Chesapeake and Ohio class K-4

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Chesapeake and Ohio class K-4
C&O 2736 at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay in September 1963.jpg
C&O K-4 No. 2736 at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, September 1963
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerAdvisory Mechanical Committee
Builder
Build date1943–1947
Total produced90
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 2-8-4
   UIC 1′D2 h2
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 33 in (83.820 cm)
Driver dia.69 in (1.753 m)
Trailing dia. 36 in (91.440 cm) (Lead)
43 in (109.220 cm) (Trail)
Tender wheels36 in (91.440 cm)
Minimum curve 288 ft (88 m) radius / 20°
Wheelbase 93 ft 2 in (28.40 m)
Length105 ft 1+78 in (32.05 m)
Width10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
Height15 ft 7+12 in (4.76 m)
Axle load 73,000 lb (37 short tons) to 73,600 lb (36.8 short tons)
Adhesive weight 292,000 lb (146 short tons) to 293,100 lb (146.6 short tons)
Loco weight460,000 lb (230 short tons) to 469,680 lb (234.84 short tons)
Tender weight388,030 lb (194.02 short tons) to 394,100 lb (197.1 short tons)
Total weight850,000 lb (420 short tons) to 863,780 lb (431.89 short tons)
Tender type21-RG
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity30 short tons (27 t)
Water cap.21,000 US gal (79,000 L; 17,000 imp gal)
Firebox:
  Grate area90 sq ft (8.4 m2)
Boiler:
  ModelFire Tube
  Diameter98 in (2,489 mm)
  Tube plates19 ft (6 m)
Boiler pressure245 lbf (1.09 kN)
Feedwater heater Worthington 5 1/2 SA
10,200 US gallon / hr capacity
Heating surface:
  Firebox465 sq ft (43.2 m2)
  Tubes and flues4,308 sq ft (400.2 m2)
  Total surface4,773 sq ft (443.4 m2)
Superheater:
  TypeType E
  Heating area1,932 sq ft (179.5 m2)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 26 in × 34 in (660 mm × 864 mm)
Valve gear Baker
Valve type Piston valves
Valve travel8 in (203 mm)
Valve lap1+1116 in (43 mm)
Valve lead316 in (5 mm)
Train heatingSteam heat
Loco brake Pneumatic, Schedule 8-ET
Train brakes Pneumatic
Performance figures
Maximum speed80 mph (129 km/h)
Tractive effort 69,350 lbf (308.48 kN) (Engine)
14,000 lbf (62.28 kN) (Booster)
83,350 lbf (370.76 kN) (Total)
Factor of adh. 4.21-4.23 (Engine)
4.6 (Booster)
Career
Operators Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Numbers2700–2789
NicknamesKanawha
Big Mike
Retired1952–1957
PreservedTwelve (Nos. 2700, 2705, 2707, 2716, 2727, 2732, 2736, 2755, 2756, 2760, 2776, 2789) preserved; remainder scrapped
RestoredOngoing with No. 2716
Disposition No. 2716 undergoing restoration, 11 on display, remainder scrapped
10 preserved built by ALCO and 2 preserved built by Lima

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's K-4 class were a group of ninety 2-8-4 steam locomotives purchased during and shortly after World War II. [1] Unlike many other railroads in the United States, the C&O chose to nickname this class "Kanawha", after the river in West Virginia, rather than "Berkshire", after the region in New England.

Contents

As of 2024, twelve examples are preserved, with their display locations including the National Railroad Museum, the Science Museum of Virginia, Chief Logan State Park, and the B&O Railroad Museum.

Details

In the early 1940s, as the United States entered World War II, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was looking to roster large locomotives to aid their aging 2-8-2 "Mikados" in general freight service. [2] The Advisory Mechanical Committee (AMC) formulated a 2-8-4 design, named the K-4 class. [2] The K-4s were reproduced from the AMC's previous designs for the Nickel Plate Road's (NKP) 700 series 2-8-4s and the Pere Marquette Railway's (PM) 1200 series 2-8-4s, but the K-4s were equipped with boosters to increase their tractive effort, and their steam domes were positioned behind their sandboxes. [2] The steam domes were positioned in front of the sandboxes for the NKP and PM 2-8-4s, since they allowed for efficient steam passages while traveling on level territories, but the design feature was prone to water-overflowing at the C&O's downhill grades in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. [2]

Ninety K-4s, Nos. 2700-2789, were built between 1943 and 1947 by the American Locomotive Company and the Lima Locomotive Works. [2] The K-4s were mostly assigned to heavy and high speed freight services throughout the north-eastern regions of the United States and part of Ontario, Canada by the Pere Marquette. The early K-4s were also used to haul passenger trains during World War II. The K-4s were considered to be one of the few recognizable 2-8-4 "Berkshire" classes in North America, since they were designed with their headlights below their smokeboxes and oval-shaped number plates on their smokebox doors. [2] They were successful locomotives and were popular with crews, so popular with them that they referred to the locomotives as "Big Mikes". [3]

Preserved Locomotives

Twelve Kanawhas have been preserved, with No. 2716 being restored to operation.

