4-2-4T

Last updated
4-2-4
WheelArrangement 4-2-4.svg
4-2-4 B&ER 44.jpg
Pearson 4-2-4T no. 44 of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, c. 1854
Equivalent classifications
UIC class 2A2
French class 212
Turkish class 15
Swiss class 1/5
Russian class2-1-2
First known tank engine version
First use1853
CountryUnited Kingdom
LocomotivePearson 4-2-4T
Railway Bristol and Exeter Railway
Designer James Pearson
BuilderBristol and Exeter Railway

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and four trailing wheels on two axles.

Contents

The configuration was only used for tank engines, which is noted by adding letter suffixes to the configuration, such as 4-2-4T for a conventional side-tank locomotive, 4-2-4ST for a saddle-tank locomotive, 4-2-4WT for a well-tank locomotive and 4-2-4RT for a rack-equipped tank locomotive.

Overview

This wheel arrangement was mainly used on various tank locomotive configurations. Eight 4-2-4 well- and back-tank locomotives which entered service on the Bristol and Exeter Railway in 1853 appear to have been the first with this wheel arrangement. The engine was designed by James Pearson, the railway company's engineer, and featured single large flangeless driving wheels between two supporting four-wheeled bogies. The water was carried in both well- and back-tanks, leaving the boilers exposed in the same way as on most tender locomotives.

Usage

United Kingdom

The first eight known 4-2-4T locomotives entered service on the broad gauge Bristol and Exeter Railway in 1853 and 1854, numbered in the range from 39 to 46. They had 9 feet (2,743 millimetres) diameter flangeless driving wheels, supported by leading and trailing two-axle bogies. The water was carried in both well- and back-tanks. Two more engines were built in 1859 and 1862, but with much smaller 7 feet 6 inches (2,286 millimetres) diameter driving wheels.

The second B&ER No. 40 of 1873 4-2-4 B&ER No40.jpg
The second B&ER No. 40 of 1873

Between 1869 and 1873, new locomotives were built to replace four of the original 9 feet (2,743 millimetres) diameter driving wheeled engines, re-using the engine numbers of the locomotives being replaced. These four replacement engines had slightly smaller, 8 feet 10 inches (2,692 millimetres), diameter driving wheels.

In 1881, this wheel arrangement was also used by the Great Western Railway on William Dean's experimental locomotive No. 9. Since it was so prone to derailing as to be unable to be moved from the workshops where it was built, it did no work and was rebuilt to a 2-2-2 tender locomotive in 1884. Dugald Drummond of the London and South Western Railway built a 4-2-4T F9 class combined locomotive and inspection saloon in 1899. It was little used after Drummond's death in 1912. [1]

United States

The C.P. Huntington CP Huntington.jpg
The C.P. Huntington

The engine C. P. Huntington was one of three identical 4-2-4 tank locomotives. They were the first locomotives to be purchased by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1863, for use on light commuter services in the Sacramento area. The locomotives had serious shortcomings. The single driving axle did not carry the full weight of the engine's rear end due to the trailing truck and, in addition to being too light, it therefore lacked adhesion to reliably pull trains, especially on gradients. The short water tank on the Forney-type frame prevented the locomotives from travelling any moderate distance without consuming all of their water. As a result, these locomotives were only used when absolutely necessary. [2]

In 1863, a sister engine, the T. D. Judah , was built by the Cooke Locomotive Works for a railroad which was unable to pay for it and was purchased by the Central Pacific Railroad. This locomotive was rebuilt to a 4-2-2 wheel arrangement in 1872. [2]

South Africa

In 1923, the South African Railways (SAR) conducted trials with a prototype petrol-paraffin powered road-rail tractor and, in 1924, placed at least two Dutton steam rail tractors in service on the new 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge line between Naboomspruit and Singlewood in Transvaal. One of the latter had a 4-2-4 wheel arrangement. [3] [4]

Dutton rail-only tractor no. RR1155, c. 1924 Dutton Road-Rail Tractor no. RR1155 b.jpg
Dutton rail-only tractor no. RR1155, c. 1924

The designer, Major Frank Dutton, SAR Signal Engineer and the Motor Transport Superintendent, argued that a rubber tyre in contact with a hard road would be better at transferring tractive power than a steel wheel on steel rail. At least two Dutton Rail Tractors were built, both steam-powered and both rebuilt by the Britannia Engineering Works of Johannesburg from Yorkshire steam tractors. [4] [5]

