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Berkshire Locomotives

The Berkshire locomotives of the 2-8-4 arrangement were perhaps one of the most beautiful steam designs ever built for medium-heavy duty. Of course, not only were these locomotives aesthetically pleasing, they could lug a heavy freight train as well! While the locomotive class was very successful and purchased by a number of different railroads when it debuted in the 1920s, it is best remembered for its work on the little Boston & Albany Railroad where it also received its name when the model was being tested in the Berkshire Mountains of New England.

The Berkshire locomotive came about because of the hope of the Lima Locomotive Works, an established and well-known manufacturer of steam locomotives, to improve the USRA Mikado design (2-8-2), which lacked sufficient speed and horsepower. Based initially from a New York Central Railroad H-7 Mikado design, what Lima ultimately came up with was a locomotive that included a larger, 100 square foot firebox that necessitated the need for an extra trailing axle giving the locomotive (designated a Class A-1) a 2-8-4 wheel arrangement.

This new locomotive would get its name, Berkshire, again because of where it was first tested, the Berkshire Hills on the Boston & Albany Railroad in 1925. After very successful tests against a Class H-10 Mikado where the Class A-1 easily outperformed the Mikado (the Class A-1 left Selkirk Yard nearly 50 minutes after the Class H-10 and pulled a train that was over 600 tons heavier, yet arrived at North Adams Junction ten minutes ahead of the Mikado!), the B&A quickly ordered 45 Berkshires.

In all some nineteen different railroads would purchase the successful Berks with the Erie Railroad owning the most, 105; in all over 600 of the locomotives were built from the three largest manufacturers, Alco, Lima and Baldwin. Of note regarding the Berkshire Locomotives was the 90 owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway who called them Kanawhas.

Specifications of the Nickel Plate Road (NKP) Berkshire Locomotives

Builder – Lima, Baldwin, and Alco (NKP Berkshires were built by Lima)Fuel - 22 tons

Cyclinders(2) - 25" x 34"

Water - 22,000 Gallons

Weight – 802,500 Pounds

Diameter of Drivers – 69 Inches

Steam Pressure - 245 PSI

Tractive Effort – 64,100 Pounds

Today, impressively two of these large steamers still operate; Nickel Plate Road (NKP) #765 and Pere Marquette #1225 (who has become quite famous in recent years as the Polar Express), with a third to be operational in the coming years, #765’s sister #763 owned by shortline, Ohio Central. Along with these operational Berkshire locomotives another of Pere Marquette’s survive and four other of the Nickel Plate’s. Additionally twelve of the C&O’s Kanawhas also survive.

For more information on Berkshire locomotives consider Guide to North American Steam Locomotives by author George Drury, which includes nearly 500 pages of information on virtually all of the steam locomotive wheel arrangements and designs (including streamlined steamers) ever developed. The book is a great resource on steam locomotives and a fine reference tool; you should find it very useful.

Also, consider the book American Steam Locomotives from author Brian Solomon. While this publication does not include quite as much technical data as Guide to North American Steam Locomotives it is still a very good resource with lots of information and best of all, is loaded with photographs! If you're interested in perhaps purchasing these books please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".

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