Chesapeake and Ohio class M1
| Chesapeake and Ohio class M-1 |
 |
| Type and origin |
| Power type |
Steam turbine electric |
| Builder |
Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Serial number |
73079–73081 |
| Model |
4-8-0-4-8-4 TE |
| Build date |
1947–1948 |
| Total produced |
3 |
|
| Specifications |
Configuration:
|
|
| • Whyte
|
2-C1+2-C1-B |
| Gauge |
4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
|
Driver dia. |
40 in (1,016 mm) |
| Length |
154 ft 3⁄4 in (46.96 m) |
| Loco weight |
857,000 lb (388.7 tonnes) |
| Total weight |
617 tonnes (607.3 long tons; 680.1 short tons) |
| Fuel type |
Coal |
| Fuel capacity |
29.25 short tons (26.54 t) |
| Water cap |
25,000 US gallons (95,000 l; 21,000 imp gal) |
| Boiler pressure |
310 psi (2.14 MPa) |
|
| Performance figures |
| Maximum speed |
100 miles per hour (160 km/h) |
| Power output |
6,000 hp (4,470 kW) (turbine)
4,960 hp (3,700 kW) (generators) |
|
|
|
|
| Type and origin |
| Power type |
Steam turbine electric |
| Builder |
Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Serial number |
73079–73081 |
| Model |
4-8-0-4-8-4 TE |
| Build date |
1947–1948 |
| Total produced |
3 |
| Specifications |
Configuration:
|
|
| • Whyte
|
2-C1+2-C1-B |
| Gauge |
4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
|
Driver dia. |
40 in (1,016 mm) |
| Length |
154 ft 3⁄4 in (46.96 m) |
| Loco weight |
857,000 lb (388.7 tonnes) |
| Total weight |
617 tonnes (607.3 long tons; 680.1 short tons) |
| Fuel type |
Coal |
| Fuel capacity |
29.25 short tons (26.54 t) |
| Water cap |
25,000 US gallons (95,000 l; 21,000 imp gal) |
| Boiler pressure |
310 psi (2.14 MPa) |
| Performance figures |
| Maximum speed |
100 miles per hour (160 km/h) |
| Power output |
6,000 hp (4,470 kW) (turbine)
4,960 hp (3,700 kW) (generators) |
The Chesapeake and Ohio class M-1 was a fleet of three steam turbine locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1947–1948 for service on the Chessie streamliner. As diesel locomotives became more prevalent following World War II, the C&O was one of several railroads loath to abandon coal as a fuel source, and saw steam turbine technology as a possible alternative to diesel. At the time of its construction it was the longest single-unit locomotive in the world.
The design of the M-1 was a collaboration between the C&O, the Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse. The C&O possessed substantial coal-hauling revenue and was loath to abandon it as a fuel source. Further, C&O's engineering staff expressed concern that oil reserves would be exhausted within 25-30 years. The locomotive contained a single Westinghouse turbine which in turn drove four direct current (DC) generators, mounted in pairs. Each generator produced 1,000 kilowatts (1,300 hp), and the four generators collectively turned eight traction motors.
Defying the usual convention, the M-1 was arranged with its boiler in the rear and the coal bunker in the front. The turbine-generator system meant that the M-1 contained no cylinders. The reduced number of moving parts meant that, in theory, the M1 required far less maintenance than a conventional steam locomotive. Its designers predicted that it could make the run from Washington to Cincinnati—and back—without servicing.
The locomotive's throttle included eleven settings, ranging from one (idling) to eleven (full speed). The locomotive's cruising speed was 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), at which point the throttle was on "seven." During a trial run with a reporter from Popular Mechanics aboard, a C&O engineer expressed his dissatisfaction with a local speed limit of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), noting that he would "sure like to be able to pull it back to eleven!" Not including research and development, the three locomotives cost US$1.6 million.
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Wikipedia
