Antofagasta Kitson-Meyer Locomotives in Chile

Class Hercules (Locobase 3268)

Data from "Articulated Goods Engine-Specification No. G-988" locomotive diagram from "Antofagasta (Chili) & Bolivia Rwy, Co, Ltd. "Articulated goods Locomotive, Antofagasta (Chili) and Bolivia Ry" The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XV (15 February 1909), p.40 and Tufnell (1986). Works number was 4534 in 1908.

Kitson-Meyer articulated with Belpaire boiler and the cylinders at the extreme ends of the driver sets. This put the cylinders inside the unpowered bogies at each end.

A note to the LM published in the 15 March 1909 issue (p. 43), corrects the usual attribution of Kitson-Meyer to this design: "We omitted to mention in our notice ...that it was designed by the consulting engineers, Messrs. Livesey, Son & Henderson, and we stated in error that it is of the Kitson-Meyer type."

Hmmm - obviously the Livesey contingent felt quite slighted. Livesy, Son & Henderson were a larger engineering firm of the time and it may have been true that they specified the locomotive in question. But Locobase suspects that Kitson-Meyer is not an inappropriate description of the design even so.

Tufnell says these engines were designed to put out 450 indicated hp for 167 minutes before the tanks would need refilling. Although apparently successful, when the railroad was converted to meter gauge in 1929, this engine was scrapped rather than enlarged.

Class unknown (Locobase 3629)

Data from Wiener (1930).

Kitson-Meyer articulated with Belpaire boiler and the cylinders at the extreme ends of the driver sets. This put the cylinders inside the unpowered bogies at each end.

Although producing the same tractive effort as the earlier 2-6-0+0-6-4, this engine has much more boiler to work with and a larger grate. Thus, it was probably easier to work and may have had higher tonnage ratings.