EAR 27 class explained

East African Railways 27 class
Powertype:Steam
Buildmodel:USATC S118 Class
Builddate:1944 (16), 1953 (1)
Totalproduction:17
Uicclass:1′D1' h2
Leadingdiameter:260NaN0
Driverdiameter:480NaN0
Fueltype:Wood → Oil
Fuelcap:1350impgal
Watercap:4166impgal
Boilerpressure:1802NaN2
Firearea:27.8sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3
Tubearea: 
1247square feet
Fireboxarea:115square feet
Totalsurface:1736square feet
Superheaterarea:374square feet
Cylindercount:2, outside
Cylindersize:16x
Valvegear:Indirect Walschaerts
Tractiveeffort:195502NaN2
Numinclass:17
Deliverydate:1929

The EAR 27 class, previously known as the EAR MR class, was a sub-class of gauge USATC S118 Class steam locomotives operated by the East African Railways (EAR), and, with one exception, previously by the Malayan Railways.

Service history

The first eight members of the class were built in 1944, and were acquired second hand by the Tanganyika Railway (TR) from the Malayan Railways in 1949. Those locomotives entered service on the Central Line in Tanganyika in 1949. By that time, the TR had been succeeded by the EAR, which designated them for a very short time as its MR class, but then, as part of a comprehensive reclassification of all of its locomotives, redesignated and renumbered them as its 27 class.

In 1950, the EAR acquired eight further 27 class locomotives from the Malayan Railways, and in 1953 another 27 class locomotive was built in the EAR's Dar es Salaam Workshops, using spare parts acquired from the Nigerian Railways. The 27 class therefore eventually reached a total of 17 locomotives.

Class list

The builders, build year and fleet numbers of each member of the class were as follows:

BuildersBuiltTR
number
EAR
number
Notes
Alco19448002701
Alco19448012702
Alco19448022703
Baldwin19448032704
Baldwin19448042705
Baldwin19448052706
Davenport19448062707
Davenport19448072708
Davenport19442709
Davenport19442710
Baldwin19442711
Baldwin19442712
Baldwin19442713
Baldwin19442714
Baldwin19442715
Alco19442716
East African Railways19532717Built in the Dar es Salaam Workshops, using spare parts acquired from the Nigerian Railways

See also

References

Bibliography