Virginian class AG “Blue Ridge”
Four years after the delivery of the first class H-8 Allegheny locomotives to the Chesapeake & Ohio, the Virginian ordered eight units, which differed little from their prototype. Both classes are among the most powerful steam locomotives of all time, which required a three-axle trailing bogie due to their extraordinarily large firebox. Since the C&O had named their locomotives after the mountain range to be crossed, the Virginian's locomotives were named after the Blue Ridge Mountains. External distinguishing features were only the slightly lower sand domes and other proportions on the tender. The AG was also manufactured by Lima in Ohio.
When the engines were to be delivered, the Virginian had major problems because the Chesapeake & Ohio did not want foreign locomotives with such a high axle load to run on their own network. According to rumors, the C&O itself was not aware of the high axle load of the H-8, as this had been increased several times during development. This subsequently led to the inspection of all affected bridges and cost Lima several million dollars. Later, however, the locomotives adapted for the Virginian were again used as the basis for a second batch for the C&O in 1948. At the Virginian, the machines were already retired by 1955 and scrapped by 1960.
Technical data
General
- Built
- 1945
- Manufacturers
- Lima
- Wheel arrangement
- 2-6-6-6 (Allegheny)
- Gauge
- 1,435 mm (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Wheelbase
- 19.05 m
- Total wheelbase
- 34.42 m
- Service mass
- 341.6 t
- Adhesion mass
- 224.5 t
- Total mass
- 542 t
- Rigid wheelbase
- 3.61 m
- Axle load
- 37.4 t
- Water capacity
- 100,313 l
- Fuel capacity
- 22.7 t (coal)
Boiler
- Grate area
- 12.57 m²
- Firebox surface
- 70.792 m²
- Tube heating surface
- 560.485 m²
- Evaporative heating surface
- 631.277 m²
- Superheater surface
- 271.463 m²
- Total heating surface
- 902.7 m²
Power plant
- Driver diameter
- 1,702 mm
- Boiler pressure
- 17.9 bar
- Expansion type
- simple expansion
- Cylinders
- four, 572 x 838 mm
Power
- Power source
- steam
- Estimated power
- 5,593 kW (7,604 PS)
- Starting effort
- 490.2 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 4.49
- Optimal speed
- 69 km/h
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 16.4 kW/t
- Heating Surface Equivalent
- 1,528.2 m²
- Cylinder volume/HSE
- 1 : 562.81
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.52
- Tractive force/Heating surface
- 1 : 11.34
- Grate area/Heating surface
- 1 : 71.82
- Firebox/Tube surface
- 1 : 7.92
- Total/Superheater
- 1 : 2.33