Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" Locomotives in the USA

Class F-1 (Locobase 7862)

Data from AB&C 11-1930 & 1-1943 Locomotive Diagrams and Passenger Car Data book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 55, pp. 55+. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 9 May 2015 email noting several differences among sources that led both to corrections and expansions and for providing the original tender's weight and capacities.) Works numbers were 45708-45710 in June 1917.

These was a modest-sized Santa Fe trio, quite a bit smaller than the Atlantic Coast Line engines they'd later join under the ACL banner. Their 13" (331 mm) piston valves were also smaller. Firebox heating surface area included 38 sq ft (5.53 sq m) in four arch tubes. The Gaines combustion chamber didn't merit a quantity in the Baldwin specs in 1916, but later diagrams suggest that the firebox heating surface's 410 sq ft included 96 sq ft (8.92 sq m) in the combustion chamber. (For a full description of the Gaines combustion chamber's intended effect on combustion, see Locobase 4228.)

Chris Hohl pointed out that the original tender weighed 156,900 lb (71,169 kg) loaded and carried 12 tons of coal.

Before long, thicker tires raised driver diameter to 58" (1,473 mm). Nine years after their arrival, the AB&C added Elesco K-31 feed water heaters to 401 and 402, installed discs on the main drivers in 1937-1939 (401, 402, 403). Only in 1940 did the railroad install automatic stokers in 401-402.

After the acquisition, the ACL increased the driver diameter to 63", which the frame's long wheelbase easily accommodated. Although tractive effort was reduced as a result, the class now possessed greater operational flexibility. The ACL's 1946 book also showed a bigger tender holding 15,680 US gallons (59,349 litres) of water and 17 tons (15.45 mt) of goal. Tender empty weight now came to 113,900 lb (51,664 kg).

The power system now weighed 601,950 lb (273,040 kg) comprising a loaded engine weight reaching 323,900 lb (146,919 kg)--of which adhesion weight now came to 259,500 lb (117,707 kg)--and a loaded tender weighing 278,050 lb (126,122 kg). Total wheelbase climbed to 86 ft 4 in (26.31 m) and overall lengthreached 96 ft 9 1/2 in (29.5 m).

They remained in service until 1951-1952.