Canadian National Class U-1-f

Canadian National Railways U-1-f class locomotives were a class of twenty 4-8-2 or Mountain type locomotives built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1944. They were numbered 6060–6079 by CN and nicknamed "Bullet Nose Bettys" due to their distinctive cone-shape smokebox door cover.

Canadian National U-1-f
CN 6077, on display in Capreol, Ontario
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Montreal Locomotive Works Order number Q-401 Serial number 72757–72776 Build date October 1944 to January 1945 Total produced 20
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-8-2  • UIC 2′D1′h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 34 in (0.864 m) Driver dia. 73 in (1.854 m) Trailing dia. 43 in (1.092 m) Wheelbase Coupled: 19 ft 0 in (5.79 m) Loco: 42 ft 2 in (12.85 m) Loco & tender: 80 ft 10+3⁄4 in (24.66 m) Length 90 ft 0+1⁄8 in (27.44 m) Width 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) Height 15 ft 4+1⁄2 in (4.69 m) Adhesive weight 236,950 lb (107.48 t) Loco weight 355,700 lb (161.3 t) Tender weight 281,840 lb (127.84 t) Fuel type Originally coal, later oil Tender cap. Coal: 18 tons coal, 11,700 imp gal (53,000 L) water Oil: 5,000 imp gal (23,000 L) oil, 11,000 imp gal (50,000 L) water Firebox: ​  • Grate area 70.2 sq ft (6.52 m2) Boiler pressure 260 lbf/in2 (1.79 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 386 square feet (35.9 m2)  • Tubes and flues 3,198 sq ft (297.1 m2)  • Total surface 3,584 sq ft (333.0 m2) Superheater: ​  • Type Schmidt type E  • Heating area 1,570 sq ft (146 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 24 in × 30 in (610 mm × 762 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Train heating Steam heat
Performance figures Tractive effort 52% (52,315 lbf or 232.7 kN) Factor of adh. 4.5
Career Operators Canadian National Railways Class U-1-f Numbers 6060–6079 Nicknames Bullet Nose Betty Retired 1960 Preserved Three: 6060, 6069, 6077 Disposition Three preserved, remainder scrapped

Construction history

The order for these engines came during World War II when steel was of extreme value. The mountain type locomotive was a step down in size from the much more prevalent Northern Type (4-8-4). As a result of this the mountain type had less power but more speed and served well as a general purpose workhorse.

Modifications

Half the class had been converted to oil-firing by October 1944. This resulted in the 18-ton coal/11,700-imperial-gallon (53 m³) tender being exchanged for a 5,000-imperial-gallon (23 m³) oil/11,000-imperial-gallon (50 m³) water tender. In later years several locomotives lost the distinctive cone-shaped smokebox door cover.

Preservation

Of the twenty locomotives that were built, only three remain in existence: 6060 owned by the Rocky Mountain Rail Society at the Alberta Prairie Railway, Stettler, Alberta; 6069 at Sarnia, Ontario; and 6077 at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum, at Capreol, Ontario.

6060's restoration and run to Expo 86

In 1985 through to early 1986, Harry Home led efforts to restore CN 6060 and run it to Expo 86 in Vancouver. The 6060 was rebuilt in Jasper, Alberta, and was run under its own power to Vancouver for the "Cavalcade of Steam", an event which celebrated operational steam locomotives from around the world. 6060 arrived in Vancouver on the second-to-last day of the steam exhibit, and was welcomed by an extremely large crowd of people, happy to see the success of the restoration.

References

• "Canadian National Railways U-1-f locomotive diagram". CN Lines Special Interest Group. Retrieved May 17, 2018.

Further reading

• Lorne, Perry (1973). Renaissance 6060. ASIN B0007B47WY.
• McQueen, Donald R. (2013). Canadian National Steam!: A Locomotive History of The People's Railway (1st ed.). Railfare DC Books. ISBN 978-1-927599-00-6.