Canadian Pacific 2-10-4 Locomotives in Canada


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class T-1a (Locobase 92)

Data from 1947 Canadian Pacific Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for pointing out an error in the tender's oil capacity and for supplying the valve gear's ID and nany thanks for his 22 September 2017 email reporting unlikely boiler pressure values for 177 entries.A Locobase macro caused the error.) See Locobase 6557 for the T-1b/T-1c class.

Firebox heating surface include 45 sq ft (4.2 sq m) of arch tubes. In addition to the 196 flues that held superheater elements, seven more of the same diameter did not contribute to superheating surface area. Elesco feed water heaters contributed to the boiler's efficiency.

Bill Yeats, writing on the [link] website (visited 4 June 2005), tells us about these powerful dual-service locomotives. The first 20 -- T-1a 5900-5919 -- were delivered in 1929 for service between Calgary, Alb and Revelstoke, BC. Encompassing the whole of the CP's passage over the Canadian Rockies, this division demanded powerful, heavy locomotives. Yeats, a veteran fireman and engineer on this class, notes that it was a good thing they were built as oil burners: "Had they been coal burners," he figures,"much larger tenders would have been required thus increasing the total weight to nearly four hundred tons when total weight had to be kept down."

Yeats also says that five driving axles and three carrying axles, two of the latter under the huge firebox "...made them ride much better than all but the 2800 class 4-6-4 Royal Hudsons, which also had four-wheel trailing trucks."

So modern an oil-burning engine made the fireman's life a much easier one than that endured by his counterpart on a coal-fed, non-stoker-equipped locomotive, adds Yeats.

After the Rockies were populated by diesels in the early 1950s, the Selkirks went to the Brooks and Maple Creek subdivisions of the line between Calgary east to Swift Current, Saskatchewan and up north from Calgary to Edmonton. In 1957, the class was rated at 50 mph, but, says Yeats, "...I recall working [on all three subclasses] before this date and going at least 65 [81 km/h], so this speed restriction must have been put on the during the last days."


Class T-1b (Locobase 6557)

Data from 1947 Canadian Pacific Locomotive Diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for pointing out an error in the tender's oil capacity, for supplying the valve gear's ID, and questioning the over-precise boiler pressure.)

See Locobase 92 for discussion of this pair of Selkirk classes.

T-1b 5920-5929 1938 smoother lines, following Royal Hudsons.

T-1c 5930-5935 were delivered in 1949, the only difference from the T-1b being the provision of two Westinghouse air compressors instead of the one of the T-1b. 5

935 was the very last steam locomotive built for any Canadian company.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassT-1aT-1b
Locobase ID92 6557
RailroadCanadian Pacific (CPR)Canadian Pacific (CPR)
CountryCanadaCanada
Whyte2-10-42-10-4
Number in Class2010
Road Numbers5900-59195920-5929
GaugeStdStd
Number Built2010
BuilderMontreal LWMontreal LW
Year19291938
Valve GearWalschaertWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)22 / 6.7122 / 6.71
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)46.04 / 14.0346 / 14.02
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.48 0.48
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)87.06 / 26.5487.42 / 26.65
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)312,800 / 141,884310,000 / 140,614
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)452,500 / 205,251447,000 / 202,756
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)297,500 / 134,944284,000 / 128,820
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)750,000 / 340,195731,000 / 331,576
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)14,400 / 54.5514,400 / 54.55
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)4920 / 18622.204920 / 18,622
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)104 / 52103 / 51.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)63 / 160063 / 1600
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)275 / 1900285 / 1970
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)25.5" x 32" / 648x81325" x 32" / 635x813
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)77,204 / 35019.1976,905 / 34883.56
Booster (lbs)12,00012,000
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.05 4.03
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)59 - 2.25" / 5772 - 2.25" / 57
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)196 - 3.5" / 89196 - 3.5" / 89
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)20.40 / 6.2220.91 / 6.37
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)422 / 39.20412 / 38.28
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)93.50 / 8.6993.50 / 8.69
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)4931 / 458.105054 / 469.70
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)2112 / 196.212032 / 188.85
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)7043 / 654.317086 / 658.55
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume260.62278.00
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation25,71326,648
Same as above plus superheater percentage33,42634,375
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area150,865151,472
Power L139,75541,813
Power MT1400.971486.80

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