The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-25
RECORD BREAKING ENGINES.
Virginia Railway Gets Four Most
Powerful Locomotives.

A locomotive with 5000 pounds
tractive power breaks all previous
records. A unit as powerful es this
is astounding. This tractive power
is provided in the four Mallet loco
motives which have just been built
for the Virginia Railway and is OBJ
tained with less than $4,000 pounds
average weight per driving axle. Con-
sidered from that point of view, these
locomotives have an added signifi-
canoe.
In all parts of the country railroad
officials are considering how to Sc
cure the power required to most ef-
flciently meet particularly difficult
service without exceeding the exist
ing limitations on axle loads. This,
says the Manufacturers Record. was
exactly the problem on the Virginian
Railway, and these locomotives were
developed to meet it.
They will each be able to haul
155 loaded fifty ton capacity freight
cars at ten miles per hour; each has
sixteen driving wheels; locomotive
and tender weigh $4,000 pounds,
and the firebox is large enough to
hold dinkey switching locomotive.
With these locomotives in helper SER
vice the officials expect to increase
the maximum train load over four
teen miles 2.07 per cent. grade to A.
23O tons.
The crucial point on the entire
line over which all the tonnage pass
es is that portion between Elmore
and Clark's Gap on the Deepwater
division, a distance Of about four
teen miles. The last eleven and a
half miles of this on a 2.07 per
cent. grade, with maximum compen-
sated curves at IL degrees. For the
first two and a half miles the grade
is 5 per cent. At present trains are
usually operated over this grade with
one Mallet of the lightest class at
the head and two of the heavier To-
comotive as helpers.
With this power the maximum
train over the mountain is 3,340 tons.
This is approximately 500 tons less
than the Mallet road engine can take
through over the remainder Of the
division. AS the road is single track
and the volume of traffic constantly
increasing, it is essential to increase
the maximum through tonnage.
The enormous locomotives were
developed in order to accomplish
this result without increasing the
number of locomotives which the
present maximum train requires over
the ruling grade. They will take the
place of the Mallets now used as
helpers, which will be put into road
service. With two of the Mallets
as helpers and one of the class hav-
ing $4,000 pounds tractive power as
road engine, making a combined
tractive force of $4,000 pounds, it
is expected as previously stated, to
take a maximum train of 4,230 tons
over the Clark's Gap grade. The
road engine, unaided, will take this
train through to Princeton, the ter
minal of the division.
Apart from the enormous weight
and power of the locomotives as a
whole, the dimensions of some of
the principal parts are impressive
as showing the extent with which all
limits were exceeded in it's design and
construction. The following warrant
special attention: Outside diameter of
boiler at largest ring, 112 inches;
tubes, 344, 211 inches diameter;
flues, 4S, 5 k inches diameter; heat
ing surface, $3.50 square feet; super
heating surface, 1910 square feet;
firebox ring 1S4 kx119 inches;
length of boiler, so feet l 1-S inches;
low pressure cylinders, 44x32 inches;
high pressure cylinders, 2Sx32 inch
es; tender capacity, $4,000 gallons of
water and Is tons of COAL
Following the builders latest ap-
proved practice for this type of loco
motive, the engine are equipped with
superheaters. The superheater is OF
the fire tube, double loop type. The
superheater tubes are contained in
40 fues 5k inches in diameter.
Vanadium steel was extensively used
for those parts which are subjected
to the greatest strain. The parts con-
structed of this material include en-
CINE frames, crossheads, driving
wheel tires, driving, engine trailing