Nahma & Northern / Nevada Northern / Newton & Northwestern 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 10 (Locobase 16293)

Data from "Newton & Northwestern 4-6-0", Railway and Locomotive Engineering, Volume 18, No. 12 (December 1905), p. 550. See also James Beard Weaver, Past and Present in Jasper County ( 1912), pp. 114-115; and Frank Pierce Donovan, "Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern" in The Essays of Frank P Donovan (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2000), pp. 75-79. Works numbers were 29786-29787 in June 1904..

This pair of relatively small Ten-wheelers had narrow, deep fireboxes offering considerable heating surface area behind high-mounted boilers. Their cylinders took steam from the boiler through 11" (279 mm) piston valves.

In 1912, James Beard Weaver contended that the railroad "bid fair to become a good road." It ran through "a rich section of Iowa's fair domain with several flourshing station points en route." Yet, he added, the N&NW was forced into receivership within a few years.

Commenting on the true prospects for this railroad, even after it ran a branch from Goddard to Colfax to serve coal mines in that area, Frank P Donovan later wrote: "The Newton & Northwestern was now a line of over a hundred miles long. But it went from a comparaitvely small community on the east to a still smaller town on the west."

In 1906, the 100-mile long N&NW was bought by the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern. The FDDM&S sold the two engines to the Chicago Iron Works. Apparently, the CIW sold the 12 directly to the Kettle Valley in 1913 as their 4, but sold the 10 to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive, which sold it to the KV in October 1912.

The 4 went on to the Louisiana & North Western as their 27 in November 1921. The L&NW sold the 27 to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Southern Iron & Equipment in February 1926.


Class 4 (Locobase 12928)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Vol 28, p. 253. See also Charlie & Laurie MacIntosh's Nahma Inn web page at [link] . Works number was 29721 in December 1906.

NB:This is one of five different entries for identical light-footed Ten-wheelers bought for short line use in 1904-1906l; two of the six orders specified smaller 50" (1,270 mm) drivers. Locobase numbers are 12969, 12870, 12720, 12755, 12820.

The buyer was credited as Bay De Noquet Lumber Company, which reflects the railroad's geographical location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Nahma (pronounced NAY-muh) sits on the south-facing bay near the head of Lake Michigan. The 4 made up part of the N&N's roster after the railroad began exploiting hardwood forests to the North. Ultimately, the N&N (aka the Whiskey Northern) encompassed 75 miles(121 km) of track.

Logging continued for almost 50 years before the railroad was abandoned in 1948.


Class 4/F-2-a (Locobase 8004)

Data from the CN to 1953 Locomotive diagram book supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works number was 38877 in December 1905.

Atlhough the only confrrmed sighting of this locomotive in Rail Data Exchange's holdings was the Candian National citation shown above, Gene Connelly's Alco production file confirms the original owner. The N&NW optimistically formed in 1905-1906 to improve railroad access in Jasper County, Iowa. Its almost immediate failure to rhrive led to a sell-off of its small locomotive stud.

Along with the 4-4-0 shown in Locobase 101, the 4 took its ten-wheels to the amalgamated collection of Canadian railroads then be pulled together by the government. By 1919, the CGR was reorganized as the Canadian National.

Now solely occupying CNR class F-2, the 1012 fit into a light-rail niche very well and operated essentially unchanged until the Canadian National retired it in 1958.


Class R E Noble (Locobase 13685)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 35, pp. 298-299. (Thanks to Chris Hohl for his 24 December 2021 correcting the overall wheelbase and tender weight.) Works number was 34942 in July 1910.

This surprisingly high-drivered Ten-wheeler was bought by American Smelters Company for $13,139. Baldwin seems to have re-purposed a design used to produce a trio of Ten-wheelers for the Quanah, Acme & Pacific in 1909 (Locobase 13508). Principal differences were the use of Baker-Pilliod valve gear, a substantial 7" (177 mm) difference in driver diameter (the Q&APs rolled on 62"/1,575 mm drivers), and a higher boiler pressure setting.

After 30 years of service, the engine was retired in 1941.

In 1956, the NN revived the 40 to conduct railfan trips. In 1986, the NN donated the 40 to the State of Nevada in September 1986. The Nevada Northern Railway Museum operated the engine for a while, but ran into boiler life issues in 2001.

