Ocean Shore 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 9 (Locobase 13261)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 32, p. 318. See Locobase 13260 for a history of the Pacific's OSRR. Works numbers were 33021-33022 in November 1908.

These freight Prairies represented the second pair of new locomotives for California's OSRR. Compared to the Moguls bought in the same year (Locobase 13260), these engines had substantially larger boilers feeding somewhat larger cylinder volumes. The specs show that they'd be fitted with new tires to negotiate extremely tight curves and grades reaching 4%. The company paid $14,613 each for these locomotives.

Perhaps to recoup some of the cost when the OSRR hit hard times, the OSRR sold both engines to Warren Spruce Company in 1918 where they were renumbered 13-14. The end of World War I slashed demand for the spruce that was intended to be cut for the US Government.

WSC cut its losses by selling 13-14 to the Pacific Great Eastern of British Columbia in 1919 as their 4 and 5. (See Locobase 31 for a brief description of the PGE.)

PGE operated the engines for more than 30 years before scrapping them in 1952.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class9
Locobase ID13261
RailroadOcean Shore
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-2
Number in Class2
Road Numbers9-10
GaugeStd
Number Built2
BuilderBurnham, Williams & Co
Year1908
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)9 / 2.74
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)23.50 / 7.16
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.38
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)110,000 / 49,895
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)156,000 / 70,760
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)80,000 / 36,287
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)236,000 / 107,047
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)2800 / 10,598
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)61 / 30.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)48 / 1219
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)20" x 24" / 508x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)30,600 / 13879.94
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.59
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)310 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)14 / 4.27
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)145 / 13.47
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)33 / 3.07
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2404 / 223.42
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2404 / 223.42
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume275.37
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation5940
Same as above plus superheater percentage5940
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area26,100
Power L15161
Power MT310.31

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