Chicago and North Western J Class

Class of American 2-8-2 locomotives

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)Driver dia.

J: 61 in (1.549 m)
J-A: 64 in (1.626 m)

Loco weight309,500–314,000 lb (140,400–142,400 kg)Total weight467,500 lb (212,100 kg)Boiler pressure

J: 185 lbf/in² (1.28 MPa)
J-A: 200 lbf/in² (1.4 MPa)

CylindersTwoCylinder size27 in × 32 in (690 mm × 810 mm)Valve gearBaker or YoungValve typePiston

Career
Operators	Chicago and North Western Railway Omaha Road
Number in class	CNW: 310 (-2) CMO 32 (+2)
Numbers	CNW: 2301–2600, 2701–2710 CMO: 390–423, 440–441
Disposition	All scrapped

The Chicago and North Western Railway class J was a class of 310 American 2-8-2 locomotives. They were built between 1913 and 1923 by the American Locomotive Company. In addition, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway (the Omaha Road) acquired 32, and also classified them as class J.

Design

The locomotives had boiler pressed to 185 pounds per square inch (1.28 MPa) feeding steam to two cylinders that had a 27-inch (690 mm) bore and a 32-inch (810 mm) stroke. These were connected to 61-inch (1,500 mm) driving wheels. The locomotives weighed 467,500 pounds (212,100 kg).^[1]

The first 224 locomotives, built 1913 to 1919 had Baker valve gear, the last 118, built 1921 to 1923 had Young valve gear.^[2]

Construction

The locomotives were built by the American Locomotive Company at their Schenectady, Richmond, and Dunkirk, plants.

Table of orders and numbers^[3]^[4]
Year	Quantity	Manufacturer	Serial numbers	C&NW numbers	Notes
1913	10	Schenectady	52697–52706	390–399	Omaha Road
1913	15	Schenectady	53094–53108	2301–2315
1914	20	Schenectady	54429–54448	2316–2335
1914	6	Schenectady	54520–54525	400–405	Omaha Road
1914	25	Schenectady	54862–54886	2336–2360
1916	12	Schenectady	55606–55617	2361–2372
1916	6	Schenectady	55562–55567	406–411	Omaha Road
1916	25	Schenectady	56259–56283	2373–2379
1916	10	Schenectady	56284–56293	412–421	Omaha Road
1917	25	Schenectady	57292–57316	2398–2422
1918	20	Richmond	58144–58163	2423–2442
1918	42	Richmond	58377–58418	2443–2484
1919	8	Richmond	58419–58426	2485–2492
1921	30	Richmond	62664–62693	2493–2522
1921	10	Richmond	62785–62794	2523–2532
1922	20	Dunkirk	63507–63526	2533–2552
1923	40	Dunkirk	63843–63882	2553–2592
1923	8	Dunkirk	64445–64452	2593–2600
1923	10	Dunkirk	64453–64462	2701–2710

Service

They were used system-wide on freight trains, and became the principle freight-hauling locomotive on the railway.

The last seven locomotives built were equipped for oil firing from new; at least 18 more were retro-fitted in the 1930s and 1940s. These locomotives were used in Nebraska and Wyoming.^[5]

When new, the locomotives were hand-fired; in the mid to late 1930s many were rebuilt: driver diameter was increased by 3 inches (76 mm), boiler pressure was increased to 200 pounds per square inch (1,400 kPa) to compensate, and a BK stoker was fitted. These locomotives were reclassified as J-A. With the onset of World War II, rebuildings ceased, but the fitting of stokers continued; these stoker-fitted locomotives were re-classed as J-S.^[2]

Also during the war, several locomotives were leased to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

In 1944 the Chicago and North Western Railway traded two of its class J locomotives for the Omaha Road's two J-1 2-10-2 locomotives.^[6]

Retirements started in 1942, and continued until the end of steam in 1956.

Table of Chicago and North Western pre-1948 scrappings^[7]
Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity scrapped	Numbers	Notes
1942	310	12	2303/12/14/19/26/35/58/66/77, 2401/05/70
1943	298	2	2302, 2564	2302 wrecked on Seaboard Air Line
1944	296	[2]	2363, 2372	to Omaha Road 440, 441
1946	294	2	2325, 2436
1947	292	25	2328/31/33/39/41/53/62/74/78/82/85/96, 2410/13/18/33/39–41/44/69/83/84/86/88

Table of Omaha Road retirements^[4]
Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity scrapped	Numbers	Notes
1950	34	4	395, 397, 403, 405	All class J
1951	30	1	415	class J-A
1952	29	9	390–394, 401, 410, 412, 441	410, 412, 441 class J-A; remainder class J
1953	20	2	409, 420	All class J-A
1954	18	2	396, 402	All class J-A
1955	16	2	399, 400	All class J-A
1956	14	14	398, 404, 406–408, 411, 413, 414, 416–419, 421, 440	All class J-A

No locomotives of this class have been preserved.

References

^ Mailer (2004), p. 145.
^ ^a ^b Cole (1938), p. 72.
^ Cole (1938), pp. 61–62.
^ ^a ^b Mailer (2004), p. 305.
^ Drury (1985), p. 95.
^ Chicago and North Western Railway (1948), p. 15.
^ Chicago and North Western Railway (1948), pp. 14–17.

Cole, F.A. (1938). Locomotives of the Chicago & North Western Railway. Boston: The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.
Chicago and North Western Railway (1948). Locomotives of the Chicago & North Western Railway, supplement. The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.
Drury, George H. (1985). The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89024-072-8. LCCN 85080107.
Mailer, Stan (2004). The Omaha Road: Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha. Mukilteo, Washington: Hundman Publishing. ISBN 0-945434-04-9. OL 8448884M.
Barrie, Wes. "Chicago & North Western / Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA". steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2020-05-01.