Dierks Lumber & Coal Company 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 226 (Locobase 15340)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 77, pp. 780+. See also Bernard Reed's entry on Herman Dierks in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, accessed at []. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 24 October 2015 email pointing out the absence of superheater area and supplying the figure; and thanks to Melvin Holleman for his 31 August 2020 email correcting the year of the Weyerhaueser buy-out.) Works numbers were 60005-60006 in May 1927.

DeQueen, Arkansas-based DL&CC bought these two Mikados for logging operations out of DeQueen (226) and Mountain Pine, Ark (227). They were relatively small engines, especially so for standard-gauge 2-8-2s, and had 8" (203 mm) piston valves.

Unlike several other Baldwin locomotives, these two bore the DL&CC name rather than one of its two subsidiary railroads. The railroads over which the two operated had ruling grades of 3% but were expected to climb 5-6% grades, each about a half mile (0.8 km) long. Both operated for the DL&CC and its corporate successor, Dierks Forests Inc until Weyerhaeuser bought out the company in 1969.

Holleman's gracious email included some additional comments on his years at Dierks Forests: " As a former employee of both Dierks Forests Inc and Weyehaeuser I'm very familiar with the subject. Weyerhaeuser bought out Dierks Forest Inc in 1969. I grew up watching both of those steam locomotives from the classroom as they went to Clebit, Ok. and back. Clebit is several miles north of Wright City, Ok., I live in Wright City, Ok. The Weyerhaeuser acquisition occurred while I attended college."

226 went on display at the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railroad with the goal of restoring it to service. 227 went on display at Broken Bow, Okla.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class226
Locobase ID15340
RailroadDierks Lumber & Coal Company
CountryUSA
Whyte2-8-2
Number in Class2
Road Numbers226-227
GaugeStd
Number Built2
BuilderBaldwin
Year1927
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)12.25 / 3.73
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)27.50 / 8.38
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.45
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)52.54 / 16.01
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)99,000 / 44,906
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)126,000 / 57,153
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)91,000 / 41,277
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)217,000 / 98,430
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4500 / 17.05
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)6 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)41 / 20.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)44 / 1118
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 12.40
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 24" / 432x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)24,118 / 10939.75
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.10
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)109 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)18 - 5.375" / 137
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13.17 / 4.01
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)112 / 10.41
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)22.20 / 2.06
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1189 / 110.46
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)258
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1447 / 110.46
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume188.43
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation3996
Same as above plus superheater percentage4715
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area23,789
Power L18516
Power MT758.57

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