2-6-0 Steam Locomotives in Mexico

FC Agricola - Cordoba a Motzorongo y Rio Tinto


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Motzorongo / E-1 (Locobase 11922)

Data from NdeM 1926ca Locomotive Diagrams supplied in December 2010 by Allen Stanley. See also DeGolyer, Volume 15, p. 168. Works numbers were 10282-10283 in September 1889.

Although serving a rural agricultural railway, this Mogul pair was of about average size for North American standard-gauge 2-6-0s of the time. When delivered, they were named Motzorongo and Josefina.

The Porfirist general Carlos Pacheco built the line in 1882 to connect his plantation (Josefina) at Motzorongo with Cordoba. In 1892, the railway ran 42 km (25 miles) between Cordoba and Motzorongo and completing the journey in 2 hours.

In 1898, General Pacheco's hacienda was bought by the Vera Cruz al Pacifico, a North American company and the two Moguls were renumbered 3 and 4. In 1904, the Mexican government gained control of the VC al P and reorganized it, renaming the result Vera Cruz al Istmo. This line connected the Caribbean with the Pacific with only 200 km (120 miles) or railway.

After the 1908 nationalization and the assumption of complete control by the Nacional de Mexico (NdeM) in 1913, the 3 and 4 were renumbered 650-651.

Wes Barris's surviving locomotives page of his steamlocomotive.com website ([]) notes that the surviving 650 was being restored in Valle de Mexico shops of Alstom's Mexican subsidiary at Tlalnepantla, Mex.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassMotzorongo / E-1
Locobase ID11922
RailroadFC Agricola - Cordoba a Motzorongo y Rio Tinto
CountryMexico
Whyte2-6-0
Number in Class2
Road Numbers2-3/3-4/650-651
GaugeStd
Number Built2
BuilderBurnham, Parry, Williams & Co
Year1889
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)14.25 / 4.34
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)21.58 / 6.58
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.66
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)44.75 / 13.64
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)74,090 / 33,607
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)88,202 / 40,008
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)55,127 / 25,005
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)143,329 / 65,013
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2378 / 9.01
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)1038 / 3929
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)41 / 20.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)51 / 1295
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)130 / 900
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 24" / 432x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)15,028 / 6816.59
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.93
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)182 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13 / 3.96
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)73.65 / 6.84
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)14.75 / 1.37
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1312 / 121.93
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1312 / 121.93
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume207.92
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation1918
Same as above plus superheater percentage1918
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area9575
Power L12942
Power MT262.63

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Wes Barris