Baltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 8 (Locobase 12267)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 19, p. 217 and Volume 21, p.166. Works numbers were 14273 in April 1895 and 15922 in May 1898.

The BC & A was incorporated in 1894 and operated entirely on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, its single mainline running from Ocean City westerly to Salisbury then northwesterly to Claiborne on Chesapeake Bay. (Locobase's Delaware home impels him to note that the line passed within a few miles of Delmar, Del, but never actually crossed the border.)

The Baltimore represents the numerous Bay steamers that served Claiborne among several other Eastern Short ports. It was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad, but operated independently. When traffic fell off in the 1920s, the BC & A declared bankruptcy in 1927 and was sold off at foreclosure in March 1928.

These Eight-wheelers were identical to the York Southerns described in Locobase 6021 and even though Locobase cannot report the exact heating surface and firebox, he reasons that describing the data as an estimate is a formality as follows:

The tube count, diameter, and lengths match, the last to the inch. The 4 measurements for the firebox are the grate width and length (identical) and the firebox height front and back (also exactly the same). Given that the YS locomotive data comes from Ma & Pa records and the BC & A information comes from Baldwin's specs, Locobase is confident that the areas are also identical.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class8
Locobase ID12267
RailroadBaltimore, Chesapeake & Atlantic
CountryUSA
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class2
Road Numbers8-9
GaugeStd
Number Built2
BuilderBurnham, Williams & Co
Year1895
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 8.50 / 2.59
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)22.75 / 6.93
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.37
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)50,000 / 22,680
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)80,000 / 36,287
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2800 / 10.61
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)42 / 21
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)62 / 1575
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)160 / 1100
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16" x 24" / 406x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)13,477 / 6113.07
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.71
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)173 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.50 / 3.51
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)98.59 / 9.16
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)16.50 / 1.53
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1146 / 106.51
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1146 / 106.51
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume205.01
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2640
Same as above plus superheater percentage2640
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area15,774
Power L14847
Power MT427.43

All material Copyright © SteamLocomotive.com
Wes Barris