Class E-1 / G-5 (Locobase 12486)

Data from TStL&W 1911 Locomotive Diagram supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 2824-2827 in August 1892, 2846-2850 in January 1893.

This small class lasted only a few years after the Clover Leaf's absorption into the Nickel Plate. Retirements came in 1927 and 1929.

---

Class G-10s / H-6a (Locobase 6711)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 Locomotive Diagram supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Drury (1993) shows that this one locomotive originated on the New York, Chicago & St Louis in 1923. That's what the diagram shows as well and that document shows the engine specifically assigned to the Toledo, St Louis & Western, which had been acquired that same year.

Its withdrawal in 1934, taken with Drury's comment that Clover Leaf trackage was of such light construction that few Nickel Plate locomotives could operate on it, suggests to Locobase that this was a trimmed-down version of a standard NKP Consolidation. The superheater was removed, LB guesses, to reduce the axle loading.

---

Class G-16V/G-16w (Locobase 14138)

Data from NKP 2 - 1944 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Alco-Brooks works numbers were 49501-49510 in April 1911, Alco-Schenectady's five had works numbers 51204-51208 in June 1912.

All of the 1911 Consolidations were built with superheaters, 14" (356 mm) piston valves, and Walschaert valve gear. The big difference between the two Brooks batches (the other is shown in Locobase 15628) was the larger cylinder diameter in these G-16Vs and a lower boiler pressure. Since a comparison of the two decades of locomotives shows no other difference, it's clear that the Nickel Plate was assessing which was the smarter path: higher boiler pressure and less cylinder volume or vice versa.

Considering that Schenectady turned out five more 2-8-0s to the G-16 design, it appears that the larger cylinder diameter and lower pressure won out. (These engines were not quite a ton lighter, but otherwise identical.).

Six of the fifteen were scrapped in 1934. The other nine worked in the late 1940s and early 1950s before being cut up.

---

Class G-44 (Locobase 14139)

Data from NKP 5-1950 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

As delivered to the Lake Erie, Allance & Western in 1904 (Locobase 15841), these medium-sized Consolidation used saturated boilers and Stephenson link motion, although they had 11" (279 mm) piston valves. The entire class save one was sold by successor Lake Shore & Michigan Southern to the Nickel Plate in 1922.

A year later, half of the class was modified with a relatively modest superheater upgrade, outside Baker valve gear, a lower boiler pressure setting, Ragonnet power reverse. The tender capacities reflect the 7-RK tender pulled by five of the class. Four--382, 384, 389, 398--used 8-RH tenders carrying 8,080 US gallons (30,583 litres) of water and 13 tons (11.8 tonnes) of coal. The other three--379-381--used 8-RJ tenders with a capacity of 7,780 gallons (29,447 litres) and 14 tons (12.7 tonnes) of coal.

---

Class G-6V (Locobase 15628)

Data from NKP 2 - 1944 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Alco-Brooks works numbers 49516-49525 in April 1911.

As noted in Locobase 14138, which details the Brooks-built G-6Vs produced in the same month,all of the 1911 NKP Consolidations were built with superheaters, 14" (356 mm) piston valves, and Walschaert valve gear. The single difference was the use of less cylinder volume and higher boiler pressure.

It appears that the G-6V approach won the test as the G-16Ws from Schenectady in 1912 followed that line.

Six of the ten G-6vs were scrapped in 1933-1934. The other four were sold for scrap in 1947-1948.

---

Class H-3 / G-3 (Locobase 6719)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 and 1911 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 2053 and 2057 in February 1900.

This pair of Moguls was a bit smaller than the duo that Baldwin had supplied two years earlier and they had a slightly higher ratio of direct heating surface to overall heating surface. Like the Baldwins, these Consolidations went to the Nickel Plate roster, but stayed on the Clover Leaf steel until their retirement in 1930-1931.

---

Class H-4/G-1 (Locobase 6717)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 and 1911 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

When the Clover Leaf replaced the Vanderbilt boiler that accompanied this pair of 1902 Consolidations (Locobase 16273), they installed a boiler for which the firebox seems undersized. They did, however, keep their much more successful Vanderbilt cylindrical tenders.

This pair of Consolidations was transferred to the Nickel Plate roster in 1923 along with the rest of the Clover Leaf stud, but as with most of them, did not move from their territory. They were retired in 1929.

