Chesapeake and Ohio class K-5
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Chesapeake and Ohio class K-5, originally the Pere Marquette Mk-2s were a class of 10 2-8-2 Mikados built by ALCO for the Pere Marquette in 1927. The were the largest, most advanced and best all around locomotives in the PM's fleet until the arrival of first 15 Berkshires in 1937. They essentially a modified version of a USRA Light Mikado with Pere Marquette-style modifications and innovations. They are one of if not the most interesting extinct classes of Pere Marquette locomotives, and one of 2 classes from the railroad to be built with feedwater-heaters(the others being the 39 Berkshires), and 2 with booster engines(the others being the PM class N-2).
Background[edit]
In the 1920s, Most US railroads including the Pere Marquette saw a boom in overall freight tonnage hauled each year, from 14.8million tons in 1920, to 19.7 million in 1927.
As businesses increased in number during the decade, emphasis also started shifting to the rising automobile industry centered in a lot of Michigan’s cities that served the Pere Marquette.
In response to this, the Pere Marquette designed the Mk-2s of which they asked ALCO to build 10 of such numbered 1041 to 1050 in 1927.
These locomotives along with the Mks were the only Pere Marquette owned Mikados that were originally built for the PM, compared to the MK-1s and later Mk-6s being second hand from other railroads.
The design of the Mk-2 was essentially a modified version of the USRA light Mikados featuring Pere Marquette style modifications.
Each Mk-2 was 81 feet long overall and weighed 250 tons total.
They had a grate area of 66.8 square feet, combined heating surface of 4,798.5 square feet, 63inch driving wheels, piston valves with baker valve gear, 26x30inch cylinders, and 200 PSI boilers.
When first built, the MK-1s were given 10,000gallon 16ton tenders. The first 5 Mk-2s also had Duplex D-1 stokers like the Mk-1s, while the rest had DuPont B stokers.
The booster increased their tractive effort by 10,000lbs. Add that to their 54,800 without the booster, and you have a tractive effort of 64,800lbs with the booster engaged.
The Mk-2s and some of the PM’s later Berkshires were the only locomotives on the railroad to have boosters. (In text, *SF class loco 1111 also had a feed water heater*)
As for the feed water, it was a worrthington 3-B. The Berkshires would use a later model known as the 5-S and 5-SSA. The MK-2s had one final innovation known, that being thermos syphons in their fireboxes, which the Mk-1s later received.
Design[edit]
The Mk-2s similar to the Mk-1s(Nos 1011-1040) in a lot of specifications as they had the same original tenders, tractive effort, drive wheel diameter, boiler pressure, cylinder size, valves, and overall length.
The first 5 Mk-2s also had Duplex D-1 stokers like the Mk-1s, while the rest had DuPont B stokers.
But the Mk-2s were a bit heavier at 250 tons total and had 0.1 more square feet of grate area than the Mk-1s, and their combined heating surface was 4978 square feet.
What the Mk-2s had that the Mk-1s and Mks didn’t have were a feed water heater, more familiar baker valve gear, and a booster engine, making these the first Pere Marquette locomotives to have a booster and feed water heater.
The booster increased their tractive effort by 10,000lbs. Add that to their 54,800 without the booster, and you have a tractive effort of 64,800lbs with the booster engaged.
The Mk-2s and some of the PM’s later Berkshires were the only locomotives on the railroad to have boosters. (SF class loco 1111 also had a feed water heater and was the only PM Santa FE type to have one).
As for the feed water, it was a Worthington 3-B. The Berkshires would use a later model known as the 5-S and 5-SSA.
The MK-2s had one final innovation known, that being thermos syphons in their fireboxes, which the Mk-1s later received.
Specifications[edit]
Each Mk-2 was 81 feet long overall and weighed 250 tons total.
They had a grate area of 66.8 square feet, combined heating surface of 4,798.5 square feet, 63inch driving wheels, piston valves with baker valve gear, 26x30inch cylinders, and 200 PSI boilers.
When first built, the MK-1s were given 10,000gallon 16ton tenders. The first 5 Mk-2s also had Duplex D-1 stokers like the Mk-1s, while the rest had DuPont B stokers.
The booster increased their tractive effort by 10,000lbs. Add that to their 54,800 without the booster, and you have a tractive effort of 64,800lbs with the booster engaged.
The Mk-2s and some of the PM’s later Berkshires were the only locomotives on the railroad to have boosters. (In text, *SF class loco 1111 also had a feed water heater*)
As for the feed water, it was a Worthington 3-B. The Berkshires would use a later model known as the 5-S and 5-SSA. The MK-2s had one final innovation known, that being thermos syphons in their fireboxes, which the Mk-1s later received.
Service life[edit]
Like most railroads, the Pere Marquette used their Mikados to pull heavy and fast freight trains, and in their case, mostly In Michigan.
The MK-2s were placed in service on the Billy Saginaw-Ludington line where their boosters could be used effectively on heavy trains to and from the port lake at Ludington.
They could be seen all over the PM rail network as well. While the MK-1, 2 and 6 Mikados had already been dethroned as the railroad’s most power locomotives before their arrival, by the SF-Class Santa Fe’s,
the Mikados were more versatile as the Santa Fe’s were slow, therefore unsuitable for fast freights and better suited to slow freight drags.
The Mikados on the other hand were just as good at pulling heavy freights as they were at fast freights.
Later in their careers, the Mk-2s along with the Mk-1s and Mk-6s were later fitted with number boards on the front that flanked the bell. The Berkshires would also have those.
In 1930, the MK-2s' original tenders were replaced with 19RA tenders from ALCO in 1930.
The Pere Marquette also found their mikados including the Mk-2s to quite good at hauling heavy passenger trains that were too heavy for the smaller pacifics unassisted, and during the Second World War, the Mk-2s and other PM Mikados could sometimes be seen pulling the heavy Resort Specials between Chicago Illinois and Petoskey Michigan.
They were Pere Marquette’s largest and best all around locomotives until the arrival of the Berkshires in 1937.
Chesapeake and Ohio Service[edit]
After the Pere Marquette was absorbed into the Chesapeake and Ohio in 1947, the Mk-2s were re-classified as K-5s and renumbered to 1060-1069. In their days with the C&O, the MK-2s could be seen double heading with a fellow classmate or an Ex-PM Berkshire, still mostly in Michigan.
The Mk-2s were withdrawn by 1952 and they were all cut up later than year with none to spare for preservation.
References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- Million, Art; Dixon Jr. (1984). Pere Marquette Power. Chesapeake & Ohio. ISBN 0939487063. Search this book on
Dixon Jr - Pere Marquette 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA (steamlocomotive.com)
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