Santa Fe type locomotive built for the Canadian National by the Canadian Locomotive Works, Kingston, Ont.

New Locomotives for the Canadian National

The Santa Fe type selected for use in the Toronto Terminals to decrease operating costs

By C. E. Brooks
Chief of Motive Power, Canadian National

Five Santa Fe type locomotives have recently been delivered to the Canadian National by the Canadian Locomotive Company, Kingston, Ont. These locomotives are the largest in the British Empire and are also considered to be the largest of their type in the world. They were built for heavy transfer service between the Danforth and Mimico yards in the Toronto, Ont., terminal district, a distance of 12 miles with a maximum grade of 0.6 per cent going west and of 1.2 per cent going east.

These locomotives are known on the Canadian National as the T-2-a class, road numbers 4100 to 4104. They have a total weight, without the tender, of 409,000 lb. The weight on the drivers is 321,000 lb. The tractive force, without the booster, is 80,200 lb., and 91,735 lb. with the booster. The cylinders are 29 in. by 32 in., and the driving wheels are 57 in. in diameter, with 50-in. cast centers.

The boiler, firebox and attachments

The boiler is of the extended wagon top type with radial stays, conical bottom, and has a combustion chamber. The largest course is 104 in. in diameter. The boiler horsepower is 106.7 per cent of the cylinder horsepower on the basis of Cole's ratios. The flues are welded into the back tube sheet and the Canadian National's standard method of crown staying, similar to that used on the Mountain type locomotives. described in the August 4, 1923 issue of the Railway Age, was carried out.

The locomotives are equipped with Duplex stokers and Elesco type feed water heaters, the drums of which are mounted on brackets on the front of the smokebox. Hancock non-lifting inspirators with 6,000 gallon tubes are located on the right-hand side.

The boilers are equipped with Type A superheaters and Franklin No. 9 fire doors. Steam for the boosters, with which the locomotives are equipped, is taken directly from he superheater header and the main shut-off valve is placed behind the stack.

The grates are of the Canadian National standard design, the rocking grate bars being of alloy cast steel with detachable lugs. The ashpans are of the center hopper type with an auxiliary hopper placed on each side of the engine outside of the trailing truck frame. These auxiliary hoppers are equipped with cast steel frames and doors and are designed principally to improve what would otherwise be a comparatively flat pan owing to the use of a Delta truck and booster. The Canadian National's standard sludge arrangement, consisting of a 1¼-in. pipe from the delivery pipe of the inspirator to the ashpan, with a valve which is operated from the cab and a branch extending into each hopper, is also applied. This arrangement has been found to be very serviceable during the severe winter weather encountered in Canada. In addition, an auxiliary ashpan blower is used, consisting of a ¾-in. perforated pipe across the back of the ashpan, which obtains its steam supply from the turret. This device is found desirable because the booster application and wide firebox somewhat restricted the slope of the pan at the back.

The frame and running gear

The frames, with a single forward section, are made of vanadium steel, the rear end being fitted with a Common wealth cast steel cradle casting. The wheels are fitted with brass hub liners. Hollow driving axles are used, the main journals being 12½ in. by 13 in, and the others 11 in, by 13 in. Grisco driving boxes have been applied at the main wheels, the feature of this box being a three-piece crown bearing fitted with a wedge adjustment. Lateral motion boxes have been applied at the front driving wheels and Franklin spreaders are applied to all boxes with the exception of the main drivers which are equipped with a cellar of special design. The crossheads are fitted with Rogatchoff adjustable wedges. The main rods and also the front and back intermediate rods are made of carbon vanadium steel. The back ends of the main rods are of the solid type and have floating bushings.

The engine truck is of the Economy two-wheel constant resistance type equipped with Preston hub slip liners. The wheels are 31¼ in. in diameter with spoked steel centers 25 in. in diameter. This type of wheels is common to a11 Canadian National freight locomotives of modern design. The journals are 6½ in. by 12 in. The trailing truck is of the Commonwealth constant resistant type, adapted to carry a booster with 43-in, wheels, 35-in, cast steel centers, and 9-in. by 14-in. journals.

Steam distribution is provided for by a Walschaert valve gear, the diameter of the piston valve being 14 in. The valves are set with a travel of 7 in., 1-3/16-in. lap, 1/8-in. lead, and line and line. A Precision power reverse gear is applied. The cab is of the Canadian National's short vestibule type of substantial construction securely riveted to the boiler with 3-in. by 4-in. angle iron around the front. In order to take care of expansion the cab brackets are designed to permit the cab to slide on the cradle casting. The railway company's standard turret, which was also described in the article on the Mountain type locomotives, to which reference has already been made, as well as the Hancock non-lifting inspirator operating valve, the blower valve and the stoker engine valve are placed outside the cab.

Other equipment

The sand boxes are fitted with Hanlon sanders. Three 3½-in. World type safety valves are used, one of which is muffled. The air brake equipment is of Westinghouse manufacture, in which is included one 8½-in. cross-compound pump. The headlight equipment consists of a Pyle-National turbo generator set and Keystone lamp case on both the front of the engine and at the rear of the tender, which are fitted with 14-in. Golden Glow reflectors. The Canadian National's standard separate number lamp is used on the front of the engine. The water level indicating device consists of the railway company's standard water column welded directly to the backhead to which are fitted the try cocks and water glass fittings. The water glass is fitted with the railway's closed type of protector. Steam is passed into the train heating lines through a World-Leslie reducing valve. The piston and valve rod packing is King metallic. The radial buffer and unit safety bar are used between the engine and tender, and the piping between the engine and tender is equipped with Barco joints. A Madison-Kipp four-feed mechanical lubricator is used for lubricating the valves and cylinders and a Nathan three-feed lubricator is used for the auxiliaries.

Tender design

The tank is of the Vanderbilt type and is the first of its kind to be used in Canada. The water capacity is 11,000 Imperial gallons and the coal capacity is 16 tons. The tank is carried on a Commonwealth cast steel tender frame and six-wheel tender trucks with 34¼-in. steel tired wheels and semi-steel center 28 in. in diameter and 5½-in. by 10-in journals. The trucks are equipped with clasp brakes.

This locomotive has maintained in actual service a draw bar pull of 57,000 lb. to 79,000 lb. on a one per cent grade. The important proportions and dimensions are in the table.