Chesapeake and Ohio classes L-2 and L-2-A
| C&O L-2 | |
|---|---|
| Type and origin | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Build date | 1941 |
| Total produced | 8 |
| Specifications | |
| Configuration | 4-6-4 |
| UIC classification | 2′C2′ h2 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 78 in (1.981 m) |
| Length | 108 ft 0 in (32.92 m) |
| Weight on drivers | 219,500 lb (99.6 t) |
| Locomotive and tender combined weight | 893,000 lb (405.1 t) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | 60,000 lb (27.2 t) |
| Water capacity | 21,000 US gallons (79,000 l; 17,000 imp gal) |
| Boiler pressure | 255 psi (1.76 MPa) |
| Firegrate area | 90 sq ft (8.4 m2) |
| Heating surface: – Total | 4,233 sq ft (393.3 m2) |
| Superheater area | 1,810 sq ft (168.2 m2) |
| Cylinders | Two |
| Cylinder size | 25 in × 30 in (635 mm × 762 mm) |
| Career | |
| Operator(s) | Chesapeake and Ohio Railway |
| Number(s) | 300–307 |
| Retired | 1953 |
| Disposition | All scrapped |
| C&O L-2-A | |
|---|---|
| Type and origin | |
| Only differences from L-2 above are shown | |
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Build date | 1947 |
| Total produced | 5 |
| Specifications | |
| Career | |
| Number(s) | 310–314 |
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's class L-2 comprised eight coal-fired 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives numbered #300–307 and built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1941. They had roller bearings on all axles, and the first-built, #300, had roller bearings on its side and main rods too. #300 also bore "Elephant ear" smoke deflectors from 1948.
In 1947, the C&O ordered five additional and very similar locomotives, numbering them #310–314; these were class L-2-A and differed mostly in using Franklin RC poppet valves instead of the Baker valve gear of the L-2s. These were the last express passenger steam locomotives ordered by a United States railroad, and some of the most expensive at $353,346 each, 80% more than the cost of the 8 earlier L-2 locomotives.
Both classes were among the largest 4-6-4s ever built. They were intended to work the C&O's top-flight express trains on level ground; the railroad purchased 4-8-4 "Greenbrier" types for mountain service.
By 1953, C&O passenger services were wholly dieselized, and there was no more work for these locomotives to do. Hudsons were very unsuited to freight work, with such a comparatively small proportion of their weight on the drivers. All were quickly scrapped.
Notes
- ^ Huddleston, Eugene L. (Jan–Feb 2002). "The outstanding features and many lives of C&O 614". Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Magazine.