Graham County 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Junaluska (Locobase 13721)

Data from DeGolyer Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 36, p. 165. See also John B Yeach, The History of Railroading in Graham County", archived at [link], last accessed 14 January 2012. Works number was 36045 in February 1911.

Bought by the Whiting Manufacturing Company, the Junaluska served the 12.1 miles of line between Robbinsville and Topton, North Carolina. According to the Graham County history website: "On June 5, 1911 Mr. F. S. Whiting and his associates in the Whiting Manufacturing Company purchased stock and proposed an alternate route to the one from Topton through the gap due to the cost of building the road to the gap. He proposed a route from Fontana down the Little Tennessee River on its South Bank, up Meadow Branch across the gap to the Cheoah River and then up the river to Robbinsville."

Yeach adds that such was the financial precariousness of the enterprise, neither route was built for years. In 1923-1924, Champion Paper and Fiber bought up thousands of acres of timberland, a boon that inspired a new look at the GC RR's prospects, Yeach reports: "Mr. H. C. Bemis purchased the outstanding stock of the Graham County Railroad Company, renewed the charter, and started construction of the railroad over the original route from Topton to Robbinsville. The arrival of the first locomotive and cars in Robbinsville in late 1925 was cause for a big celebration by the citizens of the county."

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassJunaluska
Locobase ID13721
RailroadGraham County
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-2
Number in Class1
Road Numbers2
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderBaldwin
Year1911
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)11 / 3.35
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)26.58 / 8.10
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.41
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)103,000 / 46,720
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)133,000 / 60,328
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)80,000 / 36,287
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)213,000 / 96,615
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)7 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)57 / 28.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)44 / 1118
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)175 / 1210
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)26,288 / 11924.05
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.92
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)255 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)12.50 / 3.81
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)148 / 13.75
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)26.10 / 2.42
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1805 / 167.69
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1805 / 167.69
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume255.30
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation4568
Same as above plus superheater percentage4568
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area25,900
Power L14620
Power MT296.66

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