The second Dutton tractor, no. RR1155, was a rail-only vehicle. It had a bogie at either end with the single pair of driving wheels on a differential axle in the centre. It was arranged for forward and reverse movement at all speeds, but it could only be used on the rails. Since, on occasion, the vehicle had to be transported by road, its construction was such that it could be readily disassembled into more easily transportable units, to be moved on road wheels to a workshop or for transfer of any other kind. In service, the tractor was often equipped with a water tank tender loaded with additional bags of coal on its running boards. [4] [6] [7]

In fiction

The Little Blue Engine from the original 1906 book The Little Engine That Could was a Forney locomotive with this wheel arrangement. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Bogie locomotive</span>

Mason Bogie locomotives are a type of articulated tank locomotive suited for sharp curves and uneven track, once commonly used on narrow-gauge railways in the United States. The design is a development of the Single Fairlie locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tank locomotive</span> Steam locomotive which carries its fuel and water onboard

A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of a more traditional tender. Most tank engines also have bunkers to hold fuel; in a tender-tank locomotive a tender holds some or all of the fuel, and may hold some water also.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-10-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-10-4 locomotive has two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a Bissel truck, ten coupled driving wheels on five axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles, usually in a bogie. These were referred to as the Texas type in most of the United States, the Colorado type on the Burlington Route, and the Selkirk type in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Driving wheel</span> Powered wheel of a locomotive

On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons. On a conventional, non-articulated locomotive, the driving wheels are all coupled together with side rods ; normally one pair is directly driven by the main rod which is connected to the end of the piston rod; power is transmitted to the others through the side rods.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-10-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. In the United States and elsewhere the 2-10-2 is known as the Santa Fe type, after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway that first used the type in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-2-0</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle and no trailing wheels. This type of locomotive is often called a Jervis type, the name of the original designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-8-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a steam locomotive that has two unpowered leading wheels, followed by eight coupled and powered driving wheels, and four trailing wheels. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway used the name Kanawha for their 2-8-4s. In Europe, this wheel arrangement was mostly seen in mainline passenger express locomotives and, in certain countries, in tank locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-2-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-6-4 locomotive has two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-4-4T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 2-4-4 is a steam locomotive with two unpowered leading wheels followed by four powered driving wheels and four unpowered trailing wheels. The wheel arrangement was only used for tank locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-4-4T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles. This type was only used for tank locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-6-4T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-8-4T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forney locomotive</span>

The Forney is a type of tank locomotive patented by Matthias N. Forney between 1861 and 1864 and used predominantly in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives</span>

The 14 Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-2-4T locomotives were broad gauge 4-2-4T steam locomotives built to three different designs. The first entered service in 1853. The Bristol and Exeter Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 January 1876, and the last of the 4-2-4Ts was withdrawn in 1885.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-8-2+2-8-4 is a Garratt articulated locomotive consisting of a pair of 4-8-2 engine units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 4-8-2 wheel arrangement has four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading bogie, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing wheels on one axle, usually in a trailing truck. Since the 4-8-2 type is generally known as a Mountain, the corresponding Garratt type is usually known as a Double Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Class 21 2-10-4</span>

The South African Railways Class 21 2-10-4 of 1937 was a class of steam locomotives used in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Class 20 2-10-2</span>

The South African Railways Class 20 2-10-2 of 1935 was a steam locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Class H 4-10-2T</span> Tank locomotive developed in 1899

The South African Railways Class H 4-10-2T, introduced in 1899, was a steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Colony of Natal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Dutton road-rail tractors</span>

The South African Railways Dutton road-rail tractors of 1923 were road-rail steam tractors.

References

  1. D. L. Bradley, Locomotive of the London and South Western Railway, Part ii., Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, 1967. pp. 86-87.
  2. 1 2 Diebert, Timothy S.; Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Compendium. Huntington Beach, CA: Shade Tree Books. pp. 33, 51. ISBN   0-930742-12-5.
  3. Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1945). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter VII - South African Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, October 1945. pp. 782-783.
  4. 1 2 3 Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 118–119. ISBN   0869772112.
  5. Stronach-Dutton Road-Rail - The Roadrail System of Traction
  6. Patent: Dutton Light Railway System and Locomotive Therefor, US 1306051 A, Jun 10, 1919
  7. Patent: Vehicle for Service on Roads and Rails, US 1561510 A, Nov 17, 1925
  8. "I think I can. I think I can. - Original 1906 cover". 19 July 2010.
  9. "The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper, 1954 - yellow cloth cover with black print".