East Texas & Gulf 2-6-0 "Mogul" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 53 (Locobase 15492)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 80, p. 428. See also Megan Biesele, "East Texas & Gulf Railway," Handbook of Texas Online ([link]), accessed October 17, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association; Railpictures.net has a 9 February 2010 entry by Tom Sink that shows his photo and comments about the gasoline-engine conversion described below; see [link], last accessed 17 October 2013. Works number was 60786 in April 1929.

Lodwick Lumber Company's ET&G never was very long, so its motive power requirements could be satisfied by small oil-burning Moguls such as the 53 as well as a couple of castoff 4-6-0s.

Its service began after the Hicksbaugh mill closed in 1928, so it soon moved on to other lines, keeping its road number through it all. Welori Lumber Company in Couchwood, La was the second timber company to own the 53. Its next owner was Gifford Hill, and finally the Woodward Walker Lumber of Ada, La bought the aging engine.

Here's where things get a bit bizarre. Tom Sink's photograph shows that for whatever reason, the shop at Ada decided to modify the 53 by installing a Ford V-8 engine in the smoke box. After removing the rods (main and side), workers mounted a rear axle from a car or truck over the second driving axle. The driver's disk was fitted with a toothed wheel which was turned by the chain that looped around it and the hub of the driveshaft above it. A chain wrapped around a toothed hub on the second driver and a similar hub on the third driver turned the latter. (One possible wheel arrangment description is 2-4-0, another might be 2(+2)-4-0.

Ky.CatFan commented: "Also I nominate this critter for the Rube Goldberg Award ! Tom did not state if this was an automatic or a stick shift but this is a true oddball.". Mark Heidorn asked: "How about an internal combustion designation rather than one from steam? Say a 1-1-B. Or perhaps there is another chain on the other side making it a 1-C?."

Omahadivision added: "We now have an internal combustion steam engine!"

Locobase knows of at least one other such conversion by the Paauhau Sugar Plantation Company, which he documents at Locobase 14752. That locomotive was a much smaller 0-6-0 saddle tank.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class53
Locobase ID15492
RailroadEast Texas & Gulf
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-0
Number in Class1
Road Numbers53
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderBaldwin
Year1929
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)17 / 5.18
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.59
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)42.92 / 13.08
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)62,000 / 28,123
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)76,000 / 34,473
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)65,000 / 29,484
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)141,000 / 63,957
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3000 / 11.36
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)1000 / 3785
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)34 / 17
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)44 / 1118
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)14" x 20" / 356x508
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)13,631 / 6182.92
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.55
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)144 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m) 9.58 / 2.92
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)71 / 6.60
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)14 / 1.30
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)787 / 73.14
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)787 / 73.14
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume221.07
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2520
Same as above plus superheater percentage2520
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area12,780
Power L14234
Power MT451.66

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