4-4-0 Steam Locomotives in Canada

Canada Southern


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 112/31/315/321 (Locobase 1070)

See Ray Wright, "The Ten Railways of Brantford" on the Canadian Industrial Heritage website at [], last accessed 27 March 2025. Sources estimate Grant's works number as 1096.

The owner of the railway on which these Canada Southern standard American-type Eight-wheelers ran was the Toledo, Canada Southern & Detroit, construction of which was financed by the Michigan Central. Canada Southern operated the line under lease.

The limiited specs Locobase unearthed shows the design clearly intended to serve freight with occasional diversions into local traffic. Ten years later, they continued in their duties, but were now counted on the Michigan Central's roster.

Four of the five met similar fates. After their transfer to the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo in 1894 as the C class, three went to the scrapper in 1900 while the 324 lingered until its sale in April 1904.

318 left the road sooner to provide motive power for the Brantford, Waterloo & Lake Erie, which opened to traffic in 1890. Possibly becasue of her advanced age (17 years), she earned the nickname "Old Betsey" and was numbered either 1 or 2. By 1892, however, the railway's always shaky finances collapsed when creditors would advance a $75,000 loan.

Sources differ on whether she made her way to the Fort Erie Ferry railway.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class112/31/315/321
Locobase ID1070
RailroadCanada Southern (MCRR)
CountryCanada
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class5
Road Numbers112-116/31-35/319, 315-318
GaugeStd
Number Built5
BuilderGrant
Year1873
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)
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)
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)107,150 / 48,602
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)
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)56 / 1422
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)120 / 830
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16" x 24" / 406x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)11,191 / 5076.16
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort)
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation
Same as above plus superheater percentage
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area
Power L1
Power MT

All material Copyright © SteamLocomotive.com
Wes Barris