C&O class H8

C&O class H8

The Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) had its first taste of Super Power steam in the T-1 class of 2-10-4 delivered starting in 1930. These engines excelled at fast freight service, but were limited to the western part of the system due to clearances. A tunnel expansion program in the 1930s allowed these engines to travel further east. At the end of the 1930s, the C&O contacted Lima regarding an additional order of T-1s to replace older, slower 2-6-6-2 mallets and 2-8-8-2 simple articulateds.

On contacting Lima, the C&O was told of a new design of Super Power simple articulated steam engine Lima engineers had been working on. The new design included a massive boiler and firebox requiring a three-axle trailing truck, 67 inch drivers for speed and 22.5 by 33 inch cylinders (which, although limiting brute force at low speed, matched the steaming capacity of the boiler at higher speeds.) The C&O was sold on the design, and the first order of ten H-8s (1600-1609) was delivered in late 1941 and early 1942. Additional H-8s were delivered in late 1942 and mid-1944 (1610-1644.)

The first three orders were well overweight. The design specifications called for an engine weight of 724,500 pounds, but the engines as delivered weighed in at 771,300 pounds. Eugene Huddleston argues that C&O's micromanagement of the design led to the weight discrepancy. Even so, Lima ultimately paid C&O a penalty of approximately $3,000,000 for missing the weight targets. In operation, the C&O got good service out of the 2-6-6-6s despite their weight. A final order delivered in 1948 (1645-1659) copied the Virginian's class AG, which reduced the engine weight by ten tons. All 60 Alleghanies were retired by 1956. Two survived into preservation, 1601 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan and 1604 at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

It is worth noting that although these engines were designed for fast freight service, the C&O typically used them as drag power, moving long coal trains of up to 11,500 tons over the Alleghany mountains at relatively low speeds. Dynamometer tests of the engines at speed showed the cylinders were capable of delivering 7,500 horsepower at 40 miles per hour, speeds in line with fast freight service. The boiler was capable of providing 8,000 horsepower, illustrating the Super Power goal of matching boiler and cylinder horsepower.

Specifications (1941 engines)
Drivers: 67 inches
Cylinders: 22.5 x 33 inch
Adhesive weight: 507,900 lbs
Evaporative surface: 7,240 square feet
Grate area: 135.20 square feet
Boiler pressure: 260 PSI
Tractive effort: 110,211 lbs
Price: $230,663 ($3,714,710 in 2014 dollars)

C&O class H8
• config.txt 39.29KB
h8_alpha_numbers
alphanumber_0a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_0b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_1a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_1b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_2a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_2b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_3a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_3b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_4a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_4b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_5a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_5b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_6a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_6b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_7a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_7b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_8a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_8b.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_9a.tga 4.04KB
alphanumber_9b.tga 4.04KB
h8_art
h8_art_icon2.tga 32.04KB
thumbnail.jpg 37.89KB
h8_body
brakes.im 10.77KB
brakes.kin 2.21KB
cab.texture.txt 26 bytes
cab.tga 1.00MB
digit_0.tga 4.04KB
digit_3a.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_3b.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_4a.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_4b.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_5a.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_5b.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_6a.texture.txt 49 bytes
digit_6b.texture.txt 49 bytes
ebtdriver.texture.txt 32 bytes
ebtdriver.tga 192.04KB
ebtdriver2.texture.txt 33 bytes
ebtdriver2.tga 192.04KB
glass.texture.txt 28 bytes
glass.tga 48.04KB
h8_body.lm.txt 301 bytes
light1.texture.txt 29 bytes
light1.tga 64.04KB
lod1.im 1.02MB
lod2.im 662.39KB
lod3.im 176.49KB
night.im 700 bytes
runningboard.texture.txt 35 bytes
runningboard.tga 32.04KB
shadow1.texture.txt 49 bytes
shadow1.tga 64.04KB
slagmain.texture.txt 45 bytes
slagmain.tga 4.00MB
summer.im 8.47KB
winter.im 16.36KB
h8_shadow
h8_shadow.im 118.69KB
• readme.txt 3.61KB
sound
compressor.wav 180.19KB
dynamo.wav 41.75KB
hiss.wav 108.62KB
injector.wav 79.72KB
• steamscript.gs 17.78KB

Feel free to reskin this and release it when and wherever you like as freeware. All I ask is that you indicate where to find the original package and also include the original readme which credits the authors who have contributed to the creation of this asset. This asset may not be used by any payware content without permission.