Steam Locomotives of the Wabash Railroad (WAB)

Route network in the year 1899

Wabash Railroad Public Domain

The 475 mile long Wabash River is located in Indiana and on the border with Illinois. It was early part of the name of several railway companies whose network was in this area. In Illinois, too, railroad construction had begun as early as the 1830s. Finally, in 1889, the Wabash Railroad was formed as a merger of some of these companies.

The main route stretched from Detroit, Michigan to Kansas City, Missouri. The states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were passed through. The route was later extended to Buffalo, New York, passing through the Canadian province of Ontario. There were also other routes that also led to Wisconsin and Iowa.

In 1915 the Wabash Railroad went into foreclosure and was re-established as the Wabash Railway. This was soon able to make a lot of revenue especially with freight traffic between Kansas City and Detroit, with Ford being one of the most important customers. Successful passenger trains were also offered, such as the “Cannon Ball”.

In the 1920s, the Pennsylvania Railroad gained influence in the Wabash. This reached a track length of 2,525 miles in 1929. After another receivership in 1931, it took ten years for the company to be re-established as the Wabash Railroad.

After the Second World War, they began to convert passenger trains to diesel with the EMD E7. In the 1950s, work was then carried out at high speed dieselize freight trains as well. In 1964 it was finally taken over by Norfolk & Western.

Wabash class J-2

Wabash classes C-1 to C-4

Wabash classes F-4 and F-5

United States | 1916
23 produced

No. 690 in October 1936 double-headed in front of another locomotive

Edward Lindquist / collection Taylor Rush

In 1912, the Wabash had procured the last new passenger locomotives with the 16 class J-1 Pacifics. In 1916, a class G-1 locomotive with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement was taken instead and converted into a 4-6-2. The G-2 was particularly suitable because it already had 70-inch wheels and was less than ten years old. The locomotive was lengthened by about four feet and the leading axle was replaced with a bogie.

Since the conversion was successful, another 22 of the total of 60 engines of the G-1 class were converted in this form. Some of these had received the numbers between 1676 and 1681 and were used between New York and Ontario, the others carried the numbers from 683 to 699 and remained entirely in the USA. The first of these was retired in January 1947 and the last in February 1952.

General
Built	1916-1926
Manufacturer	Wabash Railroad
Axle config	4-6-2 (Pacific)
Gauge	4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase	34 ft 4 in
Rigid wheelbase	13 ft 4 in
Total wheelbase	64 ft 8 in
Service weight	241,000 lbs
Adhesive weight	151,400 lbs
Total weight	394,000 lbs
Axle load	52,900 lbs
Water capacity	6,000 us gal
Fuel capacity	20,000 lbs (coal)

Boiler
Grate area	54.3 sq ft
Firebox area	218 sq ft
Tube heating area	2,947 sq ft
Evaporative heating area	3,165 sq ft
Superheater area	740 sq ft
Total heating area	3,905 sq ft

Power Plant
Driver diameter	70 in
Boiler pressure	200 psi
Expansion type	simple
Cylinders	two, 22 1/2 x 28 in

Power
Power source	steam
Estimated power	1,975 hp (1,473 kW)
Starting effort	34,425 lbf

Calculated Values
Factor of adhesion	1 : 4.40
Optimal speed	37 mph
Power-to-weight ratio	0.0082 hp/lb
Heating Area Equivalent	5,735 sq ft
Cylinder volume/HAE	1 : 684.83
Adhesive weight/Total	1 : 1.59
Tractive force/Heating area	1 : 1981.83
Grate area/Heating area	1 : 67.96
Firebox/Tube area	1 : 16.91
Total/Superheater	1 : 4.28

steam locomotive

passenger

express

last changed: 10/2022

United States | 1903
47 produced

C-4 No. 1560 in the early fifties

collection Taylor Rush

The Wabash put their 0-8-0 switchers into class C. Between 1903 and 1927, they got a total of 47 of three designs. The first were only two of the class C-1 delivered in 1903 by ALCO-Brooks which were numbered 1501 and 1502. They had Stephenson valve gear and operated on saturated steam. In 1917 these were rebuilt with piston valves, but not superheated. They were now designated class C-2.

Next were 20 C-3 delivered by ALCO-Schenectady in 1923 which got the numbers 1525 to 1544. These were superheated and their main dimensions were very similar to those of the USRA 0-8-0. Lima delivered 25 similar locomotives in 1926 which were designated C-4 and got the numbers 1545 to 1569. The two rebuilt C-2 locomotives were already retired in 1947, but the larger number of more modern switchers had a somewhat longer career. So the members of the classes C-3 and C-4 were retired between 1951 and 1954.

