Hobbies And Interests
Passenger Engine
According to the SooLine.org website, the H-23s were used mainly for passenger service between Chicago, Duluth and Minneapolis. The last of these engines retired from regular service in 1959. Four were scrapped, one went to a static museum display and one, No. 2719, was restored to running condition in the 1990s and pulled excursion trains in the Midwest, including a run in June 2010. The H-23 engine and tender together were 82.5 feet long, weighed a combined 225.5 tons, produced 36,833 pounds of tractive effort and had a top speed of 80 mph.
Wheels &Chassis
The H-23s were propelled by six drive wheels, three on each side, says SteamLocomotive.com, with a total of 86.2 tons of weight on the drivers. Each driver was 75 in. in diameter. The engine's wheelbase was 34 feet, 7 in. The combined wheelbase of engine and tender was 71 feet, 1 in. The four pilot truck wheels were of 36 in. in diameter and the two trailing wheels were 50 in. in diameter. The engine's maximum loading was 29.5 tons per axle.
Steam System
The coal-fired H-23 locomotives had a 207 sq. ft. firebox area and 52.75 sq. ft. of grate area. The boiler had 3,379 sq. ft. of evaporative heating area plus 840 sq. ft. of superheating surface area and operated at a pressure of 200 pounds per square inch. The boiler fed steam to two outside cylinders, one on each side. Each steam cylinder had a 25 in. bore and 26 in. stroke. Steam flow to each cylinder was controlled by piston valves connected to the drive wheels by a Walschaert valve linkage.
Coal Tender
These locomotives wouldn't get very far without a tender to carry the coal and water needed to make steam, says SteamLocomotive.com. The Soo Line's tender for the H-23 steam locos was 36 ft. long, weighed 107.5 tons fully loaded and rode on two 4-wheel trucks. It carried 17.5 tons of coal and 12,000 gallons of water. The SooLine.org website said the railroad bought the six H-23 locomotives with tenders in 1923 for $47,100 each, or a grand total of $282,600.