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 ([]), 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 [
], 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 | |
---|---|
Class | 53 |
Locobase ID | 15492 |
Railroad | East Texas & Gulf |
Country | USA |
Whyte | 2-6-0 |
Number in Class | 1 |
Road Numbers | 53 |
Gauge | Std |
Number Built | 1 |
Builder | Baldwin |
Year | 1929 |
Valve Gear | Walschaert |
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 Volume | 221.07 |
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information) | |
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation | 2520 |
Same as above plus superheater percentage | 2520 |
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area | 12,780 |
Power L1 | 4234 |
Power MT | 451.66 |