Manhattan Railway Company 0-4-4 "Forney" Locomotives in the USA

Class D2 (Locobase 11174)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Baldwin's works numbers were 4538-4540, 4542, 4544-4546, 4548 in February 1879; 4550, 4552, 4568-4573 in March (road numbers 97-113).

The boiler pressure is an estimate as the diagrams do not give the figure. The design is clearly an enlargement of the C class design shown in Locobase 6657. The drivers are taller, the cylinders have a little more volume, but the wheelbase remains the same as does the boiler.

Most of the class was sold to industrial and logging companies, but 102 had a slightly different second life. In 1902, it was sold. Locobase isn't certain of the order, but the ex-102 was operated by the Spring Creek Railway, the Susquehanna & New York, and the Tionesta Valley.

Class E (Locobase 6658)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange and DeGolyer, Vol 10a, p. 167. Works numbers were 5484, 5486, 5496, 5498-5500, 5503-5504 in February 1881; 5540-5541, 5543, 5545-5547 in March; 5573, 5577-5580, 5583 in April; and 5616, 5619-5620, 5622, 5624.

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion. The boiler pressure is an estimate as the diagrams do not give the figure. These went to work for the New York Elevated Railway, which soon changed names to the Manhattan Railway. They were "remodeled" by the Manhattan beginning in 1892.

When New York's El system electrified, this clutch was sold off to a variety of industrial and logging users.

Class E (Locobase 15806)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange and DeGolyer, Volume 11, p. 5. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 19 April 2018 email noting the original coal and water capacities.) Works numbers were 6267, 6265, 6268 in June 1882; 6271-6272, 6275-6277, 6283, 6285, 6288-6289, 628, 6291-6292 in July; 6442-6443, 6445, 6448, 6447, 6484, 6486, 6488-6489 in November.

These followed other Baldwin E types (Locobase 6658) into service on the NYE. This next group had six fewer tubes, but was otherwise identical. It was not long before that elevated was incorporated into the Manhattan Railway and the class was renumbered. Along the way, coal capacity was increased to 1 1/4 tons (0.57 metric tons).

Like almost all of these Forneys, the entire class found gainful employment after the elevated electrified in the early 1900s.

Class F/F2/F3 (Locobase 6659)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 129-134 in May 1886, 135-144 in June, 145-153 in August.

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion. The boiler pressure is an estimate as the diagrams do not give the figure. Obviously a considerably revamped Forney with bigger cylinders but a smaller boiler.

22 was rebuilt in 1893 as F2; 14,16, 18-19, 21 were updated in 1894-1897 as F3.

Class G (Locobase 6660)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 1305-1324 in February-April 1892.

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion.

builder information from B Rumary's compilationt supplied by Allen Stanley in March 2004. These engines were produced in a single batch as rebuilds of earlier K-class engines. Most were sold off in 1905-1906 after the El's electrification.

A later order featured larger boilers; see Locobase 6662.

Class K (Locobase 6661)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 16, p. 171; "New Forney Locomotives for the Manhattan Elevated Road", Locomotive Engineer, Volume IV [4], No 4 (April 1891), pp. 61-62; and Engineer, Volume 69 (14 March 1890). (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 19 April 2018 email noting the original coal and water capacities; and his his 12 March 2020 email that noted an incorrect coal weight and supplying the Locomotive Engineeer cite.)

Works numbers were 11504, 11508-11510, 11513, 11533, 11549-11550, 11555, 11557, 11562-11563, 11576 in January 1891; 11577-11578, 11603-11605, 11616-11617, 11622-11632, 11644-11645, 11651 in February, 11667, 11670, 11672-11673, 11704

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion. The boiler type was Belpaire.

A 14 March 1890 edition of the Engineer reviewed the El's performance and how these locomotives served: "The maximum speed on the elevated road is twenty-five miles per hour, and on a level line it requires from 1000 ft to 1200 ft.(305 to 366 m) to get up to speed. The average horse-power to do the work required is 145 [108 kW]. The average consumption of coal per mile is 45.7 lb [12.9 kg/km]. The average number of miles run per ton of coal is 49.4 [79.5 km]. The Railroad Gazette says: 'The engines work on an average of about twenty hours per day with two crews, each crew averaging seventy miles, and making 208 stops during that time."'

Locomotive Engineer's report a year later added some details including the average timing between four-five car trains (65 seconds) and infrastructure limiting maximum locomotive weight to 47,000 lb (21,319 kg). Up to 3,600 trains ran on the lines per day.

Tweaks such as catch pans under the cylinders and guides to prevent water and oil from dripping down on the street below and choking down the exhaust to reduce noise meant "perhaps these engines have more pieces than a decapod [i.e. an engine later described in Whyte notation as a 2-10-0]." The exhaust choke consisted of a cone placed at the bottom end of the stack and bored with enough holes for their openings' areas to equal that of the exhaust ports. LE commented that "road parlance" dubbed the cone "the bug".

