AB Dick Construction Co Beyer-Garratt Locomotives in the USA

Class 144 (Locobase 5041)

Data from 1947 Locomotive Cyclopedia. See also the patent documentation for US2024969A at [], last accessed 22 September 2014. Works numbers were 4141 in June 1931, 4159 in February 1932, 4163 in May 1933

This Duplex could be regarded as Kitson-Meyer derivative as it had independent driven bogies, one under the boiler and one under the tank. The cylinders of the two engine sets faced each other under the middle of the locomotive, but unlike the Kitson-Meyer, they were much shorter, which left a noticeable gap between them.

The very low driver diameter dictated low speed and the unusual expedient of splitting four sets of drivers into two separated bogies indicates very tight turning radii.

According to Robert Lehmuth's compilation of Vulcan production (supplied by Allen Stanley in August 2013 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange collection):

The 144 first worked at Audenried, Pa. It was later sold to Lehigh Valley Coal , which renumbered it 127 and put it to work at the Hazleton Shaft Colliery, Hazleton, Pa.

145-146 both went to A J O'Neil (D),Philadelphia, Pa and then Atmospheric Nitrogen Corp, Henderson, Ky.

145 then was sold to Proctor & Gamble Co, Prairie, Minn and last to the US Army for operation at the Ohio River Ordnance Works, Henderson, Ky. It was put up for sale by the War Assets Administration in May 1948.