Central Vermont / Duluth, Virginia & Rainy Lake 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 100/H-7a (Locobase 15668)

Data from CN Locomotive Diagrams Assorted supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Albert Baird prepared a wide-ranging series of tables and notes on all aspects of Canadian Northern production; data provided to Locobase by Allen Stanley in August 2013. Works numbers were 41210-41211 in October 1906.

This brace of two small Ten-wheelers was ordered by the Minnesota Land & Construction of Duluth for the Duluth, Virginia & Rainy Lake, which was being built that they were building to the north. By 1908, the Canadian Northern bought the DV&RL, renamed it Duluth, Rainy Lake & Winnipeg. The CNor incorporated the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific in 1909 to reflect its now bi-national route. In 1911, the two engines were renumbered 910-911 and gained their last set of numbers in 1912.

Baird does not record when the 1351-1352 received their superheaters, but the date was likely to have been later than 1913.

By the 1920s, Virginia, Minn was the 5th largest city in Minnesota and known as "The Queen City of the Iron Range.", according to the Virginia City website at [], last accessed 1 January 2014. See also "The History of Virginia, Minnesota (through 1922)" from Walter Van Brunt's Duluth and St. Louis County, Minnesota Vols. 1 v 3. The American Historical Society. Chicago: 1922. Available at the Duluth Public Library at A Free Archive Celebrating Historic Duluth, Western Lake Superior & Minnesota's Arrowhead, last accessed on 1 January 2014.


Class I-7-a (Locobase 5397)

Data from table in January 1917 issue of Railway Mechanical Engineer (RME). See also CV 1957 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in August 2013 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. Works numbers were 55016-55018 in February 1915 and 55421 in February 1916.

Not much has been said about this quartet. They followed six I-6b, I-6c 4-6-0s from Schenectady delivered in 1904-1906 that had 20" x 26" cylinders, 73" diameter drivers, 14-foot (4.27 m) driving wheelbases. When those engines were superheated they had 22 superheater elements in 5 3/8" flues and 141 (I-6b) or 147 (I-6c) 2" tubes.

The I-7as had larger boilers with more tubes and flues that served cylinders with 2" longer strokes.

The first retired in 1943 and the last in 1955.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class100/H-7aI-7-a
Locobase ID15668 5397
RailroadDuluth, Virginia & Rainy Lake ( CNR)Central Vermont (CNR)
CountryUSAUSA
Whyte4-6-04-6-0
Number in Class24
Road Numbers100-101/910-911/1351-1352218-221
GaugeStdStd
Number Built4
BuilderAlco-RogersAlco-Schenectady
Year19131915
Valve GearStephensonWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)12.50 / 3.8115.50 / 4.72
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)23.17 / 7.0627.33 / 8.33
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.54 0.57
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)51.42 / 15.6758.79 / 17.92
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)110,000 / 49,895141,000 / 63,957
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)143,000 / 64,864189,000 / 85,729
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)120,000 / 54,431139,000 / 63,049
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)263,000 / 119,295328,000 / 148,778
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)7200 / 27.277000 / 26.52
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)11 / 1012 / 11
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)61 / 30.5078 / 39
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)63 / 160069 / 1753
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 12.40200 / 13.80
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 26" / 483x66020" x 28" / 508x711
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)22,795 / 10339.6527,594 / 12516.44
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.83 5.11
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)133 - 2" / 51175 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)18 - 5.375" / 13724 - 5.375" / 137
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13.03 / 3.9715 / 4.57
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)181 / 16.82184 / 17.10
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)26.40 / 2.4553.40 / 4.96
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1401 / 130.162053 / 190.80
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)420 / 37.55
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1401 / 130.162473 / 228.35
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume164.24201.67
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation475210,680
Same as above plus superheater percentage475212,496
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area32,58043,056
Power L1510915,257
Power MT307.18715.66

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