The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-16
RAILROAD NEWS.
Rock Island Claims the Heaviest
Locomotive 8 On Drivers. "
Disputes the Title Of the New
Santa Fe DecapOds.
FOR MOUNTAIN USE.
Engine and Tender Both Rest
on Drive Wheels.
Has Technical Advantage
Over the DecapOds.
FOR MOUNTAIN USE.

The FL Paso & Rock Island route
rcomprising the FL Paso & Rock Island,
Fl PasO & Northeastern and Alamo
gorda q Sacramento Mountain roaos.
the latter being branch l1ne) extends
from El Paso Texas to Santa Rosa,
New Mexico. The system traverses q
very mountainous territory and in Sc
lecting motive power for operation on
ITS lines "hin climbing ability is one
OF the first requisites of locomotive per
Torrance. The Lima Locomotive & Ma
chine company recently delivered to the
road q large Shay geared locomotive
which is the heaviest engine of its type
ever built, and which has, 1t is claimed
q greater weight on drivers than any
engine of previous construction OF any
type whatever. This last statement IS
brought out by comparison with the re-
cent heavy tandem-compound decapous
built for the Atchison, Topeka q santa
Re railway at the Baldwin works ana
at the Schenectady plant of the Arnerl-
can Locomotive company Inc loco
motives built at the Baldwin WORKS
have a weight on drivers OF z4o,zvV
bounds with a total weight OF zoo, tVU
pounds: while those constructed at the
Schenectady works have q weight. on
driving wheels of 232, 600 pounds and a
total weight of 259,8O0 pounds Ihe TO-
tai weight Of the engine and tender OF
the Shay locomotive built for the III
Paso & Rock Island line is carried on
the driving wheels, this total being Z5l,-
ESQ pounds, or $4,000 pounds more than
sthe weight on driving wheels Of the
Baldwin decapods for the Santa Re il
win be seen therefore, that WnlIe the
Shay locomotive has not the heaviest
total weight. it has more weight on
drivers than the heaviest direct-con-
nected engine built up to the present
time The total tractive power OF the
aforementioned engine is 1900 pounds,
while the Baldwin decapOd for the San
ia Fe has a Uactive power Of 6O,UOO
pounds, working compound, and that OF
Schenectady build about 81 600 pounds,
the decapods operating at 225 pounds
per square inch boiler pressure and the
Shay locomotive at 100 pounds.
The design of this locomotive is the re-
suit of a desire on the part OF the
operating department Of the road men
toned to provide an engine that can
be economically operated on a very billy
division, laid with 60-pound rails. This
division extends from Alanlogordo Cox
Canyon, n. NJ, distance Of 2o miles,
and is known as the Alamogordo & Sac
ramento Mountain railway The stretch
of track has a total elevation between
terminals Of nearly 5000 feet or an
average Of nearly 200 feet to the mile;
the grades ranging from. 3 per cent to
more than 61z per cent. the latter rise
being found near the summit Of the dl-
vision For a distance of about eight
miles there is a continuous grade OF
from AZ to 81 per cent and another
hill about One-half mile ia length, which
varies from to 81 per cent, coupled
with sharp curves. Illustrative Of the
performance of this locomotive, a train
made up OF Y logging cars and a ca
bose each car Weighing about $1,000
pounds, was recently handled. The net
weight of the train was 222 tons and
total weight with the engine 1862 tons,
this load being pulled over the half-mile
stretch with s and 61a per cent grade
above mentioned. This haulage is equiv
alent to us tons total train weight, or
575 tons net train weight. over a 3 per
cent grade. The more interesting par
ticulars of the locomotive are brought
out in the following paragraphs, and
the general dimensions are presented at
length in tabulated form.
The engine is carried on four center
bearing swiveled trucks with four wheels
10 each truck, or total of 16 wheels.
spread over a wheel base of 81 feet 4
inches. This distribution of weight gives
an average wheel weight of 8,125 pounds.
ana enables the engine to be used on a