Red Ferro Industrial Rio Turbio 2-10-2 Locomotives in Argentina

Class unknown (Locobase 4902)

Data from [] . Built for this industrial railroad in the south of Argentina, this class of small Santa Fes ran on bituminous coal of high ash content (around 14%) and low caloric value. Soon after they entered service, they began choking on the fuel. Ing. LD Porta, then manager of the RFIRT, installed the Gas Producer Combustion System firebox that he'd developed over several years on 3 of the engines. Aside from the special Belpaire firebox, the modifications included lightweight multi-ring piston valves and pistons, mechanical stokers, and the Kylpor exhaust system.

According to the Ultimate Steam Page's account, the modified locomotives "...proved capable of steaming indefinitely without clinkering. In addition, maximum power was significantly increased." Several years later a follow-on batch fitted with the GPCS fitments were ordered; see 4903.

Meanwhile, as these earlier locomotives came in for overhauls, they received the multi-nozzle KylPor exhaust nozzle and the GPCS until the entire class was fitted. At that point, drawbar horsepower was measured at 1,050 hp (21 dbhp per ton) andfuel consumption at 2.64 lb/dbhp hour.

Class unknown (Locobase 4904)

Data from

[]

As noted in the Ultimate Steam Page's account ([]), Porta's Gas Producer Combustion System (GPCS) proved quite successful in completely burning the sub-standard bituminous with which this Patagonian railroad had to raise steam. So when 10 more Santa Fes were ordered in 1964, the modifications were incorporated into the design. As noted in 4902, the system also included special Belpaire firebox, lightweight multi-ring piston valves and pistons, mechanical stokers, and the Kylpor exhaust system.

In addition, boiler pressure was raised and the superheat ratio increased by decreasing the number of boiler tubes. Drawbar horsepower reached 1,200 while specific fuel consumption dropped from 2.64 lb/per DBHP hour to 2.2 lb. So satisfactory were the two classes that they served into the 1990s and, according to the USP, left service more because they weren't properly maintained rather than any inherent deficiency in power or availability.