|
 Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Steam LocomotivesThe classifications given by railroads to their steam locomotive fleets were as varied as the machines themselves with several different designations within a particular class! The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy steam locomotives were likewise characterized by a wide range of classes ranging from A to T. In any event, the information here is most certainly not a complete, all-time listing of CB&Q's steam fleet and also is merely meant to list the general types of steam locomotives operated by the railroad.
Because the Burlington stretched from Chicago in the east, to Galveston in south, and Denver in the west it's not surprisingly that the railroad rostered a fleet of steam locomotives that included everything from massive 2-8-8-2 heavy articulateds to speedy 4-4-2 Atlantics. It's also probably not surprising then to know that several CB&Q steamers are preserved today including an operational 4-8-4 Northern (#3000) and a 2-8-2 Mikado (#4960). The CB&Q's Class A included its fleet of 4-4-0 Americans ranging from Class A-1 to A-6. The CB&Q's Class B-1 included its fleet of 4-8-2 Mountains. The CB&Q's Class D included its fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidations ranging from Class D-1 to D-7. The CB&Q's Class E-1 included its lone roster of 0-4-0 switchers. The CB&Q's Class F included its fleet of 0-8-0 switchres. The CB&Q's Class G included its fleet of 0-6-0 switchers ranging from Class G-1 to G-10. The CB&Q's Class H included its fleet of 2-6-0 Moguls ranging from Class H-1 to H-4.
The CB&Q's Class I-1 included its roster of unique 0-6-2Ts. The CB&Q's Class K included its fleet of 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers ranging from Class K-1 to K-10. The CB&Q's Class L-1 included its roster of large 0-10-0 switchers. The CB&Q's Class M included its fleet of 2-10-2 Santa Fes and 2-10-4 Texas Types. The CB&Q's Class N included its roster of unique 2-4-2 Columbians. The CB&Q's Class O included its fleet of 2-8-2 Mikados and 4-8-4 Northerns ranging from Class O-1 to O-5 (Class O-1 to O-4 were 2-8-2s while Class O-5 was 4-8-4s). The CB&Q's Class P included its fleet of 4-4-2 Atlantics ranging from Class P-1 to P-6. The CB&Q's Class R included its fleet of 2-6-2 Prairies ranging from Class R-1 to R-5 (the railroad was the first to own and operate this design). The CB&Q's Class S included its fleet of 4-6-2 Pacifics ranging from Class S-1 to S-4. The CB&Q's Class T included its roster of massive 2-6-6-2 and 2-8-8-2 heavy articulateds.
Also, for more reading about Chicago, Burlington and Quincy steam locomotives you may be interested in the gallery of photos featured in the book Burlington Route Steam Locomotive Photos from the Roy Campbell Collection by author Thomas Burg. Since the book is mostly a pictorial it does not cover CB&Q steam in detail. However, it does offer a general overview of the railroad's steam fleet and a superb collection of photographs taken by Roy Campbell (spanning 146 pages) that feature CB&Q steam at its finest. If you have any interested in the Burlington's steam locomotives you very likely will enjoy Mr. Campbell's collection of photos covering such. Also consider Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the name implies the book details the earliest history of steam engine technology, even before it was used in railroad applications. His book later explores the development of steam locomotive technology in the United States from the 19th through the 20th centuries, covering not only the most popular steam locomotive designs but also the most successful manufactures to build them. The book has received excellent reviews and is a great resource on steam locomotives and a fine reference tool; you should find it very useful. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.
|
