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 feeding steam to two cylinders that had a bore and a stroke. These were connected to driving wheels. The locomotives weighed .
The first 224 locomotives, built 1913 to 1919 had Baker valve gear, the last 118, built 1921 to 1923 had Young valve gear.
Construction The locomotives were built by the American Locomotive Company at their Schenectady, Richmond, and Dunkirk, plants.
+ Table of orders and numbers 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.
When new, the locomotives were hand-fired; in the mid to late 1930s many were rebuilt: driver diameter was increased by , boiler pressure was increased to 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.
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.
Retirements started in 1942, and continued until the end of steam in 1956. + Table of Chicago and North Western pre-1948 scrappings Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantityscrapped 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 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 Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantityscrapped 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.
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