FC Central Norte Argentino 4-6-0 Locomotives in Argentina


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 14 (Locobase 13479)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 32, p. 267. Works numbers were 32905-32910 in August 1908.

This sextet of Ten-wheelers was delivered to the FCCNA to help to build the railway. It had a Belpaire firebox made of copper that would burn either wood or coal.


Class 211 (Locobase 10985)

Data from Record of Recent Construction #54 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1905), p. 24-25. See also DeGolyer, Volume 28, p. 2. Works numbers were 25029-25030 in January 1905 and 25045-25046, 25070, 25076-25079, 2509-25092, 25095 in February.

Among the operational conditions were curves with a minimum radius of 100 m (328 ft). Oil cups had to be of sufficient capacity to allow 200 km (124 mi) without refilling and the driver and front truck tires had to be guaranteed to run 350,000 km (217,350 miles).

The design's deep, narrow Belpaire firebox provided a good percentage of evaporative heating surface area. The cylinders received their steam through piston valves.

Many precise notes in the Baldwin specs include the requirement that the boiler be "strengthened with longitude or gusset stays." Another advises that the dry pipe (which conveyed the steam from the regulator to the smokebox) be made of "soft seamless copper of sufficient thickness to prevent collapse from external pressure that it has to support."


Class 281 (Locobase 12882)

Data from "Locomotive Building", Railway Age Gazette, Volume XLV, No 11 (14 August 1908), p. 732; and "Locomotives for the Central Northern Railway of the Argentine [sic]", Railway and Locomotive Engineering, Volume 22, No. 3 (March 1909), p. 129. Works numbers were 45619-45628 in October 1908.

The FCNA ordered 30 locomotives from Alco in 1908. Twenty were the relatively large Pacifics described in Locobase 12883. Ten were these freight Ten-wheelers, which were smaller and less powerful. Their narrow Belpaire fireboxes were made of copper.


Class 8 / 164 (Locobase 12927)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 28, p. 249. Works number was 27361 in January 1906.

The Luis Stremiz construction company bought this Ten-wheeler and soon sold it to the the Central Norte.


Class B11 (Locobase 3712)

Data provided by Carlos Alberto Fern+ndez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([link] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000).


Class B4A (Locobase 3711)

Data provided by Carlos Alberto Fern+ndez Priotti in Bryan Attewell ([link] Steam Locomotive simulator program (April 2000). Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 26, p. 293. Works numbers were 24034, 24048-24049, 24078 in April 1904.

Priotti's data showed a smaller boiler, but Locobase chose the Baldwin specs because of their completeness while acknowledging the possibility that the engine lost some boiler tubes before delivery or in a later update.

The specs reported a requirement that the engine pull 300 long tons of "cars & lading" up a 1 1/2% grade (78 feet/mile) at a speed of no less than 15 mph (24 km/h) and negotiate curves as tight as 100 metres (328 ft) in radius.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class142112818 / 164B11
Locobase ID13479 10985 12882 12927 3712
RailroadFC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)FC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)FC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)FC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)FC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)
CountryArgentinaArgentinaArgentinaArgentinaArgentina
Whyte4-6-04-6-04-6-04-6-04-6-0
Number in Class61210115
Road Numbers14-19211-222281-2908 / 164450-464
GaugeMetreMetreMetreMetreMetre
Number Built61210115
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoAlco-BrooksBurnham, Williams & CoKerr, Stuart & Co
Year19081905190819061909
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10.50 / 3.2012 / 3.6610.50 / 3.2011.50 / 3.51
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)19.83 / 6.0422.21 / 6.7719.71 / 6.0121.25 / 6.48
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.53 0.54 0.53 0.54
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)43.50 / 13.2646.62 / 14.2143.73 / 13.33
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)63,500 / 28,80372,400 / 32,84070,000 / 31,75261,000 / 27,66963,056 / 28,602
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)79,000 / 35,83493,150 / 42,25290,000 / 40,82378,000 / 35,380
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)62,000 / 28,12370,850 / 32,13777,300 / 35,06354,000 / 24,494
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)141,000 / 63,957164,000 / 74,389167,300 / 75,886132,000 / 59,874
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2640 / 102642 / 10.013180 / 12.052640 / 102500 / 9.47
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)11 / 10 4.90 / 5
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)35 / 17.5040 / 2039 / 19.5034 / 1735 / 17.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)43 / 109254 / 137243 / 109242 / 106748.70 / 1237
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)170 / 1170180 / 1240170 / 1170180 / 1240174 / 1200
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)15" x 22" / 381x55917" x 24" / 432x61015" x 22" / 381x55915" x 20" / 381x50816" x 22" / 406x560
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)16,634 / 7545.0619,652 / 8914.0116,634 / 7545.0616,393 / 7435.7517,104 / 7758.25
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.82 3.68 4.21 3.72 3.69
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)137 - 2" / 51190 - 2" / 51153 - 2" / 51133 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.75 / 3.5813.21 / 4.0311.96 / 3.6511.83 / 3.6112.09 / 3.69
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)103 / 9.57103.50 / 9.62100 / 9.2988 / 8.18
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)16.20 / 1.5116.20 / 1.5115.89 / 1.4815 / 1.3915.50 / 1.44
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)937 / 87.051409 / 130.901059 / 98.38903 / 83.921000 / 92.94
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)937 / 87.051409 / 130.901059 / 98.38903 / 83.921000 / 92.94
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume208.24223.47235.35220.75195.33
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation27542916270127002697
Same as above plus superheater percentage27542916270127002697
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area17,51018,63017,00015,840
Power L13931495042214137
Power MT409.43452.19398.82448.55

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassB4A
Locobase ID3711
RailroadFC Central Norte Argentino (FCCNA)
CountryArgentina
Whyte4-6-0
Number in Class4
Road Numbers11-14 / 223-226
GaugeMetre
Number Built4
BuilderBurnham, Williams & Co
Year1904
Valve Gear
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)11 / 3.35
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)20.42 / 6.22
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.54
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)74,480 / 33,784
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)92,000 / 41,731
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)78,000 / 35,380
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)170,000 / 77,111
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3080 / 11.67
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)5 / 5
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)41 / 20.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)50 / 1270
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)179.80 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 24" / 432x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)21,201 / 9616.62
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.51
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)186 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)12 / 3.66
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)103.80 / 9.65
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)16.13 / 1.50
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1264 / 117.47
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1264 / 117.47
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume200.48
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2900
Same as above plus superheater percentage2900
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area18,663
Power L14237
Power MT376.25

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