Strade Ferrate della Sicilia / FS 4-4-0 Locomotives in Italy
Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media
Class Gruppo B / Gr 500 FS 1 (Locobase 6206)
Data from the Rete Sicula website [
] ... (visited 5 July 2004).
The valve gear is described as "Heusinger von Waldegg". The accompanying illustration shows a neatly laid out locomotive with widespread drivers, Belpaire firebox, steam dome over the rear axle of the bogie, and a straight stack. The speed merchants of the RS, these locomotives were rated at 85 km/h (53 mph).
When the Ferrovie dello Stato took over the RS in 1905, all 18 of these Eight-wheelers were still in service. Eleven were shedded at Palermo, the other 7 across the island at Catania. According to the modelling site [], as Gruppo 500s, the class was subdivided into 2 subgroups, but there's little detectable difference.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | Gruppo B / Gr 500 FS 1 |
| Locobase ID | 6206 |
| Railroad | Strade Ferrate della Sicilia / FS |
| Country | Italy |
| Whyte | 4-4-0 |
| Number in Class | 18 |
| Road Numbers | RS 51-RS 68 / GR 5001 |
| Gauge | Std |
| Number Built | 18 |
| Builder | |
| Year | 1888 |
| Valve Gear | Heusinger |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 8.20 / 2.50 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 21 / 6.40 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.39 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | 29,873 / 13,500 |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 59,525 / 27,000 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 96,121 / 43,600 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | 57,982 / 26,300 |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | 154,103 / 69,900 |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 2508 / 9.50 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 2.80 / 3 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 50 / 25 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 70.90 / 1800 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 145 / 1000 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 16.54" x 23.62" / 420x600 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 11,233 / 5095.21 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 5.30 |
| 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) | 23.13 / 2.15 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 1055 / 98.08 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 1055 / 98.08 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 179.61 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 3354 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 3354 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | |
| Power L1 | |
| Power MT | |