French Canal Company 0-6-0 Locomotives in Panama


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Meuse (Locobase 20095)

Data from ICC Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2016 by Allen Stanley from his extensive RailData Exchange Works numbers were 3164-3165, 3167, 3170 in December 1882 and 3166, 3168-3169 in January 1883.

These saddle tanks were bought for the French company that made the first serious effort to dig a canal linking the Caribbean with the Pacific. Name changes applied to the first four locomotives suggest the turbulence troubling the money-losing, fever-ridden effort. At first, the engines honored the engineers and financiers that directed the project: Ferdinand de Lesseps, V Dauzats (chief engineer of the Suez Canal), A Richier, and G Saleta. But before their delivery, France's honor took over and they were named for French rivers: Meuse, Gironde, Moselles, and Garonne. Locomotives supplied a month later were the Seine, Loire, and Rhone.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassMeuse
Locobase ID20095
RailroadFrench Canal Company
CountryPanama
Whyte0-6-0T
Number in Class6
Road Numbers1-2, 12, 3, 13-14, 4/453-460
Gauge5'
Number Built6
BuilderRogers
Year1882
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase1
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)60,000 / 27,216
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)60,000 / 27,216
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)965 / 3.66
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)33 / 16.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)44 / 1118
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)125 / 860
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)15" x 22" / 381x559
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)11,953 / 5421.80
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.02
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)90 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13.12 / 4
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)72.50 / 6.74
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)13.40 / 1.24
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)696 / 64.66
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)696 / 64.66
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume154.68
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation1675
Same as above plus superheater percentage1675
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area9063
Power L12156
Power MT237.66

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