Sierra Railway 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA

Class 30 (Locobase 14331)

Data from DeGolyer, Vol 65, pp. 255+. Works number was 55412 in May 1922.

The SRwy superheated most of its engines, even the small logging Prairies that roamed the back country of the Sierra Nevada. The 30 had to tread lightly: it rolled on 40 lb/yard (20 kg/metre) rail, up 4% grades, and contorted its trains around 45 degree curves.

After 15 years with the SRR, the 30 was sold in March 1937 to Howard Terminal in Oakland, Calif, and converted to a 2-6-2T.

Class 32/TF-20 (Locobase 7626)

Data from WP 2 - 1946 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 71, pp. 170. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 26 November 2015 emails supplying the tender capacities and weights as built.) Works number was 57018 in September 1923.

Unusual Prairie that operated in the California mountains on this logging railroad's Angels Camp branch. Its piston valves measured 8" (203 mm) in diameter.

In 1940, the Western Pacific bought the little mountaineer to operate on its Tidewater Southern subsidiary; at that point, the tender's capacities had increased to 3,760 US gallons (14,232 litres) and 1,500 gallons (5,678 litres) of oil and weighed 78,526 lb (35,619 kg). The Tidewater Southern website -- [], accessed 3 July 2006, believes the 132 was the last steamer to operate in revenue service on the WP's lines.