New York, Ontario, & Western 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA

Class A - 1899 (Locobase 3943)

Data from Railroad Gazette (20 April 1900). See William D. Edson's roster in Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin Bulletin 175 for builder's numbers. Works numbers were 2476, 2494).

RG .noted that the narrow firebox, used for bituminous coal, was something of a departure for the railroad, which typically burned anthracite. But as the engine was to be used on the Norwich-Middletown (New York) section, it would burn the more readily available bituminous coal. That there was a continuing need for this variation is confirmed by the acquisition of 3 more with a few more tubes in 1907-1908; see Locobase 11404.

Only two other North American 4-4-0 designs in Locobase had such high stroke-to-bore ratios and both were built by Cooke; see Locobases 4993 and 11404.

Both of the 1899 engines were scrapped in December 1932.

Class A - 1907 (Locobase 11404)

Data from The Railway Age Vol XLIV, No 16 (18 October 1907), p. 557. See William D. Edson's roster in Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin 175 for builder's numbers. Works numbers for this batch were 41333 in March 1907 and 44800-44801 in January 1908.

See Locobase 3943 for the first two locomotives in this small class, which were produced with narrow fireboxes because the Norwich-Middletown service on which they operated had better access to bituminous coal than the usual NYO&W's usual anthracite fuel. The later locomotives had a few more tubes, but were otherwise virtually identical. Note the unusually long stroke for a North American Eight-wheeler. Only two other 4-4-0 designs in Locobase had such high stroke-to-bore ratios and both were built by Cooke; see Locobases 3943 and 4993.)

22-23 were scrapped in the same month -- December 1932. 24 was sold in July 1935 to the M & U as their #6..

Class B (Locobase 8991)

Data from Charles McShane, One Thousand Pointers for Machinists & Engineers (By Charles McShane (Chicago: Griffin & Winters, 1897), pp 266, 268. See also "New York, Ontario and Western Passenger Locomotive," Locomotive Engineering, Volume 9, No 2 (February 1896), p. 156. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 2 May 2018 email flagging an error in the engine & tender wheelbase.) Works numbers were 2325 in November 1895 and 2339 in March 1896.

McShane explains that this locomotive was produced "...in order to demonstrate whether an engine of these dimensions and weight would give better results than a compound engine, also whether an engine of this weight in passenger service with cylinders 17x24" and a constant boiler pressure of 180 pounds would not be better than one with 18x24" cylinders, and lagging for steam on heavy grades. It was intended, also, to demonstrate whether such an engine could not be run at a much reduced cost of fuel."

As is often the case with writeups like this, McShane reported that the locomotive had proven to be peerless, being described as having met "... the highest expectations of its designer, Mr. George W. West, Supt. M. P. of the New York, Ontario & Western railway. It has shown a surprisingly good fuel record, as it is run opposite one of their best anthracite coal burners with 18x24" cylinders, and during a test of 14 days when every pound of coal used by both engines was weighed; this engine hauled the same train 2,020 miles at a cost of 3 3/4 cents per engine mile, while the other engine's fuel cost 6 1/4 cents per engine mile: this is considered as near perfect as an engine can be built for burning cheap fuel."

Noting that it is an eight-wheel camelback, McShane adds details: The boiler is supplied by two No. 8 Monitor injectors. The Smith triple expansion exhaust pipe is used, also the Leach track sanding apparatus, and Nathan triple slight feed lubricator."

The 1 remained in service until June 1916 and the 2 until April 1923.