Variant	C-1	C-3

General
Built	1903	1923
Manufacturer	ALCO
Axle config	0-8-0 (Eight-coupled)
Gauge	4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)

Dimensions and Weights
Service weight	166,000 lbs	200,000 lbs
Adhesive weight	166,000 lbs	200,000 lbs
Axle load	41,500 lbs	50,000 lbs
Fuel capacity	coal

Boiler
Grate area	44 sq ft	47 sq ft
Evaporative heating area	2,390 sq ft	2,780 sq ft
Superheater area		615 sq ft
Total heating area	2,390 sq ft	3,395 sq ft

Variant	C-1	C-3

Power Plant
Driver diameter	58 in	52 in
Boiler pressure	215 psi	195 psi
Expansion type	simple
Cylinders	two, 22 x 28 in	two, 25 x 28 in

Power
Power source	steam
Estimated power	1,200 hp (895 kW)	1,475 hp (1,100 kW)
Starting effort	42,700 lbf	55,781 lbf

Calculated Values
Factor of adhesion	1 : 3.89	1 : 3.59
Optimal speed	18 mph	17 mph
Power-to-weight ratio	0.0072 hp/lb	0.0074 hp/lb
Adhesive weight/Total	1 : 1.00
Tractive force/Heating area	1 : 4016.47	1 : 3693.69
Total/Superheater		1 : 4.52

steam locomotive

switcher

last changed: 12/2024

United States | 1899
38 produced

No. 571 in August 1939 in Decatur, Illinois

Paul W. Prescott / collection Taylor Rush

The Wabash Railroad had a total of 38 Moguls built in 1899, which came from three manufacturers and were initially classed as class I. A total of 18 locomotives were built by the Richmond Locomotive Works and Baldwin and had a large firebox for their time and a relatively small boiler. 15 other locomotives came from the Rhode Island Locomotive Works and had a larger boiler. All of these simple-expansion locomotives were later classified as F-4. Also built by Rhode Island and Richmond were five two-cylinder compound locomotives which later became the class F-5.

Variant	F-4 Richmond, Baldwin	F-4 Rhode Island	F-5

General
Built	1899
Manufacturer	Richmond, Baldwin	Rhode Island	Rhode Island, Richmond
Axle config	2-6-0 (Mogul)
Gauge	4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase	22 ft 4 in		22 ft 7 in
Rigid wheelbase	14 ft
Total wheelbase	48 ft 6 in		48 ft 8 in
Service weight	123,525 lbs	128,000 lbs	123,525 lbs
Adhesive weight	105,525 lbs
Total weight	219,825 lbs	224,300 lbs	219,825 lbs
Axle load	37,590 lbs
Water capacity	4,500 us gal
Fuel capacity	20,000 lbs (coal)

Boiler
Grate area	32 sq ft	31.2 sq ft	32 sq ft
Firebox area	154 sq ft	153.2 sq ft	164 sq ft
Tube heating area	1,453 sq ft	1,563.8 sq ft	1,443 sq ft
Evaporative heating area	1,607 sq ft	1,717 sq ft	1,607 sq ft
Total heating area	1,607 sq ft	1,717 sq ft	1,607 sq ft

Variant	F-4 Richmond, Baldwin	F-4 Rhode Island	F-5

Power Plant
Driver diameter	63 in
Boiler pressure	185 psi	195 psi
Expansion type	simple	compound
Cylinders	two, 19 x 28 in	two, HP: 20 1/2 x 28 in and LP: 32 1/2 x 28 in

Power
Power source	steam
Estimated power	900 hp (671 kW)	910 hp (679 kW)	940 hp (701 kW)
Starting effort	25,230 lbf		22,147 lbf
with start valve			26,576 lbf

Calculated Values
Factor of adhesion	1 : 4.18		1 : 3.97
Optimal speed	23 mph		27 mph
Power-to-weight ratio	0.0073 hp/lb	0.0071 hp/lb	0.0076 hp/lb
Heating Area Equivalent	2,376.8 sq ft	2,483 sq ft	2,426.8 sq ft
Cylinder volume/HAE	1 : 1178.33	1 : 1127.91	1 : 1154.05
Adhesive weight/Total	1 : 1.17	1 : 1.21	1 : 1.17
Tractive force/Heating area	1 : 3529.52	1 : 3303.39	1 : 3717.87
Grate area/Heating area	1 : 45.45	1 : 50.11	1 : 45.14
Firebox/Tube area	1 : 9.44	1 : 10.21	1 : 8.80
HP/LP cylinders			1 : 2.51

steam locomotive

freight

passenger

last changed: 04/2023

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