Data from "The Erie 'Composite'", Railway Age, Volume 25 (1 April 1898), p. 223 and "Report of Committee on Power," Rock Island Company, Independent Motor Cars,", American Engineer and Railroad Engineer, Volume 79 (April 1905), pp. 121-122. Works numbers were 4611-4612 in October 1897'
Locobase 15946 describes the Schenectady "power egg" that powered a New England Railroad "Composite" steam car. This entry shows the result of mating a duplicate power truck to an old emigrant car; this was delivered in October 1897 for installation in an old emigrant car. One difference was the reduction in cylinder diameter from 12" to 10 1/2".
Although the vehicle initially fired the imagination as a solution to short-distance branch line work, White reported that it fell short, as did a second car bought in 1898. Of the second car, an anthracite burner numbered 680, White wrote: "[E]ven though the car ran fourteen trips a day over the 4-mile (6.5 km) branch, breakdowns were frequent and the ride was rough, more like a locomotive's than a coach's." And, like all other such vertical-boiler vehicles, the car couldn't make enough steam to meet the schedule. It was retired and broken up before 1902.
| Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media | |
|---|---|
| Class | unknown |
| Locobase ID | 15947 |
| Railroad | Erie |
| Country | USA |
| Whyte | 0-4-0+6 |
| Number in Class | 1 |
| Road Numbers | |
| Gauge | Std |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Builder | Schenectady |
| Year | 1897 |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert |
| Locomotive Length and Weight | |
| Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) | 8 / 2.44 |
| Engine Wheelbase (ft / m) | 56.83 / 17.32 |
| Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase | 0.14 |
| Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m) | 56.83 / 17.32 |
| Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg) | |
| Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg) | 75,000 / 34,019 |
| Engine Weight (lbs / kg) | 114,000 / 51,710 |
| Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg) | |
| Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML) | 1400 / 5.30 |
| Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) | 0.70 / 1 |
| Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m) | 25 / 12.50 |
| Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort | |
| Driver Diameter (in / mm) | 42 / 1067 |
| Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa) | 200 / 1380 |
| High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm) | 10.5" x 16" / 267x406 |
| Tractive Effort (lbs / kg) | 7140 / 3238.65 |
| Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) | 10.50 |
| Heating Ability | |
| Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm) | 318 - 1.25" / 32 |
| Flues (number - dia) (in / mm) | |
| Flue/Tube length (ft / m) | 4.73 / 1.44 |
| Firebox Area (sq ft / m2) | 49.60 / 4.61 |
| Grate Area (sq ft / m2) | 11.23 / 1.04 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 539 / 50.07 |
| Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2) | |
| Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2) | 539 / 50.07 |
| Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume | 336.88 |
| Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
| Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 2246 |
| Same as above plus superheater percentage | 2246 |
| Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 9920 |
| Power L1 | 6886 |
| Power MT | 1012.07 |