The Cotton Belt Class L-1 was a class of 20 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives that were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (a.k.a. "Cotton Belt Route") at their own Pine Bluff Shops.[1]

Cotton Belt Class L-1
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works (10)
SSW's Pine Bluff Shops (10)
Build date1930, 1937, 1942–1943
Total produced20
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-8-4
 • UIC2′D2′ h2
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.70 in (1,778 mm)
Length
  • Total: 99 ft 8+12 in (30.39 m)
  • Tender: 38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
Width10 ft 5+58 in (3.191 m)
Height15 ft 10 in (4.826 m)
Axle load62,000 lb (28.1 tonnes)
Adhesive weight248,000 lb (112.5 tonnes)
Loco weight438,500 lb (198.9 tonnes)
Tender weight312,000 lb (141.5 tonnes)
Total weight750,500 lb (340.4 tonnes)
Fuel typeOil
Fuel capacity5,000 US gal (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal)
Water cap.15,000 US gal (57,000 L; 12,000 imp gal)
Firebox:
 • Grate area88.3 sq ft (8.20 m2)
Boiler pressure250 lbf/in2 (1.72 MPa)
Heating surface:
 • Firebox469 sq ft (43.6 m2)
Superheater:
 • Heating area1,962 sq ft (182.3 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size26 in × 30 in (660 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Performance figures
Tractive effort61,564 lbf (273.85 kN)
Factor of adh.4.03
Career
OperatorsSt. Louis Southwestern "Cotton Belt"
Southern Pacific Transportation Company
ClassL-1
Numbers800-819
Retired1953
PreservedNo. 819
Scrapped1955-1957
DispositionOne preserved, remainder scrapped

History

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In all, a total of 20 locomotives were ever built with the first 10 locomotives being built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 and being delivered to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (a.k.a. "Cotton Belt Route") that same year in 1930, and the other 10 locomotives being built by the Cotton Belt themselves at their own Pine Bluff Shops in 1937, 1942 and 1943.[1]

Then, in 1953, the Cotton Belt Route began to retire each of their L-1 locomotives when they began to dieselize their lines that they had owned. All, but one locomotive were scrapped between 1955 and 1957.[1][2]

Leasing with the Southern Pacific

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During the Second World War, the Cotton Belt Route had made an agreement with Southern Pacific Transportation Company to lease eleven of their L-1 locomotives to operate on the lines by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company as they needed more motive power to tackle the issues throughout the Second World War.[2][3]

The leased L-1 locomotives were divided into two classes of locomotives on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, those being the Southern Pacific Class GS-7 and Southern Pacific Class GS-8.[4]

However, neither one of the two classes of leased L-1 locomotives were preserved, and they were all sold for scrap in 1957.[3]

Preservation

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Cotton Belt 819 attending the Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival in 1986

Only one locomotive of the class L-1 has survived into preservation, which was No. 819. The locomotive was retired from revenue service in 1953 and was presented to the City of Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1955 as a token of gratitude for the city’s support of the Cotton Belt’s steam locomotive operations. The ownership of the locomotive was retained by the city, and the restoration of the 819 was the responsibility of “Project 819”, an all-volunteer effort by two rail historical preservation groups: the Arkansas Railroad Club and the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1986 and operated in excursion service until October 1993.[5][6] As of 2022, the locomotive is being restored again at the Arkansas Railway Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Solomon (2013), p. 108
  2. ^ a b Strapac (1999), p. 140
  3. ^ a b Dunscomb., Guy L. (1963). A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives, 1862-1962. Guy L. Dunscomb. pp. 301, 304, 317.
  4. ^ Garratt, Colin; Wade-Matthews, Max (2003). Illustrated Book of Steam and Rail - The History and Development of the Train and an Evocative Guide to the World's Great Train Journeys. Barnes & Noble Books. p. 87. ISBN 9780760749524.
  5. ^ "National Railway Historical Society 1990 Annual Convention" (PDF). St. Louis Chapter, NRHS. June 14–17, 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  6. ^ COTTON BELT 819 at the Arkansas Railroad Museum. 3-11-1994, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-07-05
  7. ^ "NRHS News" National Railway Historical Society, Chapter Seeks Funds to ‘re-steam’ Locomotive by Steve Rankin, April 2009 Newsletter, page 5
  8. ^ "Arkansas HB1657 | TrackBill".

Further reading

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