See also Robert Tufnell, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Railway Locomotives (London: Quarto Publishing Ltd, 1986). (Thanks to Philip Bushdiecker for his 6 January 2021 for correcting a valve gear error.)
Articulated engines of the Kitson-Meyer type resemble Fairlies, but have only one firebox and boiler; the firebox is between the engine sets. This particular type had long water tanks flanking the boiler and very small drivers for substantial tractive effort. So small were the drivers, in fact, that prominent counterbalances had to be carried on the outside for clearance reasons. Tonnage rating was 330 tons at 9-10 mph up a 4.5% grade between Giradot and Bogota. Tufnell notes also that the line ascended in a ruling grade of 4% to reach 9,088 ft from sea level in 82.5 miles. And the curves had radii as low as 260 ft.
They were quite successful and ran until 1959.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | 57 |
| Locobase ID | 2499 |
| Railroad | Colombian National Rwy |
| Country | Colombia |
| Whyte | 2-8-8-2T |
| Number in Class | |
| Road Numbers | 57 |
| Gauge | 3' |
| Number Built | |
| Builder | Robert Stephenson & Co |
| Year | 1935 |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 10.20 / 3.11 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | 53.92 / 16.43 |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | 32,480 / 14,733 |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 259,840 / 117,862 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 291,760 / 132,340 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | 70,500 / 31,978 |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | 362,260 / 164,318 |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 4760 / 18.03 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 1300 / 4921 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 54 / 27 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 37.50 / 953 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 208.90 / 1440 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 17.75" x 20" / 451x508 (4) |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 59,674 / 27067.70 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 4.35 |
| 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) | 51 / 4.74 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 2567 / 238.57 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 640 / 59.48 |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 3207 / 298.05 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 224.07 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 10,654 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 12,785 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | |
| Power L1 | |
| Power MT | |