KCS: Kansas City Fort Smith & Southern / Kansas City, Nevada & Fort Smith / Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf / Texarkana & Fort Smith 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 3 (Locobase 16074)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 17, p. 228 and Volume 18, p. 122. Works numbers were 12492 in February 1892 and 13044 in November.

Soon after the second of the two Eight-wheelers was delivered, the KCN&FtS. Essentially identical to the Texarkana & Ft Smith #5 shown in Locobase 6826, the pair would fall into the same class after the emergence of the Kansas City Southern.

The 130 was scrapped in October 1910, the 131 in April 1911.


Class 5 (Locobase 6826)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange and DeGolyer, Volume 18, p. 173. Works number was 13399 in April 1893.

A modestly proportioned Eight-wheeler of typical profile of deep firebox, tapered boiler forward, straight stack, and oil-fired headlamp. The rear dome sat over the first driving axle and had a cylindrical cross-section with flat top. The smaller forward dome was thimble-shaped.

The 5 had a relatively short career with the T&FS, the Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf beginning in 1897, and the Kansas City Southern in 1900. It waas scrapped in December 1910 in Pittsburgh, Kansas.


Class B-1 (Locobase 6829)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 20, pp. 32 (1-4) and 266 (101-106). Works numbers were 14443-14446 in September 1895, and 15257-15258 and 15259-15262 in March 1897.

The TF&S locomotive mentioned in Locobase 6826 was clearly the progenitor of this KCS class. The biggest single difference was a substantial boost in operating pressure, which may have been a railroad decision rather than a reflection of thicker boiler plate.

1-4 (the 1895 batch) are shown in Connelly's Baldwin listing as having 18" x 24" cylinders, but the KCS diagram credited all ten locomotives with the 17"-diameter cylinders depicted in the Baldwin specifications. The data in the Locobase specs come from the Baldwin specifications for the first four on page 32; the KCS had slightly different heating surface areas. Delivered with 62" (1,575 mm) drivers, but thicker tires added an inch to the diameter before long.

Most were scrapped in 1911-1913, less than 20 years after they entered service. All the data shows locomotives too light for the power dimensions, so perhaps the class was prone to slipping.

Beginning in 1910, 108 operated briefly for the Frost Johnson Lumber Company (on behalf of the Mansfield Railway & Transportation Co), but returned to the KCS in 1913.


Class B-2 (Locobase 6830)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works number was 1532 in April 1889.

An early Brooks product built along classic American lines. For the period in which it was built, 132 was one of the smallest Eight-wheelers.

The KCFS&S was reorganized in 1894 as the Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf, at which point the engine took road #10. The April 1900 merger with the Kansas City Southern earned the 10 its new road number 132.

In October 1910, the KCS scrapped the 132.


Class B-3 (Locobase 6831)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Although considerably larger than most of the KC, P & G locomotives of the period, this class fell in the middle of American Eight-wheelers of the time. Its grate was quite small


Class B-4 (Locobase 6832)

Data from KCS 12 - 1908 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.W orks numbers were 1657-1660 in January 1897.

Continuing a steady growth in Eight-wheeler size for the KCS, this quartet also featured driver diameters that allowed for reasonably fast running. But the grate area was still surprisingly small for the boiler and must have placed a relatively low limit on steam-raising.

All went to the scrapper in 1923.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class35B-1B-2B-3
Locobase ID16074 6826 6829 6830 6831
RailroadKansas City, Nevada & Fort Smith (KCS)Texarkana & Fort Smith (KCS)Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf (KCS)Kansas City Fort Smith & Southern (KCS)Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf (KCS)
CountryUSAUSAUSAUSAUSA
Whyte4-4-04-4-04-4-04-4-04-4-0
Number in Class211014
Road Numbers3-4/111-112/130-13151-4, 101-110/2/10/132140-143
GaugeStdStdStdStdStd
Number Built211014
BuilderBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBurnham, Williams & CoBrooksSchenectady
Year18921893189518891894
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephensonStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 8.50 / 2.59 8.50 / 2.59 8.25 / 2.518 / 2.44 8.83 / 2.69
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)22.29 / 6.7922.25 / 6.7822.33 / 6.8122.66 / 6.9123.87 / 7.28
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.38 0.38 0.37 0.35 0.37
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)45.69 / 13.9344.96 / 13.7044.62 / 13.6045.37 / 13.8346.71 / 14.24
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)50,000 / 22,68050,000 / 22,68056,000 / 25,40152,000 / 23,58767,500 / 30,618
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)77,000 / 34,92777,000 / 34,92787,000 / 39,46379,000 / 35,834107,000 / 48,534
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)56,000 / 25,40156,000 / 25,40175,000 / 34,01960,000 / 27,21670,000 / 31,752
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)133,000 / 60,328133,000 / 60,328162,000 / 73,482139,000 / 63,050177,000 / 80,286
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3500 / 13.263500 / 13.263500 / 13.263500 / 13.264000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)7 / 67 / 67 / 67 / 67 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)42 / 2142 / 2147 / 23.5043 / 21.5056 / 28
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)62 / 157563 / 160063 / 160062 / 157560 / 1524
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 970140 / 970175 / 1210140 / 970160 / 1100
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 24" / 432x61017" x 24" / 432x61017" x 24" / 432x61017" x 24" / 432x61018" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)13,313 / 6038.6813,101 / 5942.5216,377 / 7428.4913,313 / 6038.6817,626 / 7995.03
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.76 3.82 3.42 3.91 3.83
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)187 - 2" / 51187 - 2" / 51187 - 2" / 51164 - 2" / 51249 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.92 / 3.3310.92 / 3.3310.95 / 3.3411.50 / 3.5112.04 / 3.67
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)107 / 9.94116 / 10.78119.17 / 11.0798 / 9.11144 / 13.38
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)16.30 / 1.5116.30 / 1.5116.30 / 1.5115.80 / 1.4716.80 / 1.56
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1175 / 109.161184 / 110.041187 / 110.271085 / 100.841709 / 158.83
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1175 / 109.161184 / 110.041187 / 110.271085 / 100.841709 / 158.83
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume186.21187.64188.11171.95241.73
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation22822282285322122688
Same as above plus superheater percentage22822282285322122688
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area14,98016,24020,85513,72023,040
Power L139204109519236115497
Power MT345.68362.35408.80306.19359.08

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassB-4
Locobase ID6832
RailroadKansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf (KCS)
CountryUSA
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class4
Road Numbers170-173
GaugeStd
Number Built4
BuilderManchester
Year1897
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)9 / 2.74
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)23.62 / 7.20
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.38
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)49.79 / 15.18
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)75,000 / 34,019
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)113,000 / 51,256
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)70,000 / 31,752
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)183,000 / 83,008
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)7 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)63 / 31.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)69 / 1753
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 1240
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)17,242 / 7820.85
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.35
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)290 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.33 / 3.45
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)161 / 14.96
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)18.90 / 1.76
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1945 / 180.76
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1945 / 180.76
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume275.11
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation3402
Same as above plus superheater percentage3402
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area28,980
Power L18052
Power MT473.38

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