Baldwin's 1891 batch contained a "new departure" from the basic design "in lightening parts by the use of steel and wrought iron in place of castings."

The combination of compact size, sprightly acceleration, and good power for their size obviously appealed to other operators once the Manhattan electrified the El. Not one of the class failed to have a second career.

Choosing almost at random, Locobase finds two them going to work for Lansing Wheelbarrow in Lansing, Ark. The 326 first served small locomotive builder New York Locomotive in Rome, New York and later the San Joaquin & Eastern in California. 319 ran on the Beaumont & Saratoga Transportation's rails while Westerly, RI/s New England Granite Company adopted 317. 335, last in the class, went first to the Pacific Traction Company of Tacoma, Wash and wound up bashing cars on the Nisqually Iron Works's property. (This last owner later merged in 1912 with the Russell Wheel & Foundry Company of Detroit, Mich to form the Nisqually-Russell Car & Machinery Company.)

The 330's history shows the variety of businesses that could find a use for a small steam locomotive in the early part of the American 20th century. She first went in April 1905 to the Keating & Smethport (a 0.126 mile/0.2 km road in East Smethport, Pa), then on to the Mount Jewett, Kinzua & Ritterville in 1911 as their "Mt Jewett". Sold by the MJK&R to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive in August 1912, the engine immediately found a home with Bell Deal Lumber Company of Buhl, Ark. There it stayed as Bell Deal became Deal, then Deal Bachtel Lumber.

Class K (Locobase 12606)

Data from "An Elevated Railroad Locomotive," Railroad & Engineering Journal, Vol LXIV [64], No 1 (January 1890), p. 9. See also John H White, "Spunky Little Devils: Locomotives of the New York Elevated," Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin 162, pp. 21-58. Works numbers were 221-229 in March 1887, 230-233 in April, 234-235 in May, 236-241 in August, and 241-245 in November . Construction and career information from J F Webber NEW YORK/ROME LOCOMOTIVE WORKS Rome, New York 1883-1891, supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his collection.

One of hundreds Matthias Forney tanks designed for rapid acceleration over short distances. A straight boiler rode over the two driving axles and the firebox dropped behind the rear driving axle and in front of the bogie truck under the tank. This particular version had a Belpaire firebox. The boiler pressure is estimated, but based on a similar engine of the same year produced by Rhode Island and outlined in Locobase 5040.

The REJ article is quite explicit about both the dimensions, weights, and other data and the Webber list of New York Locomotive production shows the precise group being discussed. Of particular note at the time was the use of a Belpaire boiler, perhaps because the engines burned only relatively smokeless anthracite coal.

The report (almost certainly written by Matthias Nace Forney, inventor of the design) observes: "The service in which these locomotives are employed is of a difficult nature, owing to the great number of stops required, and also to the sharpness of the curves, and, on some of the lines, the steepness of the grades. The trains drawn consist usually of four or five cars of the pattern in use on elevated roads, which is lighter than that of the passenger cars employed on ordinary lines."

RREJ notes that the Forneys burned anthracite (in theory less smoky) and worked a difficult service. By 1880, Comstock (1971) says, over 300 of these engines were pulling 5-7 cars each. Until the electrification of the elevated railways in New York City, these engines served stations at a rate of one every few minutes. Their use spread to Brooklyn and Chicago. Alas for Forney, he found that "Manufacturers and purchasers found the engines most attractive the day my patents expired." (Comstock, 1971).

Forney's verdict, while perhaps self-interested, was not uwarranted by the evidence: "Under all conditions these engines have done their work well, and appear to be very well adapted to the service."

White admired all of their virtues of reliability and aptness for the demanding service. He continues with a wry response to these questions (p. 44): "But were they really suitable for operation in the midst of a major city? What steps were taken to sanitize them for an urban environment?"

He continues with a pungent analogy: "The task was hardly easy, for locomotives are essentially barnyard creatures. They do what they do, when they want to do it. If they feel like spewing out some smoke and cinders or belching up a geyser of dirty water, they do it then and there. Domestication came hard to a machine meant to roam free and wild in the open country."

Smoky and noisy, their replacement was nonetheless greeted with some instant nostalgia.

Like many of the Forneys used on eastern elevated lines, the class served for only a relatively short period before being replaced by electric trains.

