TEN WHEEL TANK ENGINE
The engraving shows a design of a tank locomotive built for the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It was known as the “Decapot Tank Freight” type, and has a guaranteed hauling capacity of 760 tons (2,240 lb.) up a 2 per cent grade. Four of these engines were built to operate the St. Clair Tunnel. At either end (in the cuttings and in the tunnel) there is about 5,000 ft. of the 2 per cent grade. The general dimensions and description of this engine are as follows:
Cylinders 11 in. diam. By 28 in. stroke
Driving wheels 50 in. diam.
Driving wheels centres (cast iron) 44 in.
Tires (standard Otis steel) 3 in. thick.
Boiler of 5/8 in steel 74 in. diam.
Rivets 1 in, diam., 2 ¼ in. and 3 ½ in. centres.
Laps, all longitudinal seams have double riveted butts joints, with double covering strips.
Steam pressure 150 lb. per square inch.
Fuel Anthracite coal.
Cylinder lubricators Seibert sight feed.
Injectors Two Friedman No. 10 W/F.
Brakes Westinghouse American, operated by air, on fronts of all wheels, with Ross-Meehan shoes.
Tank capacity, 1800 gallons (277 cubic inches) of water and 3 tons of coal.
Wheel base total 18 ft. 5 in.
Weight on drivers in working order 87 tons.
Cooke steam bell ringer.
The weight on drivers is greater than that of any other locomotive which has come to our knowledge. It is believed to be the largest locomotive in the world, and with a coefficient of friction on the rail of 600 lb. per ton would give a hauling force on the draw bas of 58,500 lb. The resistance of 760 tons on a 2 per cent grade is about 38,400 lb. and the total resistance to overcome is about 44,400 lb. This is with the liberal allowance of 7 lb. per ton of load friction. Hence it is seen that this engine has a considerable margin in which to work with a clean rail. The rails used will weight 100 lb. per yard.
This is a particularly handsome engine, and represents very forcible the lines which American Builders are following to reach the most economical type of heavy freight engine.
The boiler fronts are pressed steel, and of an excellent design, easily repaired and kept tight. The guiders are short and heavy, with large wearing surfaces at the crosshead, an excellent example of the Laird type. The boiler is one of the largest, if not the largest, that has ever been constructed for a locomotive; it is 74 in. diameter and is made of 5/8 in. steel plates.
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More historic information:
The St. Clair Tunnel Company was not part of the Canadian National Electric Railways system. It was operated as an independent subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, however, it is included here due to its association with Canadian National Railways.
The first St. Clair Tunnel remains an engineering wonder even after more than one hundred years in operation. Running under the St. Clair River, which joins Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, the single bore tunnel provided a link between Sarnia, Ontario, Canada and Port Huron, Michigan, USA. On October 24, 1891, the first revenue freight train passed through the tunnel from Port Huron to Sarnia, however, it was not until December 7th that the first passenger train travelled through the tunnel. The ferry boats were then removed from service. In 1898, one was transferred to Grand Trunk's Windsor ferry operation while the other was sold. The St. Clair Tunnel Company operated as an independent subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway until 1923 when the GTR was absorbed into the Canadian National Railways.
Some Tunnel Facts
Tunnel length portal to portal - 6,025 feet
Tunnel length under the river bed - 2,290 feet
Diameter of tunnel - 19 feet 10 inches
Construction cost - $2,700,000.
For motive power, four 0-10-0T steam locomotives were used. Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in February 1891, they were numbered 598-601 having serial numbers 11586, 11589, 11590 & 11595. Originally built as camelback engines with side mounted water tanks, they later had tenders added to extend the time between fuel and water stops. The side tanks were removed in 1898 subsequent with renumbering to 1301-1304. Engines 1301 and 1304 had the cabs moved to the usual position at the rear of the boiler. The engines were again renumbered in 1910 to 2650-2653. #2652 was scrapped in 1916. The other three steam locomotives were scrapped in 1920.
The four steam locomotives were relieved of their tunnel duties in May 1908 when they were replaced by six electric locomotives due to concerns about crew suffocation if a train stalled in the tunnel.
