Canadian National class N-4 2-8-0 explained

Canadian National class N-4
Powertype:Steam
Hatnote:References:
Builddate:August 1906 – November 1911
Totalproduction:232
Whytetype:2-8-0
Driverdiameter:630NaN0
Boilerpressure:1802NaN2
Cylindercount:Two
Valvegear:Stephenson, Walschaerts, or Young
Tractiveeffort:410001NaN1
Retiredate:1952–1960
Scrapdate:1955-1960

Canadian National class N-4 steam locomotives were of 2-8-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 1′D in UIC classification. These locomotives were built for the Grand Trunk Railway (GT) from 1906 until GT began purchasing class M freight locomotives in 1913. Initially classed D2 by the Grand Trunk, they were built as Richmond compound locomotives with 210lb/in2 boilers feeding NaNinches and 35inches by 32inches cylinders.

The Grand Trunk started to rebuild and reclassify them; superheated compounds became class D3; those rebuilt with 23x simple expansion cylinders and Stephenson valve gear became classes D4, D5 and D6. The D4 was extinct by the 1923 takeover of the Grand Trunk by Canadian National Railway; CN reclassified the others as N-4-a and N-4-b respectively. Some locomotives received Walschaerts valve gear and were classified D7 (N-4-d and N-4-e) and D9 (N-4-c); two received Young valve gear and were classified D11 (N-4-f). All simpled locomotives had their boiler pressure reduced to 1803NaN3

Both GT and CN took some of these rebuilding efforts out of their original numerical sequence. CN numbered class N-4-a locomotives from 2525 through 2660 and numbered the alternative rebuilding classes from 2661 through 2686. The rebuilt simplified locomotives remained in freight service until the final replacement of steam with diesel locomotives.

BuilderWorks numbersDatesGT numbersCN numbersNotes
MLW39548–395621906651–6652515–2529Retired 1952
MLW40583–406221906666–7052530–2543, 2661, 2544–2551, 2662, 2552–2566, 2663Retired 1953-1954
ALCO42046–420601907706–7202669, 2567–2570, 2670–2671, 2571–2573, 2664, 2672, 2574–2576built at ALCO's Schenectady Works . Retired 1954-1955
MLW42331–423451907721–7352577-2784, 2685, 2585–2590Retired 1955-1956
MLW43150–431641907736–7502591–2605Retired 1956-1957
ALCO43540–435541907751–7652606, 2673, 2607–2608, 2674, 2609–2610, 2675, 2611–2612, 2676, 2613, 2665, 2614–2615built at ALCO's Schenectady Works . Retired 1957-1958
MLW45163–451821908631–6502627–2646Retired 1958-1959
MLW46880-468941910616–6302647–2657, 2686, 2658–2660Retired 1959
ALCO49663–496741911766–7772677, 2616–2623, 2678, 2624–2625built at ALCO's Brooks Works . Retired 1959-1960
ALCO50472–504811911779–7872679, 2666, 2626, 2680–2682, 2667, 2683, 2668, 2684built at ALCO's Schenectady Works . Retired 1960

Three N-4-a class locomotives have been preserved:

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Railroaders Square and Memorial - Belleville, ON - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com. www.waymarking.com.