Russian State 0-6-0 Locomotives in Russia

Class unknown (Locobase 8192)

Data from Scientific American Supplement. Vol. XVIII, No. 455 (September 20, 1884) as transcribed by Project Gutenberg and accessed 9 February 2007.

Thomas Urquhart presented a paper before the Institute of Mechanical Engineers on his success in converting coal-burning locomotives into oil burners. His trials were conducted on the 291-mile long Russian rail line between Tsaritsin to Burnack. There is a main iron reservoir for petroleum at each of the four engine sheds, namely at Tsaritsin, Archeda, Filonoff, and Borisoglebsk.

The locomotives were originally delivered by Creusot of France, Borsig of German, and the Russian Mechanical and Mining Company, of St. Petersburg.

Urquhart describes in detail the arguments for oil-burning, how the conversion was carried out, and the results. Converting the tender was relatively easy and consisted of dropping a tank carrying 3 1/2 tons of oil into the empty coal space between the water tanks.

"Two sets of comparative trials were made, both of them in winter," Urquhart report. "The three engines used were some of those built by Schneider. In comparison with anthracite, the economy in favor of petroleum refuse was 41 per cent. in weight, and 55 per cent. in cost. With bituminous coal there was a difference of 49 per cent. in favor of petroleum as to weight and 61 per cent. as to cost. As compared with wood petroleum was 50 per cent. cheaper. At a speed of fourteen miles an hour up an incline of 1 in 125 the steam pressure was easily kept up at 9 to 9+ atm. with a No. 9 injector feeding the boiler all the time."