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Steam Turbine Locomotives[Inhalt]
Beluzzo steam turbine locomotive
Italy | 1908
only one produced
Builder's photo
Builder's photo
Schweizerische Bauzeitung, Band 82, Heft 23, Seite 299, Abb. 1

Giuseppe Belluzzo designed a steam turbine locomotive with each wheel powered by its own turbine. Built in 1908 by Officine Meccaniche in Milan, the locomotive had two axles and thus four turbines connected in series. The steam first drove the turbine on the front right wheel and the exhaust steam was used to drive the turbine on the right rear wheel. This continued with the rear left and front left wheels before finally ending up in the smoke box.

The turbines turned at a much higher speed than the wheels. Different speeds could be achieved with the help of different gear wheels, while forward and reverse travel was made possible by double guide vanes. Although the prototype was in use until 1921, the drive form with several turbines did not catch on.

General
Built1908
ManufacturerOfficine Meccaniche
Axle configB 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Length23 ft 3 1/2 in
Wheelbase6 ft 6 3/4 in
Rigid wheelbase6 ft 6 3/4 in
Service weight57,320 lbs
Adhesive weight57,320 lbs
Fuel capacitycoal
Boiler
Evaporative heating area322.9 sq ft
Total heating area322.9 sq ft
Power Plant
Driver diameter47.2 in
Boiler pressure145 psi
Expansion typesimple
Power
Power sourcesteam
Indicated power99 hp (74 kW)
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
turbine
prototype
tank locomotive
Giuseppe Belluzzo
last changed: 06/2022
Chesapeake & Ohio class M-1
United States | 1947
3 produced
No. 500
No. 500
collection Taylor Rush

While other railroads switched from coal to diesel, the C&O refused to take this step for a while. Given their huge coal business, attempts were made to modernize the fleet while retaining coal as fuel. In 1948 and 1949, a total of three coal-fired steam turbine locomotives were built, which were the longest single-unit locomotives in the world and were nicknamed “Holy Cow”.

In the front part of the locomotives was the coal bunker, which fed the 6,000 hp turbine in the rear part of the locomotive. The water came from an additional tender. The eight traction motors were powered by the four generators, which together delivered 4,960 hp. With this system it was hoped that maintenance would be easier than with piston steam locomotives and the aim was to complete round trips of 1,000 miles without servicing stops.

The intended area of operation was the planned “Chessie” streamlined train. With a top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) of the locomotives, this was to be hauled at a cruising speed of 70 mph (113 km/h). The M-1's fate finally came when they turned out to be very unreliable and the “Chessie” did not come into being. They were eventually used in other areas for only a short time and were scrapped in 1950.

General
Built1947-1948
ManufacturerBaldwin, Westinghouse
Axle config4-6-2+4-6-2+0-4-0TE 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Length154 ft 1 in
Service weight857,000 lbs
Adhesive weight507,000 lbs
Total weight1,360,125 lbs
Axle load63,500 lbs
Water capacity25,000 us gal
Boiler
Power Plant
Driver diameter40 in
Boiler pressure310 psi
Power
Power sourcesteam turbine-electric
Top speed100 mph
Engine output6,000 hp (4,474 kW)
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
passenger
turbine
steam turbine-electric
prototype
last changed: 03/2024
German Reichsbahn T 1810
Germany | 1924
2 produced
T 18 1001 built by Krupp
T 18 1001 built by Krupp
VariantT 18 1001T 18 1002
General
Built19241926
ManufacturerKruppMaffei
Axle config4-6-2 (Pacific) 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase36 ft 7 in
Rigid wheelbase13 ft 1 1/2 in
Total wheelbase68 ft 6 7/16 in
Empty weight209,439 lbs
Service weight247,799 lbs229,280 lbs
Adhesive weight133,380 lbs132,277 lbs
Total weight379,195 lbs
Axle load44,533 lbs44,092 lbs
Water capacity5,151 us gal6,340 us gal
Boiler
Grate area33.4 sq ft37.7 sq ft
Firebox area139.9 sq ft
Tube heating area1,579.1 sq ft
Evaporative heating area1,719 sq ft
Superheater area710.4 sq ft549 sq ft
Total heating area2,429.4 sq ft2,268 sq ft
VariantT 18 1001T 18 1002
Power Plant
Driver diameter65 in68.9 in
Boiler pressure218 psi319 psi
Power
Power sourcesteam turbine
Top speed68 mph
Engine output2,761 hp (2,059 kW)1,973 hp (1,471 kW)
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
express
turbine
prototype
condensator
German Reichsbahn T 38 3255
Germany | 1926
only one produced
View of the powered tender with T 38 3255
View of the powered tender with T 38 3255
Cecil J. Allen: „The Steel Highway”
General
Built1926
ManufacturerHenschel
Axle config4-6-0+2-4-4T 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Length75 ft 2 1/4 in
Wheelbase27 ft 1 9/16 in
Rigid wheelbase15 ft 1 1/8 in
Empty weight155,867 lbs
Service weight169,094 lbs
Adhesive weight111,554 lbs
Axle load38,360 lbs
Water capacity4,280 us gal
Boiler
Grate area27.8 sq ft
Firebox area156.9 sq ft
Tube heating area1,392 sq ft
Evaporative heating area1,548.9 sq ft
Superheater area634 sq ft
Total heating area2,182.9 sq ft
Power Plant
Driver diameter68.9 in
Boiler pressure174 psi
Cylinderstwo, 22 5/8 x 24 13/16 in
Power
Power sourcesteam + steam turbine
Top speed62 mph
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
passenger
turbine
powered tender
prototype
booster
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