Fort Worth & Denver City 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class B-4O (Locobase 1336)

Data from FW&DC 8 - 1942 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also Handbook of Texas Online, William C. Billingsley, "FORT WORTH AND DENVER RAILWAY," accessed April 05, 2019, [link] . Works numbers included 27059, 25147-25153 in 1903.

Virtually identical to the Colorado & Southern's B-4Ps, but had smaller cylinder diameters and weighed slightly less. Gradually left service over a 26-year period from 1934 to 1960.

Billingsley's Handbook of Texas Online entry stresses the FW&DC's influence on Northwest Texas's growth. In addition to promoting farming and new uses of crops (such as feeding cattle with winter wheat), they supplied seeds for new crops to encourage diversity. The railway also supplied farmers with "trees and and trees [sic] seedlings to use as windbreaks." (Decades later, plowing under those windbreaks to increase production played a part in causing the infamous Dust Bowls of the 1930s.)


Class B-4Q (Locobase 16359)

Data from FW&DC 8 - 1942 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers included 40747, 40738-40739 in June 1906.

These three locomotives may have served as templates for the 20" x 28" B-4Q1s that followed in the next couple of years from several builders including Richmond and Baldwin. They were among the longest-running 20" Consolidations as all three lasted until 1940.


Class B-4R (Locobase 1338)

Identical to C&S's B-4R class, but built by Brooks. Five B-4R1 engines (1907) built by Richmond had slide valves instead of piston valves and sported other changes in the smokebox and cab. Works numbers included 40242-40251 from Alco-Brooks in July 1906 and 45570-45574 from Alco-Richmond in August 1908.

At least 5 were superheated (with a slight drop in boiler pressure from 205 psi) and fitted with 1" larger drivers; the data for that variant (taken from an April 1943 FW&D locomotive diagram) are used in the specs. The piston valves in this group measured 11" in diameter.

Fort Worth & Denver City began retiring this class in 1934, although the last B-4R1 lasted until 1960.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassB-4OB-4QB-4R
Locobase ID1336 16359 1338
RailroadFort Worth & Denver CityFort Worth & Denver CityFort Worth & Denver City
CountryUSAUSAUSA
Whyte2-8-02-8-02-8-0
Number in Class121215
Road Numbers201-211250-252300-314
GaugeStdStdStd
Number Built12315
BuilderAlco-Rhode IslandAlco-Rogersseveral
Year190319061906
Valve GearWalschaertStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)15.50 / 4.7216 / 4.8815.33 / 4.67
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)24.17 / 7.3724.50 / 7.4723.67 / 7.21
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.64 0.65 0.65
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)56.58 / 17.2561 / 18.5957.50 / 17.53
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)142,000 / 64,410157,000 / 71,214180,795 / 82,007
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)158,000 / 71,668175,000 / 79,379200,854 / 91,106
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)133,250 / 60,441144,540 / 65,562145,500 / 65,998
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)291,250 / 132,109319,540 / 144,941346,354 / 157,104
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)6000 / 22.738000 / 30.308000 / 30.30
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)4100 / 15,5193600 / 13,6262600 / 9841
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)59 / 29.5065 / 32.5075 / 37.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)56 / 142257 / 144857 / 1448
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)188.50 / 1300200 / 1380200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)20" x 28" / 508x71120" x 28" / 508x71122" x 28" / 559x711
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)32,045 / 14535.3833,404 / 15151.8240,418 / 18333.32
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.43 4.70 4.47
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)281 - 2" / 51328 - 2" / 51219 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)34 - 5.5" / 140
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)14.58 / 4.4414.17 / 4.3213.50 / 4.11
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)187.70 / 17.44190 / 17.65195 / 18.12
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)41.30 / 3.8432.50 / 3.0234.65 / 3.22
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1999 / 185.782609 / 242.472393 / 222.40
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)508 / 47.21
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1999 / 185.782609 / 242.472901 / 269.61
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume196.37256.29194.24
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation778565006930
Same as above plus superheater percentage778565008177
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area35,38138,00046,020
Power L15077664312,245
Power MT315.29373.13597.26

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