Waterford, Limerick, & Western 4-4-2 Locomotives in Ireland


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 16/269/C5 (Locobase 20250)

Data from "Ten-Wheeled Tank Engines", Railway Engineer, Volume 20, No 1 (January 1899), pp. 10-13; and "Locomotives for the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway", Engineer, Volume 84 (13 August 1897), p 154.

Engineeri reported that this class was of the "Blarney Castle class", which was also the name for the 21. The others were Rocklands, Faugh-a-Ballagh, and Geraldine. The wheel arrangement consisted of a four-wheel bogie, four wheels coupled, and a trailing radial truck. The cylinders, drivers, boiler, and firebox repeated the dimensions of the slightly earlier 0-4-4Ts described in Locobase 20249.

Locomotive superintendent John G Robinson intended this class to work the Limerick to Collooney line's northern section to Tralee (70 miles/ 113 km) as well as the Sligo and Kelly lines, which featured many gentle curves. Their coal consumption averaged 18 lb/mile (5.07 kg/km).

In January 1901, the Great Southern & Western acquired both the WL&W and the Waterford & Central Ireland.

Almost 30 years later, the class received slightly larger boilers in 1925-1926 that contained 894 sq ft (83.06 sq m) of evaporative heating surface area and 15.8 sq ft (1.47 sq m) of grate area.

Retirements came in 1949 and 1957.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class16/269/C5
Locobase ID20250
RailroadWaterford, Limerick, & Western
CountryIreland
Whyte4-4-2T
Number in Class4
Road Numbers16-18, 21/269-271, 274
Gauge5'3"
Number Built4
BuilderKitson & Co
Year1896
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 7.50 / 4.80
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)26.17 / 4.80
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.29
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)26.17
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)29,120
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)58,240 / 26,417
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)105,168 / 47,703
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)1248 / 4.73
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 1.93
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)49 / 24.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)66 / 1575
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)150 / 1030
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16" x 24" / 406x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)11,869 / 5383.69
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.91
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)88 / 8.18
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)15 / 1.39
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)868 / 80.64
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)868 / 80.64
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume155.41
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2250
Same as above plus superheater percentage2250
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area13,200
Power L13864
Power MT292.54

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