Data from American v English Locomotives, Correspondence, Criticism, and Commentary respecting Their Relative Merits (New York: Robert K Pease, 1880), pp. 36-37 and Facts and Opinions: Regarding the Economical Construction and Working of Railways of Narrow Gauge with Steep Gradients and Sharp Curves, when Worked with an Improved Class of Engine and Rolling Stock By T. W. Armstrong Compiled by T. W. Armstrong, 1870 -- Pt. 1 is reprinted from the Times, Oct. 19-21, 1869, Feb. 18, Mar. 1, Mar. 12, 1870.
The publication of which the edition used by Locobase was a reprint was a document presented to both Houses of the General Assembly of New Zealand by Command of His Excellency in 1878. At issue was how the demand for motive power on New Zealand's railways should be met - through the purchase of the mother country's locomotives or by continuing to buy American engines.
The exchange in the correspondence ripened considerably when the Engineer-in-charge, North Island J P Maxwell rebutted a report favorable to the American case by R M Brereton, formerly Engineer-in-Chief of the Great India Peninsula Railway. Maxwell blasted away at the American claims with both barrels.
WW Evans took up the challenge in New York in a spirited mixture of facts, sarcasm, and invective. To demonstrate his claim that American-built engines were superior, he describes a set of trials conducted on the Santiago line he had charge of building. Each country supplied two locomotives, one for goods (freight) traffic, another for passenger service. All had copper fireboxes and brass flues.
Evans claims that the the only Americans involved were the two drivers of the American locomotives. All of the other participants were British. He noted that the cost transporting each locomotive "...over the mountains from Valparaiso to Santiago, over common road, was about $5,000." One can only imagine the difficulties encounter.
After laying out the comparative statistics in a table, Evans reports on the results, which are outlined for each locomotive in its own entry. The Hawthorn engine described in this entry struggled badly, according to Evans. Tasked with taking a 35 8-wheeled cars over an 11 2/3-mile distance to "the Summit" (not otherwise described), says Evans, "The English goods engine having failed to carry the 35 cars with 586 tons beyond the 3rd miles, was backed to the station and tried with 130 pounds (PSI); failed a second time; was backed to the station and tried with 20 cars having 335 tons; got stalled twice and got to the summit in 88 minutes."
See the other Locobase entries in the series (9312-9314) for other results.
NB: Tube length is an estimate based on the calculation of tube surface area by subtracting reported firebox heating surface from reported total evaporative heating surface
Data from American v English Locomotives, Correspondence, Criticism, and Commentary respecting Their Relative Merits (New York: Robert K Pease, 1880), pp. 36-37 and Facts and Opinions: Regarding the Economical Construction and Working of Railways of Narrow Gauge with Steep Gradients and Sharp Curves, when Worked with an Improved Class of Engine and Rolling Stock By T. W. Armstrong Compiled by T. W. Armstrong, 1870 -- Pt. 1 is reprinted from the Times, Oct. 19-21, 1869, Feb. 18, Mar. 1, Mar. 12, 1870.
See Locobase 9311 for the full details of the Chilean trials.
Unlike the goods-engine competion, both locomotives managed their trains without having to drop cars off. But W W Evans reports that the British locomotive took 37 1/2 minutes to make the trip. Part of the difficulty, the not-too-objective Evans observes lay in the quality of the manufacture shown in the British engines: "I must in justice say that the two English engines were about as badly designed, as badly balanced, and as stiff and clumsy affairs as I ever saw."
NB: Tube length is an estimate based on the calculation of tube surface area by subtracting reported firebox heating surface from reported total evaporative heating surface
Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | ||
---|---|---|
Class | unknown | unknown |
Locobase ID | 9311 | 9313 |
Railroad | Santiago & Valparaiso | Santiago & Valparaiso |
Country | Chile | Chile |
Whyte | 0-4-2 | 0-4-2 |
Number in Class | 1 | 1 |
Road Numbers | ||
Gauge | 5'6" | 5'6" |
Number Built | 1 | 1 |
Builder | Black, Hawthorn | Black, Hawthorn |
Year | 1859 | 1859 |
Valve Gear | Stephenson | Stephenson |
Locomotive Length and Weight | ||
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 8.01 / 2.44 | 8 / 2.44 |
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 13.48 / 4.11 | 13.50 / 4.11 |
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.59 | 0.59 |
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | ||
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | ||
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 64,082 / 29,067 | 46,122 / 20,921 |
Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 64,082 / 29,067 | 61,846 / 28,053 |
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | ||
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | ||
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 1201 / 4.55 | 1200 / 4.55 |
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 1.10 / 1 | 1.10 / 1 |
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 53 / 26.50 | 38 / 19 |
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | ||
Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 54 / 1372 | 62 / 1575 |
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 114.60 / 790 | 115 / 790 |
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 16.5" x 24.02" / 419x610 | 15" x 22" / 381x559 |
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 11,796 / 5350.58 | 7804 / 3539.84 |
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 5.43 | 5.91 |
Heating Ability | ||
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | 193 - 1.89" / 48 | 161 - 1.875" / 48 |
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | ||
Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | 14.17 / 4.32 | |
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 78.04 / 7.25 | 74 / 6.88 |
Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 13.13 / 1.22 | 13.13 / 1.22 |
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 1204 / 111.90 | 1188 / 110.41 |
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | ||
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 1204 / 111.90 | 1188 / 110.41 |
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 202.54 | 264.02 |
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | ||
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 1505 | 1510 |
Same as above plus superheater percentage | 1505 | 1510 |
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 8943 | 8510 |
Power L1 | 2766 | 4115 |
Power MT | 190.32 | 393.39 |