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Baldwin Articulated Locomotives - Photos and Builder SpecificationsAuthor's note: While Baldwin wasn't the first US locomotive manufacturer to deliver a large standard gauge locomotive, they weren't far behind the American Locomotive Company's B&O engine delivered in 1904. Except for author's notes in italics, this section paraphrases material in Baldwin Record 65. In 1904 Baldwin delivered its first three narrow gauge Mallet locomotive to the American Railroad of Puerto Rico. These engines carried 106,000 pounds on their driving wheels.
In 1905 Baldwin followed with three Mallet engines delivered to the Erie railroad. These engines carried 406,000 pounds on two eight coupled pair of driving wheels and represent the heaviest locomotives that had been built to that point. Baldwin then turned their attention to helping the Great Northern and Northern Pacific solve their engine congestion problems in the mountain districts. Five 2-6-6-2 Mallets were ordered by the railroad and delivered by Baldwin in 1906. The following photo shows these engines steamed up preparing to leave the Baldwin plant.
These engines were used as pusher engines on grades as steep as 2.5% while negotiating curves of ten degrees between Leavenworth and the Cascade Tunnel. Baldwin added the leading and trailing two wheel trucks to cut down on flange wear through the curves. The engines had a total weight of 355,000 pounds, carrying 316,000 pounds on their driving wheels. Assisting a Consolidation locomotive, these engines pushed loads averaging 1200 tons. Including the two engines and tenders the load was 1614 tons with an estimated 65% being carried by the Mallets.
In addition to solving the congestion problem the Mallets were very fuel efficient, reducing the amount of fuel used per ton mile by 46%.
These engines proved so successful that the Great Northern ordered an additional 25 lighter Mallets for use in road work between Leavenworth and Spokane, a distance of 197 miles.
These lighter engines weighed a total of 302,000 with 263,000 pounds over the driving wheels. In use they pull typical loads of 1,450 ton of freight on 1% grades at speeds of 25-30 miles per hour. In comparison to the Consolidations they carry heavier loads and are more fuel efficient saving 31% of coal per ton mile as compared to the conventional engines they replaced. While repair costs per mile are higher on the Mallets than Consolidations, when calculated as a percentage of ton miles, the Mallets offer a 19 percent savings. Additional savings come from a reduction in congestion in heavy districts reducing the number of train moves, simplifying the work of operating departments, and reducing the number of crew members needed to service the district. The GN responded to their study of the results of employing the Mallets by ordering an additional 20 heavy Mallets for pushing service. After borrowing one of the heavy Mallets from the GN for a trial between Livingstone and the Bozeman Pass Tunnel, the Northern Pacific ordered sixteen Mallets for pusher service behind Mikados and Consolidations. They were installed in 1907.
Author's note: The reorders from the GN and the word of mouth referral to the NP resulted in a very fast takeoff of this new engine type. Orders for Baldwin Mallets for similar service continued to the end of steam. You can continue this Record 95 Material by moving on to Mallet Specific Components. |
(c) 2007 Iron Horse 1:29 |
