Empire & South Eastern 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 4 (Locobase 13952)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 43, p. 258. Works number was 39326 in February 1913.

Intended for light track, this logging Prairie found a home on the 30-lb/yard (15-kg/metre) rail of this timber railway built by T Wilce Company. Baldwin built an exact duplicate for the Manchester Saw Mills in Alabama in the same month; see Locobase 14127. Both orders show the same "Hereafter" message, which seems to show the following:The Baldwin spec for both locomotives referred to errors in diameter for the leading and trailing truck wheels. Locobase notes that the original spec entry showed 24" (610 mm) wheel diameters, which was then lined out in pen and changed to 26" (660 mm). It's not clear to Locobase whose mistake this might have been.

Only ever 11.2 miles (18 km) long, the line ran from Empire Jct to Empire in Benzie and Leelanau counties. Opened in 1900, it served logging in that area for a little over two decades before being abandoned in 1923.

By then the 4 had been sold to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive. BR&L found a buyer in the Golden Saw Mill in Golden, Miss in November 1922. GSM sold the 4 to Southern Iron & Equipment in 1926. SI&E sent the locomotive to Keysville, Florida to serve Keysville Lumber Company as their #11. It later operated for Roux Crate Company in Bartow.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class4
Locobase ID13952
RailroadEmpire & South Eastern
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-2
Number in Class1
Road Numbers4
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderBaldwin
Year1913
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)8 / 2.44
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)22.75 / 6.93
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.35
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)44.75 / 13.64
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)56,500 / 25,628
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)76,500 / 34,700
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)44,000 / 19,958
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)120,500 / 54,658
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)31 / 15.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)42 / 1067
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)170 / 1170
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)13" x 22" / 330x559
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)12,792 / 5802.36
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.42
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)116 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.50 / 3.51
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)74 / 6.87
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)13.30 / 1.24
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)767 / 71.26
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)767 / 71.26
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume226.92
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2261
Same as above plus superheater percentage2261
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area12,580
Power L14003
Power MT468.59

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