---

Class H-5 / G-2 (Locobase 6718)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 and 1911 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 28614-28615 in January 1904.

This pair of New Yorkers was a bit smaller than the duo that Baldwin had supplied two years earlier and they had a slightly higher ratio of direct heating surface to overall heating surface.

Like the Baldwins, these Consolidations went to the Nickel Plate roster, but stayed on the Clover Leaf steel until their retirement in December 1930 and March 1931, respectively.

---

Class H-6 / G-10 (Locobase 6720)

Data from TStL&W - 1911 and 1 - 1924 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 30901-30915 in February 1905 and 38956-38980 in December.

This was the most numerous class on the Clover Leaf. Fifteen were delivered in 1905 at the cost of $14,200 each and 15 more followed in 1906 for the higher price of $14,760 . (Locobase suspects wheel covers accounted for the difference.) The 1905 price included the following accessories and equipment:

Midvale steel axles, driving, truck and tender wheels, and cast-steel wheel-center

Carey boiler lagging

Sterlingwoith brake-beams

American Brake Shoe ft Foundry Co.'s brake-shoes

Tower couplers

Dressel headlights

Simplex injectors

Ajax journal bearings

Jerome valve and piston rod packing

Consolidated safety valves

Leach sanding devices

Nathan sight-feed lubricators

Railway Steel Spring Co's springs

Ashton steam gages

Like the other Clover Leaf Consolidations, this class was superheated; see Locobase 14141.

---

Class H-6 / G-10A (Locobase 14141)

Data from NKP 5-1950 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

After a few years in service with saturated boilers (Locobase 6720), the class was superheated along the lines of the other Clover Leaf Consolidations.

As befits such a dominant class, retirements stretched out over two decades. The first left in 1933, the last in 1955.

---

Class H-7 / G-7 (Locobase 6721)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 Locomotive Diagram supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Vol 50, pp. 354+. Works numbers were 40866-40870 in November 1913.

This quintet of Consolidations was soon superheated by the Clover Leaf Route; see Locobase 14140.

When the TStL&W was merged with the Nickel Plate (New York, Chicago & St Louis) in 1927, this quintet was reclassed and renumbered. They served the NKP until 1952-1955.

---

Class H-7 / G-7 (Locobase 14140)

Data from NKP 5-1950 Locomotive Diagram supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Superheating this group of Consolidations took the usual route in terms of the sacrifice of small tube for large flues. Boiler pressure dropped by 15 psi, but an one-inch increase in cylinder diameter offset that loss and the steam was drier thanks to the adequate amount of superheat. 894 was later modified to accept 58 sq ft (5.4 sq m) of thermic syphons.

When the TStL&W was merged with the Nickel Plate (New York, Chicago & St Louis) in 1927, this quintet was reclassed and renumbered. They served the NKP until 1952-1955.

---

Class H-8/H-9 // G-8/G-9 (Locobase 2517)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 Locomotive Diagram supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also Gustav Reder, The World of Steam Locomotives (1974). Lima works numbers were 5221-5225 in September 1916. G-9 works numbers were 6127-6131 in December 1921, 6243-6247 in May 1922.

Used by Gustav Reder as an illustration of a later American Consolidation. Drury (1993) reveals that the T, St L & W -- aka the Clover Leaf -- ran over track of "light construction and a sawtooth profile" between Toledo and St. Louis. Although its finances "were as poorly constructed as its line ...it somehow developed a reputation of moving freight fast." The H-8s were joined by younger sisters of the H-9 class, which were essentially repeats. All had 12" (305 mm) piston valves. 916 was later refitted with thermic syphons that had a heating surface area of 62 sq ft (5.75 sq m) and increased the evaporative heating surface area to 2,135.5 sq ft (198.5 sq m).

The T, St L & W were taken into the Nickel Plate along with the Lake Erie & Western in 1923. These Consolidations were relatively new, so they soldiered on as Nickel Plate 901-916 until the mid-1950s.

---

Class N-1 (Locobase 9763)

Data from Angus Sinclair, "Simple Consolidation for the New York, Chicago & St Louis", Railway and Locomotive Engineering, Volume 15, No 7 (July 1902, p. 301. Works numbers were 4105-4114 in 1902.

