Des Moines & Kansas City 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 10 (Locobase 11533)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines, 1888, as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume15, p. 45. Works number was 9904 in March 1889.

Connelly lists this as a tank engine, but the specifications show an eight-wheel tender in a listing that also records the actual weights as opposed to the not-to-exceed specs.

When the DM&KC converted to standard gauge in November 1896, this Eight-wheeler went to the Burlington & Northwestern for a time, during which time it was renumbered from 10 to 100.

Finally, it was sold to the 61-mile Fulton County Narrow Gauge Railway in 1902. The FCNGR connected Galesburg, Ill on the Mississippi with Havana on the banks of the Illinois River and was at the time the only narrow-gauge line in the state of Illinois.

According to the 1902 Annual Report of the Railroad and Warehouse Commission (pp. 35-36), the first 16 miles out of Galesburg was laid with "second hand" rails (aka "rerail") weighing between 52 and 60 lb/yard (26-30 kg/metre) steel rail. The other 45 miles (with one mile of 47 lb/yd (23.5 kg/metre) rail as an exception) made do with 35 lb/yard (17.5 kg/metre) iron rail. It was this lightly built right-of-way for which the 10 was well-suited.

The conclusion of the report on the FCNG reviewed its status with pessimism:

"The Fulton County Narrow Guage Railway company is handicapped from the fact that it is a narrow guage [sic in each instance] railroad, the only narrow guage road in the State, and its facilities for interchange of traffic with other lines is therefore very limited. Apparently, the property is conservatively managed with the means at hand, but the operating expenses during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, were 96.19 per cent of the earnings from operation, and the operating expenses and fixed charges were 164.5 per cent of total earnings. While it may seem like a hardship to compel this company to place this road in good condition consistent with safety for operating purposes, it is evident from the facts above presented that there is necessity of changing this line from narrow to standard guage before the owners can ever hope of earning very much more than operating expenses."

In November 1908, the stockholders of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy voted to absorb the FCNGR along with the Big Horn, Northern & Southern Illinois, and Sioux City & Western.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class10
Locobase ID11533
RailroadDes Moines & Kansas City
CountryUSA
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class1
Road Numbers10
Gauge3'
Number Built1
BuilderBurnham, Parry, Williams & Co
Year1889
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 8.50 / 2.59
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)20.92 / 6.38
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.41
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)17,570 / 7970
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)33,270 / 15,091
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)54,950 / 24,925
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2000 / 7.58
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)28 / 14
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)48 / 1219
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)130 / 900
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)15" x 18" / 381x457
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)9323 / 4228.85
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.57
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)113 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m) 9.88 / 3.01
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)10.50 / 0.98
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation1365
Same as above plus superheater percentage1365
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area
Power L1
Power MT

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