Beaumont & Great Northern 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 104 (Locobase 13313)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 32, p. 16. See also S. G. Reed, "BEAUMONT AND GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD," Handbook of Texas Online ([link]), accessed October 28, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Works number was 33105 in January 1909.

The B&GN was established in 1905 to connect Trinity (about 70 miles (113 km) mostly north of Houston) with Livingston, which lay 37 miles(60 km) to its southeast. In 1908, the newly completed line was sold to a Mr R C Duff for his ambitious Waco to Port Arthur line. But in 1910, one of the original investors - William Carlisle of Atchison, Kans -- bought it back and added 15 miles (24 km) from Trinity northwest to Weldon in the next year.

Presumably Ten-wheeler 104 arrived in time to help meet traffic demand. One gets an idea of how tight the margins could be from a note in the specs advising that the builder "keep weight down as much as possible" to account for the steel cab and larger driving axle." The specs also request a "strong, loud tone" from the whistle to "scare cattle of the track." Another sign of the rural setting for this locomotive was the location of rail washers behind the rear drivers to wash the sand off the rails.

Duff bought back the now-longer segment of his dream railroad to sell it to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas apparently because they intended to extend the line past Weldon all the way to Waco. Prohibited by the Texas Attorney General from consolidating the line into the Katy proper, the bigger road leased it for 99 years in exchange for a plan to build the Weldon-Waco segment.

Instead, the Katy went into receivership and the railroad grew no larger. When the road reverted to Duff and his investment partners in 1923, they dubbed it the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railway. The Katy willingly sold Duff the 66-mile (106 km) Trinity-Colmesneil portion of their Sabine line. Alas for Duff, he was never able to build the Weldon-Waco segment and the whole railroad went into receivership in 1930, a suspension that would last until its official demise in 1961.

During this period, according to Don Ross of [link] (last accessed 28 October 2011), its nickname was "Wobblety Bobblety Turnover and Stop." He adds, in a smile-inducing aside, "Now, can anyone pronounce Wobblety Bobblety without grinning?"

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class104
Locobase ID13313
RailroadBeaumont & Great Northern
CountryUSA
Whyte4-6-0
Number in Class1
Road Numbers104
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderBurnham, Williams & Co
Year1909
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10.50 / 3.20
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)21.17 / 6.45
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.50
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)90,000 / 40,823
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)110,000 / 49,895
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)80,000 / 36,287
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)190,000 / 86,182
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)50 / 25
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)50 / 1270
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)26,438 / 11992.09
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.40
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)184 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)12.75 / 3.89
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)114 / 10.59
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)22 / 2.04
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1334 / 123.93
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1334 / 123.93
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume188.68
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation4400
Same as above plus superheater percentage4400
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area22,800
Power L14488
Power MT329.81

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