Steam & Excursion > A K-4, No Pacific

Standing by in the yards at Galesburg, Illinois, is Chicago, Burlington & Quincy K-4 Class 4-6-0 #723. The date is May 22, 1928, and the Ten Wheeler has only just reached middle age.

The locomotive was built at the Burlington & Missouri River shops at Havelock, Nebraska, in 1904. She was the only example of the class built that year, and was the last of 24 such engines. The K-4's were originally built as passenger engines with 72" inch drivers. On March 24, 1902, one of the class was timed with a nine car train on the slightly descending grade between Eckley and Wray, Colorado, covering the 14.8 miles in 9 minutes at an average speed of 98.6.

The B&MR was a "Q" subsidiary, and B&MR #3691 became CB&Q #723. Like the rest of the class, #723 was rebuilt with 64" drivers for use in branch line and local freight service. All but three would survive the depression years, and most would last until the fifties.

#723 would be retired in February, 1951.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'd like to see a photo of that engine or such an engine at the end of steam. Note the Belpaire firebox? Were these common on early CB&Q or B&MR engines?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/18 16:34 by wabash2800.

Interesting looking drivers. Re-used from older 4-6-0s?

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'd like to see a
> photo of that engine or such an engine at the end
> of steam. Note the Belpaire firebox? Were these
> common on early CB&Q or B&MR engines?
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com


Like many railroads, near the turn of the 20th century the Q had a love affair with the firebox invented by Mr. Belpaire. These classes had 'em:

L-1 0-10-0
H1, H2, H4 2-6-0
I-1 0-6-2 Suburban Tank
K-1, K2, K-4, K-5 K-10 4-6-0
R-2, R-3 2-6-2
T-1 2-6-6-2
F-2 2-8-0 (rebuilt from 2-6-6-2's)

-LD

And the Q was owned by the Great Northern, who really had affinity for the Belpaire firebox.

But the Engines were built by the Burlington and Missouri River RR of Nebraska. Three still exist.
the 710, B&MR 31 in down town Lincoln (by far in the best shape) the 719, B&MR 40 later 3687 in Alliance(the last to run in 1958, There's video thanks to Jim Ehrenberger)and the 915 nee 715, B&MR 44 at the Rails West Museum in Council Bluffs.
Steve

elueck Wrote:
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> And the Q was owned by the Great Northern, who
> really had affinity for the Belpaire firebox.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/18 19:52 by wpjones.

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Thank for sharing the photos. I hope no one minds, but they are a bit ungainly looking. The CB&Q Prairie types were too in my humble opinion. The Prairie types were common on the Wabash but a dismal failure in that the RR imposed a 45 mph speed limit on them after a number of wrecks. They weren't good at staying on the track at speed. (That's not opinion but straight from accident reports including those from the ICC.) I hope the CB&Q Prairies were more successful.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com