Ann Arbor / Manistique & Lake Superior 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 8 (Locobase 8891)

Data from AA-M&LS 1 - 1940 locomotive diagram book dated supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 19, p. 135. Works number was 18777 in March 1901.

Locobase is cheating just a little by not crediting this small Consolidation to its original owner. Baldwin produced 18777 in March 1901 and sent it to Atlantic Mining Company at that company's number 7. Some time later, the engine went to the M&SL as its #8.

A look at the roster notes from [link], accessed 11 November 2007, raises questions. The same Baldwin works number shows up twice and both times the locomotive is described as M & LS #8. But in the later listing, the cylinder stroke has grown by 2". Also, the roster holds two different scrapping dates, in part because the second one shows an Ann Arbor number as the primary ID.


Class E/ I-7 (Locobase 7947)

Data from AA-M&LS 1 - 1940 locomotive diagram book dated supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 19, p. 212. Works numbers 14348-14349 in June 1895 and 14578-14579 in December.

These small Consolidations came on the road soon after the AA had had its 2-8-0s repossessed and sold to the Canadian Pacific. The buyer appears in the Baldwin specifications as the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Michigan. Originally numbered 37-40, the class was renumbered in 1909 as 125-128. The original tender held 3,600 US gallons (13,626 litres) of water and 7 tons (6.35 metric tons) of coal.

125 was sold to the Manistique & Lake Superior. in March 1920 as their #12. 126 stayed on the AA for quite a bit longer, only being sold to the M & LS in September 1939. By then it wore 2370 as part of the Wabash roster.

It appears that in a couple of cases either a boiler was replaced or some tubes were simply removed, because by the time of the 1928 diagram, the class was credited with 159 tubes for a total of 1,185 sq ft and by 1940 126 had only 138 tubes and a total heating surface of 1,179 sq ft.

By the time of the latter's departure, the other two had long been scrapped in January 1933.


Class G/G1 // I-4, I-5 (Locobase 7946)

Data from AA-M&LS 1 - 1940 locomotive diagram book dated supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Delivered as saturated steamers in 1908, this class had what was for the AA the usual assortment of tubes and heating-surface areas ranging from 3,616 to 3,702 sq ft. As delivered, #161 had 425 2" tubes. With the 182-sq ft firebox heating surface (of which 20 sq ft consisted of arch tubes), total evaporative heating surface came to 3,519 sq ft. Works numbers were 45772-45780 in October 1908

The arrangement shown in the specs describes the most numerous variant. (5 G locomotives). The last four (class G-1) came as a separate order more than a year later, orks numbers 46212-46215 in December 1909.. When they were superheated, this subclass received Baker valve gear instead of Walschaert; all of the conversions had 12" (305 mm) piston valves.

Except for the 2178, which was scrapped in September 1940, the other G class served the AA until it was taken over in 1925 by the Wabash. That railroad operated most of them to the end of steam. The last four were disposed of in the same month of July 1951. For some reason the G-1s (then class as I-5) went much earlier, the first two in May 1931, the next in December 1935. Only the last, 2183, served through World War II before being scrapped in May 1948.


Class G2 / I-6 (Locobase 7948)

Data from AA-M&LS 1 - 1928 locomotive diagram book dated supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 51507-51508 in 1912.

Two of the last three Consolidations supplied to the AA had 23 1/2" (597 mm) cylinders, the other (shown in Locobase 7949) had larger cylinders and a higher boiler pressure. But 171 had the greater number of boiler tubes and the higher number of arch tubes fitted in the 172. In exchange for the smaller number of arch tubes, the 2350 later was fitted with thermic syphons.

170/2350 was scrapped in November 1940, 171/2351 having gone a month earlier.


Class G2 / I-6 - 25" (Locobase 7949)

Data from AA-M&LS 1 - 1928 locomotive diagram book dated supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works number was 51509 in 1912.

Locobase 7948 shows the first two of this three-locomotive order. For some reason, this last 2-8-0 had larger cylinders and higher boiler pressure, as well as twice as many arch tubes as the first two. The arch tubes contributed 26 sq ft (2.4 sq m) to the firebox heating surface. This locomotive outlasted the first two, operating throughout World War II and being scrapped in October 1946.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class8E/ I-7G/G1 // I-4, I-5G2 / I-6G2 / I-6 - 25"
Locobase ID8891 7947 7946 7948 7949
RailroadManistique & Lake Superior (AA)Ann Arbor (AA)Ann Arbor (AA)Ann Arbor (AA)Ann Arbor (AA)
CountryUSAUSAUSAUSAUSA
Whyte2-8-02-8-02-8-02-8-02-8-0
Number in Class121321
Road Numbers8/238037-40/2139-2142150-162 / 2171-2183170-171 / 2350-2351172 / 2352
GaugeStdStdStdStdStd
Number Built121321
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoAlco-SchenectadyAlco-BrooksAlco-Brooks
Year19011895190819121912
Valve GearStephensonStephensonBaker or WalschaertWalschaertWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)13.67 / 4.1714.50 / 4.4215.67 / 4.7817.50 / 5.3317.50 / 5.33
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)21.33 / 6.5021.83 / 6.6524.50 / 7.4726.42 / 8.0526.42 / 8.05
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.64 0.66 0.64 0.66 0.66
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)49.54 / 15.1048.90 / 14.9060.58 / 18.4661.25 / 18.6761.25 / 18.67
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)50,100 / 22,725
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)101,000 / 45,81394,000 / 42,638193,100 / 87,589208,000 / 94,347208,000 / 94,347
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)115,000 / 52,163106,000 / 48,081217,600 / 98,702231,000 / 104,780231,000 / 104,780
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)115,700 / 52,481120,700 / 54,749158,700 / 71,985154,000 / 69,853154,000 / 69,853
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)230,700 / 104,644226,700 / 102,830376,300 / 170,687385,000 / 174,633385,000 / 174,633
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)6000 / 22.736000 / 22.738000 / 30.308000 / 30.308000 / 30.30
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 7.50 / 710 / 916 / 1516 / 1516 / 15
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)42 / 2139 / 19.5080 / 4087 / 43.5087 / 43.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)50 / 127050 / 127057 / 144858 / 147358 / 1473
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)170 / 1170180 / 1240200 / 1380180 / 1240200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 24" / 483x61018" x 24" / 457x61022" x 30" / 559x76223.5" x 30" / 597x76225" x 30" / 635x762
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)25,039 / 11357.5123,795 / 10793.2443,305 / 19642.8443,704 / 19823.8254,957 / 24928.11
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.03 3.95 4.46 4.76 3.78
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)183 - 2.25" / 57176 - 2" / 51235 - 2" / 51214 - 2.25" / 57218 - 2.25" / 57
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)34 - 5.5" / 14034 - 5.25" / 13334 - 5.25" / 133
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13.25 / 4.0412.83 / 3.9115 / 4.5715.04 / 4.5815.04 / 4.58
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)135 / 12.54119.22 / 11.08200 / 18.59207 / 19.24220 / 20.45
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)23.90 / 2.2220 / 1.8649.50 / 4.6056.50 / 5.2556.70 / 5.27
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1537 / 142.791287 / 119.572765 / 256.972821 / 262.172970 / 276.02
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)567 / 52.70567 / 52.70567 / 52.70
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1537 / 142.791287 / 119.573332 / 309.673388 / 314.873537 / 328.72
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume195.05182.04209.47187.32174.30
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation40633600990010,17011,340
Same as above plus superheater percentage4063360011,58311,89913,154
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area22,95021,46046,80043,59451,040
Power L13977399512,76510,35110,408
Power MT347.24374.79582.95438.85441.26

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