Sidney & Louisburg / Sydney & Louisburg 2-6-4 Locomotives in Canada


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 17 (Locobase 11197)

Data from "Recent Schenectady Locomotives," The Railway Ages (24 November 1899), p. 877. See Colin Churcher's roster -- [link], last accessed 10 April 2010. (Many thanks to Chris Hohl for his 20 May 2017 email with builder's card attached that corrected several points of data.) Works numbers were 5104 in July 1899 and 5464 in 1900.

Like the 2-8-4T described in 11197, this pair of Baltic tanks served the Dominion Coal Company's S&L Railway for decades. They were preceded almost a decade earlier by the Sir Donald, a smaller "Mogul Forney" described in Locobase 20058.

The later pair met distinctly different ends. S&L 44 was later converted to a 2-6-0 tender-engine before being scrapped in 1936. The 43 was sold to the Cumberland Railway & Coal in April 1955. It was scrapped in 1961.


Class 45 (Locobase 16321)

Data from Locomotive Cyclopedia entry archived on line by Old Line Trains at [link], last accessed 23 Novmber 2017. For a detailed background essay on the S&L in particular and Cape Breton coal and iron exploration in general, see David Frank, "The Cape Breton Coal Industry and the Rise and Fall of the British Empire Steel Company" Acadiensis (1977), pp. 3-34. (Thanks to Steve Low in his November 1917 email supplying a copy of the LC entry.). Works numbers were 66318 in October 1925.

Ordered from Montreal at the same time as the first of two Mikados (Locobase 16320), this single tank's profile showed relatively small and short side tanks flanking a high-pitched boiler, stubby rear bunker, and long wheelbase.

After twenty years as a tank engine, the 45 was converted to a 2-6-0 with tender. Most likely, the intent was to increase on-board fuel and water stowage.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class1745
Locobase ID11197 16321
RailroadSidney & LouisburgSydney & Louisburg
CountryCanadaCanada
Whyte2-6-4T2-6-4T
Number in Class21
Road Numbers17-18/43-4445
GaugeStdStd
Number Built21
BuilderSchenectadyMontreal LW
Year18991925
Valve GearStephensonWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)13.17 / 4.0112 / 3.66
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)33 / 10.0636.17 / 11.02
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.40 0.33
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)33 / 10.0636.17 / 11.02
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)122,000 / 55,338139,500 / 63,276
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)172,000 / 78,018221,500 / 100,471
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)172,000
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3700 / 14.02
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)5 / 5
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)68 / 3478 / 39
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)55 / 139755 / 1397
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 26" / 483x66019" x 26" / 483x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)26,110 / 11843.3129,011 / 13159.18
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.67 4.81
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)236 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)12 / 3.66
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)125.43 / 11.65
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)26.20 / 2.4328.10 / 2.61
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1598 / 148.461525 / 141.68
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)328 / 30.47
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1598 / 148.461853 / 172.15
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume187.34178.78
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation47165620
Same as above plus superheater percentage47166632
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area22,577
Power L14304
Power MT233.33

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