[link], last accessed on 7 January 2012, narrates the long-running effort to restore the 40 to service. The work resulted in the "Ghost Train of Ely" returning to service in 2005.

Taken out of service in 2008 because of suspected cracks in the axles, the 40 sat cold until later analysis determined that the axles did not have actual cracks and thus could be operated safely. At the time of the 40's reappearance on the operational roster, however, the Museum understood that a $425,000-450,000 kitty needed to be assembled to completely overhaul the running gear. (See the director's 23 September 2009 At the Throttle presented at [link])

That repair couldn't delay the fifteen-year expiration date that fell in March 2020. Trains Magazine sponsored a "Farewell 40!" photo charter event March 7-8, 2020, after which 40 would undergo the fifteen-year inspection required of all operating steam locomotives in the US.

In Trains' announcement of the special charter, Mark Bassett, president of the NNRy offered the following promise:

"We are excited to work with Trains Magazine on raising awareness of the Nevada Northern Railway National Historic Landmark and especially locomotive 40 ...Locomotive 40 is in a class by herself. She is an official locomotive of the State of Nevada. While this is her farewell year, like a Phoenix, she will raise again, and be returned to service!"

When interviewed by Trains' Jim Wrinn in April 2021, Bassett said that the 40 had "issues from when she was delivered from Baldwin in 1910" and suffered from neglect by 1930 because the engine's declining utility in the face of automobiles and the Great Depression. Only a requirement in 1947 to keep a passenger train set on hand saved her from the ferro-knacker.

In viewing the then-upcoming restoration project, Bassett summarized: "What that means is that we have to not only do the boiler work, but also running gear work and tender work too. The restoration of No. 40 is estimated at $2 million."

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class1044/F-2-aR E Noble
Locobase ID16293 12928 8004 13685
RailroadNewton & NorthwesternNahma & NorthernNewton & NorthwesternNevada Northern
CountryUSAUSAUSAUSA
Whyte4-6-04-6-04-6-04-6-0
Number in Class2111
Road Numbers10, 1244/4501/101240
GaugeStdStdStdStd
Number Built2111
BuilderAlco-SchenectadyBurnham, Williams & CoAlco-PittsburghBaldwin
Year1904190619051910
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephensonBaker
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)14.33 / 4.3710.50 / 3.2010.17 / 3.1013.33 / 4.06
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)25.33 / 7.7218.42 / 5.6120.50 / 6.2524.50 / 7.47
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.57 0.57 0.50 0.54
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)50.40 / 15.3647.75 / 14.5552.75 / 16.08
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)103,500 / 46,94776,000 / 34,47382,600 / 37,467102,500 / 46,493
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)140,500 / 63,73088,000 / 39,916106,700 / 48,398137,400 / 62,324
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)85,500 / 38,78260,000 / 27,21683,850 / 38,034115,080 / 54,431
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)226,000 / 102,512148,000 / 67,132190,550 / 86,432252,480 / 116,755
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 13.263000 / 11.363400 / 12.886000 / 22.73
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)8 5.50 / 510 / 9
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)58 / 2942 / 2146 / 2357 / 28.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)62 / 157550 / 127051 / 129569 / 1753
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)190 / 1310180 / 1240160 / 1100200 / 1380
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 26" / 483x66016" x 24" / 406x61018" x 24" / 457x61019" x 26" / 483x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)24,449 / 11089.8918,801 / 8528.0020,736 / 9405.7023,125 / 10489.34
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.23 4.04 3.98 4.43
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)250 - 2" / 51184 - 2" / 51218 - 2" / 51256 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)14.17 / 4.3211.87 / 3.6211.96 / 3.6514.25 / 4.34
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)142.90 / 13.2892 / 8.55141 / 13.10145 / 13.47
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)25 / 2.3220 / 1.8623 / 2.1429.30 / 2.72
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1986 / 184.501222 / 113.571497 / 139.032048 / 190.26
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1986 / 184.501222 / 113.571497 / 139.032048 / 190.26
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume232.83218.60211.74240.09
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation4750360036805860
Same as above plus superheater percentage4750360036805860
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area27,15116,56022,56029,000
Power L16216451342367477
Power MT397.22392.74339.18482.46

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