These were the first 20th Century Consolidations procured by the New York, Chicago & St Louis Railroad and were among the very last to be produced at Dunkirk before Brooks's amalgamation with seven other builders in the American Locomotive Company. The photo accompanying the article shows a surprisingly rangy looking fast freighter designed by Superintendent of Motive Power John McKenzie with slide valves actuating inside link motion, and a high-pitched boiler. Firebox heating surface area included 23.8 sq ft (2.2 sq m) of arch tubes.

Although other, later 2-8-0s would later be superheated, this class would not be so modified. They would instead be converted to 0-6-0 switchers and scrapped in 1934.

---

Class N-2, N-4 (Locobase 11415)

Data from "New Locomotive Equipment," The Railway Age, (27 April 1906), p 739. Works numbers were 40791-40800 in October 1906 (N-2) and 45221-45225 in March 1908 (N-4).

This set of ten Consolidations repeated the power dimensions of the original Brooks N-1s (Locobase 6720), but featured deeper fireboxes and smaller grates. The 1908 batch had a new class ID, but the principal difference from the N-2s showed as a 169,000 lb (76,657 kg) loaded engine weight.

Both classes received superheaters and were fitted with 8" (203 mm) piston valves in 1917; see Locobase 6713.

---

Class N-2/N-3/N-4 - superheated (Locobase 6713)

Data from TStL&W 1 - 1924 Locomotive Database supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Although this class originated on the NYC&StL, its relatively light axle loading apparently made it a good fit with the Clover Leaf Route when the Nickel Plate bought the Toledo, St Louis & Western in 1922.

By then both the N-3s from Baldwin (Locobase 13052) and the N-4s from Alco's Brooks works had been updated between June 1917 and May 1918 with superheaters and piston valves actuated by outside radial valve gear. The N-3s put 150,600 lb (68,311 kg) on the drivers and weighed 176,900 lb (76,657 kg) overall. These joined the

At first the superheated engines retained their 5,500 US gallon, 14-ton tenders; the 1930s retirements most likely occurred before the larger tenders shown in the specs were coupled to the two survivors. These locomotives--440 and 446--worked through World War Two before being scrapped in June (446) and August (440) of 1945.

---

Class N-3 (Locobase 13052)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 30, p. 68; and "Engines for the Nickel Plate", Railway and Locomotive Engineering, Volume 21, No 2 (February 1908), p 76-77. Works numbers were 31339 in June 1907, 31355 in July, and 31473 in August.

Among the many Brooks Consolidations produced for this line was this trio from Baldwin, which essentially repeated the original class Ns shown in Locobase 9763.

They were superheated some time later in their careers.

---

Class N-5 - superheated (Locobase 15631)

Data from NKP 2 - 1944 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

This class of Consolidations followed three years after Alco-Brook's N-4s in May 1911 and, like those engines, were produced by the Dunkirk, NY builder with saturated boilers. Locobase 15631 shows the N-3 and N-4 classes when they were superheated and supplied with Walschaert valve gear.

The N-5s were superheated in the same period, but it's not clear from the surviving diagrams whether they used Walschaert or not. In any event, by the time the last three of the class was scrapped after World War Two, they had Baker gear and weighed considerably more than the N-4s. They also left the road later, being sold for scrap in November 1947 (448 and 452) and December 1948.

---

Class N-6 (Locobase 15632)

Data from NKP 2 - 1944 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 53839-53844 in August 1913.

Nickel Plate's N-class series of Consolidations began with Brooks's 1902 N class (Locobase 9763) and continued through several batches, mostly from that Dunkirk, NY builder, that all had 19" x 28" cylinders, 62"-63" drivers, and the same grate area.

These N-6s were the first to be delivered with superheaters. Stroke remained the same as did the grate area, but the cylinders were bored out 1" (25.4 mm), piston valve diameter now measured 11" (279 mm), and the pressure was lower.

Compared to the later NKP superheating modifications to earlier N classes (Locobases 6713 and 15631), the N-6 boilers had the same tube lengths but fewer of both tubes and flues.

Except for 459, which was scrapped in April 1934 (most likely after a wreck), all the class operated into the late 1940s before being sold for scrap in November 1948 (457), June 1949 (455-456), and December 1949 (454 and 458).