Katherine Bickford

The first day of 2021 and I’m off to Middleton to take a look at the latest addition to the Middleton Railway Museum – a steam engine and tender.

Awesome, but there are no builders markings and the entire locomotive is painted gloss black with no livery. My curiosity demanded that I search out the history as the last steam locomotive ran in the Valley in 1959.

Locomotive 1521 was built at Montreal Locomotive Works in 1905. This 61 ton 2-6-0 is a H-6-b model, last operated by the Canadian National Railway, but it is similar to what would have run in the Annapolis Valley by the Dominion Atlantic Railway.

And the details for those who like details (I do):

• Valve Gear: Stephenson
• Locomotive Length and Weight
• Driver Wheelbase (ft / m): 14.50 / 4.42
• Engine Wheelbase (ft / m): 24.83 / 7.57
• Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m): 56.01 / 17.07
• Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg): 130,100 / 59,012
• Engine Weight (lbs / kg): 159,800 / 72,484
• Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg): 143,300 / 65,000
• Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg): 303,100 / 137,484
• Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML): 6960 / 26.36
• Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT): 11 / 10
• Driver Diameter (in / mm): 63 / 1600
• Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa): 200 / 13.80
• High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm): 20″ x 26″ / 559×660
• Tractive Effort (lbs / kg): 28,063 / 12729.18
• Tubes (number – dia) (in / mm): 166 – 2″ / 51
• Flues (number – dia) (in / mm): 26 – 5.375″ / 137
• Flue/Tube length (ft / m): 12.43 / 3.79
• Firebox Area (sq ft / m2): 181 / 16.8
• Grate Area (sq ft / m2): 33.25 / 3.09