Ceylon Government Railway 4-6-0 Locomotives in Ceylon


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class B1 (Locobase 7506)

Data from 1946 Beyer, Peacock catalogue hosted on Martyn Bane's website at [link] (accessed 21 May 2006). See also Eng. Udaya Peeligama, "A Concise History Of Motive Power Development On Sri Lankan Railways", presented on the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka-New South Wales Chapter website at [link], posted 7 September 2018, last accessed 3 August 2021. Beyer, Peacock works numbers were 6391-6399 in 1927, 6467-6480 in 1928, and 6678-6679 in 1930. Armstrong Whitworth (12) and Robert Stephenson & Company (12) completed this large class.

Batch #156 inaugurated Beyer, Peacock Ten-wheeler deliveries to the CGR. Quite small for the broad-gauge, these had low-drivers and the familiar Belpaire firebox. Many of which were named after British Governors of Ceylon,

Eng Peeligama describes this "majestic" design as the" culmination in the ultimate development of the NOA Classes ." These engines "epresented the finest and highly versatile steam locomotive type on the island. The most handsome of all steam Classes, they were the workhorses of the system hauling the fast expresses and heaviest goods trains in the steam era."

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassB1
Locobase ID7506
RailroadCeylon Government Railway
CountryCeylon
Whyte4-6-0
Number in Class49
Road Numbers
Gauge5'6"
Number Built49
Builderseveral
Year1927
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)21.54 / 6.57
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.46
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)49.79 / 15.18
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)29,792 / 13,513
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)88,256 / 40,032
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)117,152 / 53,139
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)95,334 / 43,243
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)212,486 / 96,382
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3960 / 15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 5.50 / 5
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)49 / 24.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)53.50 / 1359
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)162.40 / 1120
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18.5" x 26" / 470x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)22,960 / 10414.49
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.84
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)128 / 11.90
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)26.50 / 2.46
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1180 / 109.67
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)160 / 14.87
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1340 / 124.54
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume145.88
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation4304
Same as above plus superheater percentage4820
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area23,282
Power L15836
Power MT437.35

All material Copyright © SteamLocomotive.com
Wes Barris