New York, Ontario, & Western 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class E (Locobase 9003)

Data from NYO&W 1 - 1943 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See William D. Edson's roster in Railroad History Bulletin 175 for builder's numbers. His accounting shows that Brooks produced these engines as a single batch (works #50035-50038) in May 1911.

Conventional Ten-wheelers with passenger-sized drivers, this quartet was nicknamed the "Teakettles" in recognition of their easy-steaming qualities. Mal Houck ("Ontario & Western Ramblings No. 4", February 2009 Mountaineer, []) describes their varied service obligations:

"On Northern Division milk trains, on the "Long Milk" (Trains 9 and 10) these engines could keep a tight schedule, and then with the seasonal travel to the Borscht Belt the "Teakettles" could be found on the head end of any of the O&W scheduled passenger trains. There are photos taken in which these engines were pressed into pusher duties during the off-season as needed."

The four served the cash-strapped NYO & W until the late 1940s with 225 & 228 scrapped first in February 1947 and 227 in May 1948.

Class I-1 (Locobase 9004)

Data from NYO&W 1 - 1943 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Locobase 9002 shows the original camelback Moguls delivered by Cooke and Baldwin. In the late 'teens, the shops took the first 6 in hand and modified them considerably as conventional-cab 4-6-0s. Grate area plummeted now that the engines used bituminous coal and a superheater was added.

So altered, the class served until 1940 (4) and 1948 (2 - 33 and 35).

Class U-1 - superheated (Locobase 9007)

Data from NYO&W 1 - 1943 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

As noted in Locobase 4120, 6 of the camelback Moguls put into service on the NYO & W were converted into Ten-wheelers. According to Ronald J. Stanulevich's vivid article -- Called Home to Glory: The Disaster at Chiloway Switch -- published on [] (viewed 23 Feb 2004) -- #249 gained a reputation as a free-steaming locomotive. "A fine runner", she earned her curious nickname of "Ostrich" in honor of "her good speed and easy gait" and her ability "to really stretch out and run". One factor in such high performance were her relatively tall drivers, although such height must have affected her ability to start a heavy train. Conversion from a Bissell to a front bogie truck undoubtedly contributed to #249's grace as well.

Altogether 9 were converted to a 4-6-0 arrangement (Class U-1) in 1916 (251), 1917 (244, 246, 249, 256), 1919 (250), 1920 (241), 1923 (253), and 1924 (245). In the process, boiler pressure was increased to 200 psi (boosting tractive effort to 30,400 lb), and total engine weight to 184,000 lb.After that, the class was superheated ans supplied with Baker radial valve gear.