Brussels-Malines 2-2-2 Locomotives in Belgium
Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media
Class Le Belge (Locobase 8789)
Data from "La Construction des LOCOMOTIVES a VAPEUR en Belgique" (15 August 1938), monthly journal of La Federation des Constructeurs, hosted on [
] (last accessed 29 Sept 2007).
When Brussels inaugurated the first railroad to run behind steam on the continent, it used Stephenson-built locomotives. At the same time, John Cockerill was finishing the first Belgian-built engine, appropriated titled Le Belge. It was the first of 8 small locomotives that bore a strong resemblance to the Planets of Stephenson's manufacture.
The article cited above notes that the eccentric that operated the valves was not linked to individual cylinders, according to Locobase's uncertain translation. Instead, both cylinders operated either in forward gear or reverse gear depending on how a common set of eccentrics was set.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | Le Belge |
| Locobase ID | 8789 |
| Railroad | Brussels-Malines |
| Country | Belgium |
| Whyte | 2-2-2 |
| Number in Class | 8 |
| Road Numbers | 6 |
| Gauge | Std |
| Number Built | 8 |
| Builder | CMI |
| Year | 1835 |
| Valve Gear | |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 9.99 / 3.04 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 8818 / 4000 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 25,904 / 11,750 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 15 / 7.50 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 60 / 1524 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 89.90 / 620 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 11.02" x 18.03" / 280x458 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 2789 / 1265.07 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 3.16 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | 100 - 1.614" / 41 |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | 7.94 / 2.42 |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 45.42 / 4.22 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 9.26 / 0.86 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 362 / 33.59 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 362 / 33.59 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 181.88 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 832 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 832 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 4083 |
| Power L1 | 2661 |
| Power MT | 665.29 |