United States Army 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 5196 (Locobase 16605)

Data from "Narrow Gauge Locomotivs Used in France", Amrican Exporter, Volume 84, p 155. See also Mr Moose's 11 March 2018 post "Byron Railroad Engine 2967 Martensdale, Iowa" on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum at [],345987; and Andrew Dean's 12 November 2010 post "Byron Railroad 2' Gauge Steam" on the Railway Preservation News website at [], last accessed 30 October 2022. Works numbers were 1651-1665 in October 1918, 1666-1681 in November, 1682-1686 in February 1919, 1687 in April, 1688-1724 in May, and 1725-1730 in June.

Locobase 13197 describes the trench tank locomotives produced by Baldwin for the light railways serviing the Allies in static positions in Northern France. Davenport's contract responded to the same set of specifications, duplicating all except for the slightly higher firebox heating surface area. Like the Baldwins, the Davenports went through thorough testing at the factory before being boxed fully assembled and equipped to permit immediate entry into service upon arrival in France.

But as the production dates show, the anticipated offensive in 1919 vanished with the 11 November 1918 Armistice and none of the engines ever left the US. Most reported to a US Army Engineering Depot, 29 going to Norfolk, Va; 40 to Columbus, Ohio; and 5 to Columbus, Ga, and a few to several others.

At least 20 wound up ranging over the recently established and enormous 182,000 acre (284.4 sq mile/737.1 sq km) Fort Benning on 27 miles (43.5 km) of 2-foot gauge of railways carrying both troops and equipment. A website devoted to works 1902 recounts the development of the railway: "[In 1919] there were few improved roads to move troops and equipment to and from the training areas. Hence, a line was built from Maine Post where the enlisted soldiers were barracked east towards Harmony Church and Sand Hill. The line ultimately terminated at the rural hamlet of Ochillie Creek where the Central of Georgia and Seaboard Air Line railroad lines pass south towards Albany, GA. The system remained in use from 1919 to 1945.

Kaiser Paver Company bought three--1668-1670.

Byron Railroad kept two in Iowa when Byron Hiatt of Martensdale laid claim to 1695 and 1700 in 1938.

The long-running thread on RyPN's website included Jim Templin's 25 August 2011 post reported "The story I got from some friends in Davenport area was one of the boilers was from an Aultman Taylor traction engine, the other was either a Port Huron or Avery engine ...either way they had wet bottoms. They were both acquired BEFORE WW2, as I was told, and he didn't get them going until much later. They were trench engine frames, that were left over from the Great War. One either didn't have a trailing truck with it, or got it removed, but I seem to have seen pictures of them double heading, both as prairies. Since the drawings for the trench engines are readily available, it would be nice to have one rebuilt in its intended configuration. Or at least thats what the Brits would do."

T Brian Freeman (aka Motorcarm19) provided more details in a 30 August 2013 post. But the most detailed discussion of the "kit-bashing" Hiatt performed on the original frames came from "California Machinist", whose 23 March 2018 that laid out the changes as follows:

I work as a machinist for the private individual that owns the locomotives. What was said above is true in regards to the condition of these locomotives as we got them.

Without a doubt they were the most hacked together things you´d ever seen. I´ll break it down a little bit.

"2968

-Had a crude 3 foot extension welded to the frame to allow for the large cab

-had 3 male fittings WELDED together that came off the steam dome

-sand pipes welded to the crosshead guides

-trailing truck assembly was torch cut and welded together

-tender was 2 Standard gauge ties, with a big red round tank inside paper thin sheet metal on top of angle iron trucks with speeder wheels

"2967

-Had a tractor boiler for starters

-tender was the same cobbled pile that the 2968 had

-front of the frame was cut and shortened

-ran without the trailing wheel assembly

-missing the entire 6 foot section of the original frame

I find it kind of pathetic people would rather see the engines in the "Byron appearance" vs their original trench engine configurations. Luckily, we are putting both engines back to original specs. Viva La trench engine!!

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class5196
Locobase ID16605
RailroadUnited States Army
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-2T
Number in Class80
Road Numbers5196-5275
Gauge60 cm
Number Built80
BuilderDavenport
Year1918
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 5.83 / 1.78
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)15.58 / 4.75
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.37
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)15.58 / 4.75
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)23,500 / 10,659
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)34,500 / 15,649
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)476 / 1.80
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)13 / 6.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)23.50 / 597
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)178 / 12.30
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)9" x 12" / 229x305
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)6258 / 2838.58
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.76
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)83 - 1.5" / 38
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m) 8.17 / 2.49
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)28.40 / 2.64
Grate Area (sq ft / m2) 5.60 / 0.52
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)292 / 27.13
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)292 / 27.13
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume331.82
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation997
Same as above plus superheater percentage997
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area5055
Power L13438
Power MT967.59

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