolled into the Canadian National after World War I.

Data from http://www.railpage.org.au/comrails/cr_locos/index.html, which details the transfer of 8 of these engines to the Commonwealth Railways of Australia in 1942. The class was built by Brooks and by Montreal Locomotive Works from 1902-1911. The superheater was added later and resulted in the boiler dimensions outlined in the specifications. Some of the CR engines came from other batches and slightly different boiler and superheater areas (e.g., some had 1,757 sq ft of evaporative heating surface in addition to the firebox. These had 184 2" tubes measuring 13.2 ft long) The firebox heating surface of the entire class, however, included 24 sq ft of arch tubes.

Class H-6 (Locobase 5306)

Source -- a Canadian National diagram reproduced at http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/steamtown/ (visited 4 Jan 2003) -- does not give the surface area for the superheater. Also the number of tubes and the diameter of the flues is estimated because Locobase couldn't quite make out the dimensions.

According to the Alberta Railway Museum's website -- http://railwaymuseum.ab.ca/cnrprairie.html#1392 (visited 18 April 2003) -- locomotives of this class were "workhorse locomotives that helped to open up the Prairies".

Drury's (1993) roster shows the class going out of service between 1954 and 1961.

Class H-8-a (Locobase 8053)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

When this trio of Ten-wheelers was delivered (works #1034-1036), they had saturated-steam boilers with 278 small tubes. Total heating surface came to 2,050 sq ft. When the engines were later superheated, the changes were confined almost entirely to the boiler. An unusual number of flues (19) were substituted for almost exactly half of the small tubes, reducing the total heating surface by about 16%. In exchange, the locomotives now had somewhat drier steam. They were also fitted with Economy valve chests.

Still later, 1412 was fitted with Nicholson thermic syphons.

Class H-9-b (Locobase 8055)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Following a year after the Baldwins that shared most of the same design elements (see Locobase 8054), these MLW engines had more tubes of ever so slightly shorter length in their boilers. They also weighed 2 tons more empty, of which about 1,500 lb rested on the drivers for a bit more adhesive weight.

Like the Baldwins, however, these were never superheated and in the amalgamation of fleets that followed the formation of the CNR, they were instead retired in 1925.

Class I-2 (Locobase 8062)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Four years after the Intercolonial took delivery of 70"-driver Ten-wheelers, they went taller and bigger with this design. The Canadian Locomotive Works delivered 3 (works numbers 462, 463, and 461 respectively with 463 being delivered in 1899) and Baldwin 2 widely spaced, one in 1898 (works number 15621 produced in December 1897), the other in 1907.

This design reverted to a narrow firebox dropped between the last two axles, for some reason, which did at least allow for a deep structure that had more direct heating surface. The boiler also grew a few inches in length and girth.

The Intercolonial was rolled into the Canadian Government Railway in 1919 Like the earlier I-1s, these were discarded at about the time the CGR was taken into the Canadian National system in 1923.

Class I-3-c (Locobase 8064)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Two years after the CLC had delivered the first of the I-3 express Ten-wheelers (Locobase 8063), the CGR looked across the border for additional engines. The result was a design with a slightly bigger grate and more firebox heating surface area. In all other respects except weight, in which the Manchester locomotives took the palm by 4 1/2 tons, the locomotives were essentially identical.

And like the other I-3s, the I-3-cs were disposed of within a couple of years after the CGR melded into the Canadian National system.

Class I-4-a (Locobase 8065)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. CLC works numbers were 620-624 in June 1904.

The I-4s were 70" driver versions of the I-3-a described in Locobase 8062. They had the same cylinder volume (which with the smaller drivers meant somewhat higher tractive effort) and firebox and a few more tubes.

All of the I-4s were retired before 1927. None was ever superheated.

Class I-5-a / I-5-b (Locobase 8066)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

It's interesting to Locobase that the Intercolonial (or the Canadian Government Railways or the Canadian National) found it expedient to superheat this set of locomotives. They were not much different from the I-3s and I-4s that were delivered at around the same time (Locobase 8063-8065). The firebox was a bit deeper and the cylinder volume a little larger.

Dickson (works 1245-1249 in March 1902, 1250 in April) delivered one that had 14-ft long firetubes, which yielded a heating surface gain of 23 sq ft. The other 5 were as shown in the specs.

Whatever the reason for superheating, its effect was to prolong the careers of most of the class by a decade. The last of the I-5s was withdrawn in 1936.

Class I-6 - superheated (Locobase 7614)

Data from the 1944 GT 2-1944 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

Locobase doubts that the weights were exactly as shown in this upgrade of the locomotives originally procured in 1898 and 1904. Note that the exchange of tubes for superheater flues in this slender boiler resulted in a drop of evaporative heating surface. Also, the railway dropped the boiler pressure from 200 psi.

A note on the 1944 details what their later years on the Grand Trunk were like: "These engines spent their last days in mainline service running on passenger train service between Detroit and Grand Rapids and Muskegon in the 1920's [sic] and early 1930's. After the early 1930's, they didn't last long even in use on branch lines -- partly due to the Great Depression." {As all of the letters in the note are capitalized, Locobase cannot be sure the writer would have capitalized the 1929 business depression, but that was the style.}

Class I-7-a (Locobase 5397)

Data from table in January 1917 issue of Railway Mechanical Engineer (RME).

Not much has been said about this quartet. Although clearly late-comers in the TenWheeler parade, these served their purpose and lasted in some cases to the end of steam. The first retired in 1943 and the last in 1955.

Class I-8 (Locobase 7616)

Data from the 1944 GT 2-1944 and CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book books supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

This was in many ways the definitive Ten-wheeler for the Grand Trunk: Several builders supplied locomotives, and a large number of the class was superheated later on. Montreal Locomotive Works, Alco's Schenectady Works, the Grand Trunk's own shops, and Baldwin each delivered 10 engines; for the latter, see Locobase 11367.

In its superheated form, which is shown in the specs, the I-8 saw a 25-psi drop in boiler pressure, a relatively common tradeoff by many railroads in which the increased power of superheated steam was seen to permit an easing of pressure on the whole system.

In this altered state, the I-8a served for 10-20 more years. The first engine was scrapped in April 1935, the last in October 1944.

Class X-5-b (Locobase 8110)

Data from CN to 1953 locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection.

This light Ten-wheeler built to the Cape Gauge was small in every respect. More unfortunately for its long-term prospects, the CNR took over the PEIR beginning in 1919 (in a process that took 4 years altogether). From 1924 to 1930 all of the narrow-gauge railway on the island was converted to the standard gauge and these 4-6-0s were out of a job.