Bengal Central 4-4-0 Locomotives in India


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 25 (Locobase 12330)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Vol 22, p. 52. See also the letter from Assistant Locomotive Superintendent J N Robb quoted in Anglo-American Magazine, Volume 6, No. 6 (December 1901), pp. 485-486. Works numbers were 16517-16521 in February 1899.

The BC opened in 1884; it covered 125 miles (200 km) from Benapole via Jessore to Khulna. It was combined with the Brahmaputra- Sultanpur Railway and taken over by the the Eastern Bengal in 1904 and these small Eight-wheelers were renumbered.

ALS Ross's letter revealed that when the locomotives went into service they steamed poorly and burned almost 70 lb of coal per mile (19.76 kg/km). This was later reduced to 40.5 lb/mile (11.43 kg/km) when one or more of the following measures:

"(1) One single-exhaust pipe and blast nozzle (in place of double pipe and nozzle); (2) all deflecting plates removed from smoke box; (3) new fire grate bearing bars to take 22 fire bars, in place of 24; (4) new regular valve of the State railway type in place of single doubleface valve; (5) india rubber feed pipes in place of brass castings ball and socket; (6) lubricators for pistons. "

Many of the alterations likely reflect drafting issues concentrated in the smokebox, although the change in grate bar count may have sought to improve air flow into the firebox. Locobase wonders if the feed pipe change reflected leakage due to a certain inflexibility in the original fittings.

Once they were modified, Ross expressed his pleasure with the result:

"4. The fuel consumption is as low as that of the British engines, after being altered here by me. The American engines have run 118,440 miles [190,688 km]since August, 1899, and no duplicates have yet been used, except the turning up of the bogie wheels of one of them. They are all, however, showing a tendency to have sharp flanges.

5. The engines pull well and run much easier than the British locomotives."

Except ... a postscript reported that when the Eight-wheelers were pressed into service as goods trains they fared less well with fuel and oil consumption at heavier rate than those of the British engines.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class25
Locobase ID12330
RailroadBengal Central
CountryIndia
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class5
Road Numbers29, 25-28/186-190
Gauge5'6"
Number Built5
BuilderBurnham, Williams & Co
Year1899
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 7.83 / 2.39
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)20.04 / 6.11
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.39
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)40.54 / 12.36
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)52,000 / 23,587
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)80,000 / 36,287
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)72,000 / 32,659
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)152,000 / 68,946
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3000 / 11.36
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)43 / 21.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)61 / 1549
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16" x 24" / 406x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)15,410 / 6989.87
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.37
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)198 - 1.75" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)102.80 / 9.55
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)17.90 / 1.66
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1002 / 93.12
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1002 / 93.12
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume179.41
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation3222
Same as above plus superheater percentage3222
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area18,504
Power L14967
Power MT421.17

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