Data from Douglas Self, "The General Belgrano Railway Class E24 1955" in Self's Twelve-coupled Locomotives at [], last accessed 13 February 2024. (Thanks to Alexander Blessing for his 4 February 2024 email pointing Locobase to Douglas Self's entry for this locomotive and for supplying the data.). Works numbers were 5135-5136 in 1955.
Given how late in the steam era the General Belgrano ordered this pair of adhesion/rack traction locomotives, it's hard to figure why they chose this solution to demanding gradients. Squeezing the rack engine inside the frames didn't mean low power. Locobase would like to confirm the unusually low 0.73 ratio of cylinder bore to cylinder stroke. The rack wheels were driven by 2.44:1 ratio gearing from two 15.75 x 15.75" (400 x 400 mm) outside cylinders.
Self summarized the E24s' careers, describing them as "modern and well-designed ...but too complex for the facilities of the line." All the forces available to the locomotives wracked the frames and led to cracks there and in the cylinders.
When diesels arrived, the General Belgrano parked the E24s to use them as stationary boilers.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | E24 |
| Locobase ID | 21170 |
| Railroad | FC General Belgrano |
| Country | Argentina |
| Whyte | 0-12-2RT |
| Number in Class | 2 |
| Road Numbers | 100-101 |
| Gauge | Metre |
| Number Built | 2 |
| Builder | Esslingen |
| Year | 1955 |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 22.31 / 6.80 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 22.31 / 6.80 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 1 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | 22.31 / 6.80 |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | 38,752 / 17,578 |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 222,656 / 100,995 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 247,968 / 112,477 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 2808 / 10.64 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 978 / 3701.70 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 42.10 / 1069 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 200 / 1380 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 26.75" x 19.5" / 679x495 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 56,344 / 25557.24 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 3.95 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 123.79 / 11.50 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 38 / 3.53 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 2280 / 211.82 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 930 / 86.40 |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 3210 / 298.22 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 179.75 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 7600 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 9804 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 31,938 |
| Power L1 | 12,468 |
| Power MT | |