Chesapeake and Ohio class K-4

Class of 90 American 2-8-4 locomotives

Chesapeake & Ohio K-4

K-4 class no. 2755 in Chief Logan State Park

| Type and origin

Power type| Steam
Designer| Advisory Mechanical Committee
Builder|

* American Locomotive Company (70)
* Lima Locomotive Works (20)

Build date| 1943–1947
Total produced| 90
| Specifications

Configuration:
| ​
• Whyte| 2-8-4
• UIC| 1′D2 h2
Gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.| 33 in (83.820 cm)
Driver dia.| 69 in (1.753 m)
Trailing dia.| 36 in (91.440 cm) (Lead)
43 in (109.220 cm) (Trail)
Tender wheels| 36 in (91.440 cm)
Minimum curve| 288 ft (88 m) radius / 20°
Wheelbase| 93 ft 2 in (28.40 m)
Length| 105 ft 1+7⁄8 in (32.05 m)
Width| 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
Height| 15 ft 7+1⁄2 in (4.76 m)
Axle load| 73,000 lb (37 short tons) to 73,600 lb (36.8 short tons)
Adhesive weight| 292,000 lb (146 short tons) to 293,100 lb (146.6 short tons)
Loco weight| 460,000 lb (230 short tons) to 469,680 lb (234.84 short tons)
Tender weight| 388,030 lb (194.02 short tons) to 394,100 lb (197.1 short tons)
Total weight| 850,000 lb (420 short tons) to 863,780 lb (431.89 short tons)
Tender type| 21-RG
Fuel type| Coal
Fuel capacity| 30 short tons (27 t)
Water cap.| 21,000 US gal (79,000 L; 17,000 imp gal)
Firebox:| ​
• Grate area| 90 sq ft (8.4 m2)
Boiler:
| ​
• Model| Fire Tube
• Diameter| 98 in (2,489 mm)
• Tube plates| 19 ft (6 m)
Boiler pressure| 245 lbf (1.09 kN)
Feedwater heater| Worthington 5 1/2 SA
10,200 US gallon / hr capacity
Heating surface:| ​
• Firebox| 465 sq ft (43.2 m2)
• Tubes and flues| 4,308 sq ft (400.2 m2)
• Total surface| 4,773 sq ft (443.4 m2)
Superheater:
| ​
• Type| Type E
• Heating area| 1,932 sq ft (179.5 m2)
Cylinders| Two, outside
Cylinder size| 26 in × 34 in (660 mm × 864 mm)
Valve gear| Baker
Valve type| Piston valves
Valve travel| 8 in (203 mm)
Valve lap| 1+11⁄16 in (43 mm)
Valve lead| 3⁄16 in (5 mm)
Train heating| Steam heat
Loco brake| Pneumatic, Schedule 8-ET
Train brakes| Pneumatic
| Performance figures

Maximum speed| 80 mph (129 km/h)
Tractive effort| 69,350 lbf (308.48 kN) (Engine)
14,000 lbf (62.28 kN) (Booster)
83,350 lbf (370.76 kN) (Total)
Factor of adh.| 4.21-4.23 (Engine)
4.6 (Booster)
| Career

Operators| Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Numbers| 2700–2789
Nicknames| Kanawha
Big Mike
Retired| 1952–1957
Preserved| Twelve (Nos. 2700, 2705, 2707, 2716, 2727, 2732, 2736, 2755, 2756, 2760, 2776, 2789) preserved; remainder scrapped
Restored| Ongoing with No. 2716
Disposition| No. 2716 undergoing restoration, 11 on display, remainder scrapped
10 preserved built by ALCO and 2 preserved built by Lima

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's K-4 class were a group of ninety 2-8-4 steam locomotives purchased during and shortly after World War II.[1] Unlike many other railroads in the United States, the C&O chose to nickname this class "Kanawha", after the river in West Virginia, rather than "Berkshire", after the region in New England.

Several examples survive today, including at the National Railroad Museum, Science Museum of Virginia, Chief Logan State Park, and B&O Railroad Museum.

## Details

[edit]

During the 1940s, the C&O K-4's were being built to haul heavy freight services and were used mostly for high speed freight and passenger services throughout the north-eastern regions of the United States and part of Ontario, Canada by the Pere Marquette Railway. C&O Class K-4s were one of the few recognizable 2-8-4 (Berkshires) classes in North America along with the Pere Marquette Class N (road numbers 1201-1239), and Nickel Plate Road Class S (road numbers 715-779). Both the PM Class N and NKP Class S were manufactured by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. NKP 779 was the last standard-gauge Berkshire to be built in the world, and the last steam locomotive built by Lima Locomotive Works. They were successful locomotives and were popular with crews, so popular with them that they referred to the locomotives as "Big Mikes".[2]

The Chesapeake and Ohio Class K-4 Kanawhas aren't the only 2-8-4 Berkshires of their size. Pere Marquette Nos. 1223 and 1225, and Nickel Plate Road Nos. 755, 757, 759, 763, 765, and 779 are other preserved examples of these workhorses.

One Kanawha (No. 2701) was on display in Buffalo, New York after retirement, but was vandalized beyond repair and was eventually scrapped a few months after being on display.[3]

## Preserved Locomotives

[edit]

Twelve Kanawhas have been preserved, with No. 2716 being restored to operation.

* 2700 (On Display) Dennison Railroad Depot Museum - Dennison, Ohio. The first Kanawha built, cosmetically restored in 2017.[4]
* 2705 (On Display) Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum \- Baltimore, Maryland.
* 2707 (On Display) Illinois Railway Museum \- Union, Illinois.
* 2716 (Undergoing restoration to operating condition) owned by the Kentucky Railway Museum, currently on lease to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Center - Ravenna, Kentucky.
* 2727 (On Display) National Museum of Transportation \- St. Louis, Missouri.
* 2732 (On Display) Science Museum of Virginia \- Richmond, Virginia.
* 2736 (On Display) National Railroad Museum \- Green Bay, Wisconsin.
* 2755 (On Display) Chief Logan State Park \- Logan, West Virginia.
* 2756 (On Display) Huntington Park \- Newport News, Virginia.
* 2760 (On Display) Riverside Park - Lynchburg, Virginia.
* 2776 (On Display) Eyman Park Dr - Washington Court House, Ohio.
* 2789 (On Display) Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum \- North Judson, Indiana. The last Kanawha built.

## See also

[edit]

* Chesapeake and Ohio class T-1
* Chesapeake and Ohio class H-8

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chesapeake and Ohio class K-4.

1. ^ Riggan, Phil (May 28, 2014). "C&O Locomotive Restored at Science Museum of Virginia". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
2. ^ "Chesapeake & Ohio "2-8-4" Locomotives: Roster, Photos".
3. ^ "Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA".
4. ^ "Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA".

## Further reading

[edit]

* Dixon Jr., Thomas W. (2013). Chesapeake & Ohio K-4 Class 2-8-4 Steam Locomotives (1st ed.). The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society. ISBN 978-0939487592.