Clinchfield class L-3
US Railroad Administration Heavy Mallet (copy)
United States 1923 10 produced
When the Clinchfield needed more 2-8-8-2 Mallets in 1923, they had two earlier classes to take as a basis: either the L-1 built by Baldwin in 1919 after their own design or the USRA standard design built by Baldwin in the same year that was called class L-2. They decided to order ten nearly exact USRA copies, which were now built by ALCO-Brooks and designated class L-3. They were used to haul heavy coal trains over the Appalachian mountains. One suffered a boiler explosion in 1948 and was scrapped. While the L-1 was retired by 1950, the L-3 and their L-2 sisters were only retired between 1950 and 1952.
Technical data
General
- Built
- 1923
- Manufacturers
- ALCO
- Wheel arrangement
- 2-8-8-2 (Mikado Mallet)
- Gauge
- 1,435 mm (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Wheelbase
- 17.68 m
- Total wheelbase
- 28.80 m
- Service mass
- 245.4 t
- Adhesion mass
- 220.7 t
- Total mass
- 340.2 t
- Rigid wheelbase
- 4.80 m
- Axle load
- 28.1 t
- Water capacity
- 45,425 l
- Fuel capacity
- 14.5 t (coal)
Boiler
- Grate area
- 8.919 m²
- Firebox surface
- 40.413 m²
- Tube heating surface
- 528.154 m²
- Evaporative heating surface
- 568.567 m²
- Superheater surface
- 137.032 m²
- Total heating surface
- 705.6 m²
Power plant
- Driver diameter
- 1,448 mm
- Boiler pressure
- 16.5 bar
- Expansion type
- compound
- Cylinders
- four, HP: 635 x 813 mm and LP: 991 x 813 mm
Power
- Power source
- steam
- Estimated power
- 2,908 kW (3,954 PS)
- Starting effort
- 451.3 kN
- Starting effort simple
- 541.6 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 4.80
- Optimal speed
- 40 km/h
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 11.9 kW/t
- Heating Surface Equivalent
- 1,044.7 m²
- Cylinder volume/HSE
- 1 : 1,092.41
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.11
- Tractive force/Heating surface
- 1 : 13.36
- Grate area/Heating surface
- 1 : 79.11
- Firebox/Tube surface
- 1 : 13.07
- Total/Superheater
- 1 : 4.15