Colorado Midland 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class 15/104 (Locobase 11125)

Data from Schenectady Locomotive Works, Illustrated Catalogue of Simple and Compound Locomotives (Philadelphia: J B Lippincott, 1897), pp. 88-89 and Richard Stamm, "Colorado Midland Railway - A Short History", archived on [], last accessed 24 January 2010. See also "Ten-Wheel Passenger Locomotive, Colorado Midland Railway," Railroad Gazette, Volume 19 (25 November 1887), pp. 760-761;William Kaminsky's "Colorado Midland Locomotive Roster", July 2006 and Hoffman's roster, both supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Collection; and Paul T Hobbs's compilation Locomotive Diagrams SP&S RY (Vancouver, WA: Vintage Ads - North America, 2011), emailed to Locobase 14 January 2020. Works numbers were 2239-2246 in March 1887; Class 102 repeated the design in 1889 with works numbers 2925-2928 in October 1889; 2929-2930, 3261-3262 in November; and 3263 (December?) and 3264 in December.

The CM was formed in 1883 by Homer D Fisher to connect Colorado Springs through the Ute Pass into South Park and, from there, continue on to Salida and Leadville by the "most eligible route." The charter also included the intent to put a telegraph line as well. According to Stamm, both the Union Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande chose to try to block the line by doubling the price of materials, a tactic that backfired when then-CM President James J Hagerman exploited resentment of such heavy-handed moves to raise eastern money.

The road opened to Buena Vista on 13 July 1887 and, according to Stamm, the CM had already bought more than two dozen engines from Schenectady. The 15 he describes as a passenger engine, although its 57" drivers suggest only modest speed; some were later fitted with 60" (1,524 mm) drivers.

Hoffman's CM roster notes that the 15s were "used in regular passenger run East District and between Cardiff and Grand Junction. Also used as passenger helpers and in road

freight service.". He also reported that the 39s were used on the Jerome Park Branch. 41 saw steady duty as the Leadville switcher.

RG's report indicates the challenges to be overcome by this design. Rail weight at best was a typical, but still modest 65 lb/yard (32.5 kg/metre) and maximum grade inclination measured 4%. Calculating an estimate of maximum trailing load up 4% yielded 150 tons, which RG notes was "...about equal to that of a train composed of two heavy sleeping cars, two first-class passenger coaches, and two baggage or express cars." The writer concluded the design is up to the challenge: "This engine is, however, one of the heaviest and most powerful passenger engines ever built, and at the same time appears to possess a sufficiently flexible wheel base to run over curves even sharper than those on the Colorado Midland."

The author doesn't neglect downhill running, "...which is often a matter of more difficulty and danger than the ascent, especially when the grades are long and the sudden rain and snow storms prevalent amongst the mountains are apt to convert a dry rail into a very slippery surface without warning. The engines are equipped with Westinghouse brake for tender and train, American steam brake on all drivers and Le Chatelier water brake for cylinders."

Some remained with the CM, but 15 was later sold to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive, who placed on Milton S Hershey's benevolently run FC Cubano de Hershey in Hershey, Cuba.

BR&L found a buyer for ex-19 in the Motley County Railway of Matador, Texas. It later moved on to the Quanah, Acme & Pacific.

Ex-20 went to Zimmerman-Wells-Brown, a lumber company based in Portland Ore and ex-21 found similar work as Kirby Lumber's #79 in Kirby, Texas. The 21's fractious history (six collisions or wrecks) as reconstructed by William Kaminsky is worth quoting in full:

"Cost $11,547.01 Damaged in collision with number 30 at Leadville on Feb. 4, 1891 then rebuilt. Became Woodland Park suburban 1891. Overhauled November 1891. Collision at Woodland Park with number 38 in January 1892. Rebuilt in Feb.-March 1892. In accident at Granite April 1893. Rebuilt in June 1895. Used west of Lake George in February 1897. Wrecked near Yale on April 1, 1908. In passenger service from Colorado City 1911. Wrecked Sept. 23, 1914. Wrecked near Arkansas Junction April 26, 1917 while in passenger service. Stored June 1919."

Paul Hobbs's SP&S book picks up there and notes that the 19 was sold to the Gales Creek & Wilson River, an SP&S subsidiary, in 1919 as their #2. It was dismantled in May 1932.

Class 102 saw several engines sold. 41 went to Frost Johnson Lumber Co. 42, 43, and 46 were bought by locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive. Jordan River Lumber of Kiln, Miss bought the 45. 42 was sold to the Pig Point (Virginia) Ordnance Depot in December 1916. 43's went three years later (November 1919) to the Central Nombre de Dios in Zavas-Abreu, Cuba. And 45 went to McKinley Land and Lumber Company in New Mexico. (Kami

47 went to the Gales Creek & Wilson River as their #1. By the time it arrived on the GC&WR in 1919 , the 1 had been converted to oil-firing and trailed a tender holding 5,000 US gallons (18,925 litres) of water and 1,074.5 gallons (4,067 litres) of oil. Loaded, the tender weighed 110,000 lb. After another 25 years of service on the GC&WR and later on the Goldendale branch out of Astoria, Ore, the 1 was dismantled at Vancouver, Wash in October 1944.

Class 29/102 (Locobase 11673)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 14, p. 134. See also Paul T Hobbs's compilation Locomotive Diagrams SP&S RY (Vancouver, WA: Vintage Ads - North America, 2011), emailed to Locobase 14 January 2020.Works numbers were 9206, 9208-9210 in March 1888; 9215, 9217, 9219 in May; 9300, 9302 in June.

These Ten-wheelers later rolled on 52" (1,321 mm) drivers, which reduced calculated tractive effort to 22,600 lb (10,251 kg or 100.5 kN) served the CM until it was abandoned in July 1919.

31 then was sold to Robinson Land & Lumber Company and 34 went to Horse Shoe Lumber of River Falls, Ala. 37 traveled further, winding up on the Hershey de Cubano, the Hershey Corporations railroad near Havana.