Of a handy size and still capable of years' more service, all of this group found useful employment on logging roads, short lines, other street railways, and industrial concerns. The list below is extracted from Webber's summary and shows the occupational and geographic variety of the second careers for these locomotives:

165 Republic Constrution Company, Roundout, IL

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive rebuilder/reseller [ 241 ]

Whitewater Lumber Company, Autaugaville, AL (11/10)

166 Hazard Wharf Co., Locust Point, Baltimore, MD

167 Dailey & Ivans, New York, NY

168 Lackawanna Steel Co., West Seneca, NY

169 Great Falls & Old Dominion RR #169

BR&L [343 ]

Morgan & Shore, Mabel, FL (2/1913)

170 Indianapolis Northern Traction Co., Anderson, IN

171 Lackawanna Steel Co., Buffalo, NY

172 Ragley Lbr.Co., Timpson, TX

173 W. D. Hofius & Co., Seattle, WA.

174 Phillip Carey Co., Lockland, OH

175 Lackawanna Steel Co.#175, West Seneca, NY

BR&L [ 295 ]

O'Brien Cost. Co.#175, Providence, RI

Georgia Car & Locomotive rebuilder/reseller #253

Nadawah Lbr. Co.#3, Nadawah, AL (8/16)

Southern Iron & Equipment rebuilder/reseller #1784

Dunlop Sand & Gravel Co., Petersburg, VA

SI&E #1828

Crescent Lbr.Co.#2, Williamsport, PA (9/23)

176 Cleveland Frog & Switch Co., Cleveland, OH

BR&L [ 394 ]

Excelcior Cypress Co., Timberton, LA (7/14)

177 Indianapolis Northern Traction Co., Anderson, IN

178 W. D. Hofius & Co., Seattle, WA

179 John Shield Const.Co., Quarryville, PA

180 Washington, Frederick & Gettsyburg RR

SI&E #829

So.Eastern Yaryan Naval Stores Co. #1,Brunswick Ga

181 William F.Mosser, Westover, PA

182 Mt.Jewett Tanning Co., Mt.Jewett, PA

183 Ragley Lbr. Co., Timpson, TX

184 American Car & Foundry Co., Berwick, PA

185 F.M.Stillman Co., Essex Falls, NJ

186 Westinghouse, Church & Kerr & Co., So.Ferry, PA

C. W. Blakeslee & Sons #2, New Haven, CT

BR&L

O'Brien Const. Co.#186, Providence RI

BR&L #1115

Henry Wrape Co., Rook, AR

187 Maryland Granite Co., Guilford, Baltimore MD

188 Lackawanna Steel Co., West Seneca, NY

189 W. D.Hofius & Co., Searrle, WA

Class K2 (Locobase 6662)

Data from EER Tratman, "Tank Locomotives", Official Proceedings of the Western Railway Club, Vol 17, No. 8 (18 April 1905), pp. 347-348. See also "New Locomotives for the New York Elevated Railways", Engineering News and American Railway Journal, Volume 3, (15 February 1894), pp. 141-142. Works numbers were 1503-1522 in December 1893-February 1894.

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion.

Locobase uses an item in an 1894 issue of Locomotive Firemen's Magazine - p. 579 -- (taken from Railway Age) together with builder information from B Rumary's compilation supplied by Allen Stanley in March 2004 to piece together the details of this order. Produced in a batch in December 1893 & January-February 1894, these were the largest yet for the Manhattan, a fact attested to in the Railway Age item.

A roster compiled in May 1978 (and supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange) shows that like many other Pittsburgh deliveries to the MRwy, these were rebuilds of earlier Baldwin and Rhode Island Forneys.

The article also notes that the boiler combines a Belpaire firebox with an extended wagon top boiler. They were rated at 25 mph and could scale a 2 1/2% grade with 5 cars weighing a total of 72 1/2 tons.

The Rumary list shows that all were sold in 1904-1906, following the electrification of the system. Their post-Elevated lives included a variety of uses from street railway to lumber mill to small railway. Among the latter was the Pamilico, Oriental & Western, which bought the 242 in 1904 to serve as their #1.

Class K2 (Locobase 15374)

Data from the 1902 Manhattan Railway Company locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also John H White, Jr, "Spunky Little Devils"Locomotives of the New York Elevated," Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin 162, especially, p. 43; and "New Locomotives for the New York Elevated Railways", Engineering News and American Railway Journal, Volume 3, (15 February 1894), pp. 141-142. Works numbers were 1503-1522 in December 1893-February 1894.

See Locobase 5423 for a more general discussion.

Locobase uses an item in an 1894 issue of Locomotive Firemen's Magazine - p. 579 -- (taken from Railway Age) together with builder information from B Rumary's compilation supplied by Allen Stanley in March 2004 to piece together the details of this order. Produced in a batch in December 1893 & January-February 1894, these were the largest yet for the Manhattan, a fact attested to in the Railway Age item.

The article also notes that the boiler combines a Belpaire firebox with an extended wagon top boiler. John White reported that these engines reduced the design's average coal consumption from 45.7 lb/mile (12.7 kg/km) to 30 lb/mile (8.45 kg/km).

They were rated at 25 mph and could scale a 2 1/2% grade with 5 cars weighing a total of 72 1/2 tons.

(An earlier batch of 20 from Pittsburgh is outlined in Locobase 6660.)

The Rumary list shows that all were sold in 1904-1906, following the electrification of the system. Their post-Elevated lives included a variety of uses from street railway to lumber mill to small railway. Among the latter was the Pamilico, Oriental & Western, which bought the 242 in 1904 to serve as their #1.