One Kanawha (No. 2701) was on display in Buffalo, New York after retirement, but was vandalized beyond repair and was eventually scrapped a few months after being on display. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel Plate Road 779</span> Preserved NKP S-3 class 2-8-4 locomotive

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio 2755</span> Preserved American 2-8-4 locomotive (C&O K-4 class)

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway 2755 is a standard gauge steam railway locomotive of the 2-8-4 type, called "Berkshire" by most US railroads, but "Kanawha" by the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O). It is one of a total of ninety built by ALCO and Lima between 1943 and 1947.

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) is a non-profit group in New Haven, Indiana that is dedicated to the restoration and operation of the ex-Nickel Plate Railroad's steam locomotive no. 765 and other vintage railroad equipment. Since restoration, the 765 was added to the National Register of Historic Places as no. 96001010 on September 12, 1996 and has operated excursion trains across the Eastern United States. In 2012, the FWRHS's steam locomotive no. 765 was added to the Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio 2716</span> Preserved American 2-8-4 locomotive (C&O K-4 class)

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2716 is a class "K-4" 2-8-4 "Kanawha" (Berkshire) type steam locomotive built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). While most railroads referred to these 2-8-4 type locomotives as Berkshires, the C&O referred to them as Kanawhas after the Kanawha River, which flows through West Virginia. Used as a dual service locomotive, No. 2716 and its classmates served the C&O in a variety of duties until being retired from revenue service in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel Plate Road 763</span> Preserved NKP S-2 class 2-8-4 locomotive

Nickel Plate Road 763 is a S-2 class 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotive. It was built in August 1944 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, as the ninth engine of its class. It is a high powered fast freight locomotive that carried perishables between Chicago and Buffalo, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio class H-8</span> Class of 60 American 2-6-6-6 locomotives

The Chesapeake and Ohio class H-8 was a class of 60 simple articulated 2-6-6-6 steam locomotives built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio between 1941 and 1948, operating until the mid 1950s. The locomotives were among the most powerful steam locomotives ever built and hauled fast, heavy freight trains for the railroad. Only two units were preserved; Nos. 1601 and 1604.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville and Nashville class M-1</span> Class of 42 American 2-8-4 locomotives

The Louisville and Nashville M-1 was a class of forty-two 2-8-4 steam locomotives built during and after World War II as dual-service locomotives. They were nicknamed "Big Emmas" by crews and were built in three batches between 1942 and 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio 490</span> Preserved American 4-6-4 locomotive

Chesapeake and Ohio No. 490 is the sole survivor of the L-1 class 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives. It was built by ALCO's Richmond works in 1926 as an F-19 class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type to be used to pull the Chesapeake and Ohio's secondary passenger trains. It was eventually rebuilt in 1946 to become a streamlined 4-6-4 for the C&O's Chessie streamliner.

The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHCO) is a nonprofit organization based on the border between Irvine and Ravenna, Kentucky. The organization mainly focuses on the restoration of Chesapeake and Ohio K-4 2-8-4 steam locomotive No. 2716 along with other vintage railroad equipment. The organization has plans of turning the surrounding area into its own tourist attraction called the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center through a partnership with the R.J. Corman Railroad Group and CSX Transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio class T-1</span> American steam locomotive

The Chesapeake and Ohio T-1 was a class of forty 2-10-4 steam locomotives built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1930 and operated until the early 1950s.

The Nickel Plate RoadH-6o was a class of 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives that were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Lake Erie and Western Railroad (LE&W) and were given to the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (NYC&StL) or Nickel Plate Road (NKP) in 1918.

References

  1. Riggan, Phil (May 28, 2014). "C&O Locomotive Restored at Science Museum of Virginia". Richmond Times-Dispatch . Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boyd, Jim; Dixon, Tom (January 1981). "The last Greenbrier". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 3, no. 8. Carstens Publications. pp. 39–40.
  3. "Chesapeake & Ohio "2-8-4" Locomotives: Roster, Photos".
  4. "Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA".
  5. "Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA".

Further reading