A E Bell 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 1 (Locobase 11007)

Data from "Logging Locomotives", Record of Recent Construction #96 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1918), p. 11. See also DeGolyer, Volumes 52, p. 408. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 26 February 2016 email noting the proper valve gear ID and the tender's wood capacity.) Works number was 43288 in May 1916.

Identical to the small Southern logger from 1913 shown in Locobase 14061, this little Prairie wound up in Lois Springs, Ala. Although a wood-burner trailing a tender carrying two cords of fuel, this engine did not have the big bole at the top of the stack that signified the spark-arresting equipment usually considered necessary. It was a tiny engine for operating on the standard gauge.

A E Bell, a lumbering company based in Lois Springs, operated the 1 for a few years before selling it to locomotive reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Company. They sold it in July 1920 to the F B Williams Cypress Company.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class1
Locobase ID11007
RailroadA E Bell
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-2
Number in Class1
Road Numbers1
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderBaldwin
Year1916
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)8 / 2.44
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)21.33 / 6.50
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.38
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)40.75 / 12.42
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)43,550 / 19,754
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)60,800 / 27,578
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)46,200 / 20,956
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)107,000 / 48,534
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2000 / 7.58
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)24 / 12
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)36 / 914
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)12" x 18" / 305x457
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)11,016 / 4996.78
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.95
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)90 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.50 / 3.20
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)60 / 5.58
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)13.30 / 1.24
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)551 / 51.21
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)551 / 51.21
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume233.47
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2394
Same as above plus superheater percentage2394
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area10,800
Power L13894
Power MT591.37

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