Nickel Plate Road class L-1
The Nickel Plate Road was among the first railroads which ordered 4-6-4 “Hudsons”. Numbers 170 to 173 were delivered by ALCO-Brooks in 1927, followed by numbers 174 to 177 built by Lima in 1929. The Brooks locomotives were designated class L-1a and had built-up frames and a boiler pressure of 225 psi. The Lima locomotives formed class L-1b and featured cast steel beds, but boilers with only 215 psi.
They were later fitted with large smoke deflectors, but No. 177 shown in the photo was also tested with another design. After World War II they also received Timken roller bearings and thicker tires for a driver diameter of 74 instead of 73 inches. The class was replaced by diesels in the mid-fifties and today No. 170 is on display at St. Louis, Missouri.
Technical data
General
- Built
- 1927, 1929
- Manufacturers
- ALCO, Lima
- Wheel arrangement
- 4-6-4 (Hudson)
- Gauge
- 1,435 mm (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Length
- 26.08 m
- Length loco
- 15.44 m
- Wheelbase
- 11.51 m
- Total wheelbase
- 22.45 m
- Service mass
- 143.6 t
- Adhesion mass
- 79.6 t
- Total mass
- 238 t
- Rigid wheelbase
- 3.96 m
- Axle load
- 26.6 t
- Water capacity
- 41,640 l
- Fuel capacity
- 14.5 t (coal)
Boiler
- Grate area
- 6.206 m²
- Firebox surface
- 28.057 m²
- Tube heating surface
- 363.902 m²
- Evaporative heating surface
- 391.958 m²
- Superheater surface
- 98.013 m²
- Total heating surface
- 490.0 m²
Power plant
- Driver diameter
- 1,854 mm
- Boiler pressure
- 15.5 bar
- Expansion type
- simple expansion
- Cylinders
- two, 635 x 660 mm
Power
- Power source
- steam
- Estimated power
- 2,610 kW (3,549 PS)
- Starting effort
- 189.4 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 4.12
- Optimal speed
- 84 km/h
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 18.2 kW/t
- Heating Surface Equivalent
- 728.3 m²
- Cylinder volume/HSE
- 1 : 574.36
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.80
- Tractive force/Heating surface
- 1 : 8.07
- Grate area/Heating surface
- 1 : 78.95
- Firebox/Tube surface
- 1 : 12.97
- Total/Superheater
- 1 : 4.00
