Chesapeake & Ohio K-4 2-8-4 Berkshire

During World War Two when the C&O needed medium sized freight locomotives, 40 2-8-4's were ordered from ALCO. Due to War Production Board restrictions the order was based on related Pere Marquette's 1941 Lima 2-8-4's. The order also closely followed the Lima built 1943 2-8-4's for the RF&P, but included a number of improvements such as cast steel frames with integral cylinders, boosters and engine roller bearings. The new 2-8-4's had a "face" that was patterned after the C&O Baldwin 4-6-4's constructed in 1941 with the headlight mounted on the pilot beam, an oval number plate centered on the smokebox and the bell mounted over the front of the smokebox. The tender was also of the same size as those used on the 4-6-4's. The C&O named their new 2-8-4's the KANAWHA type, after the river in West Virginia.

Built in 1943 and 1944 and numbered 2700-2739 the engines were assigned Class K-4. The engines were so well received that 10 more were built by Lima the following year and numbered 2740-2749. More engines were ordered in 1947 and the order was split, 2750-2759 being built by Lima and 2760-2789 by ALCO. All these engines were virtually identical except for slight increases in weight, but numbers 2785-2789 had all welded boilers.

The K-4's were probably the best all around design that the C&O was to acquire in their post 1941 locomotive purchase program. They were capable of being used in just about any service and were, from coal drags to fast merchandise, and a number even saw service into the 1950's in passenger service supplementing 4-6-4's, 4-8-2's and 4-8-4's. They could also be used on many routes that were closed to the huge 2-10-4's and 2-6-6-6's. their primary use was on the low grade routes, such as Cincinnati-Hinton and Clifton Forge-Newport News.

By 1949 the C&O embarked on a dieselization program and it is doubtful if the road ever received their money's worth on their fine fleet of modern steam power, including the K-4's. The 2-8-4's were supplemented by former Pere Marquette 2-8-4's transferred from the old Northern District after 1950. Most of the K-4's remained intact until the end of steam in 1957, but many locomotives were stored from time to time as traffic levels varied. Fortunately many K-4's were preserved, including the 2716 which was donated to the Kentucky Railway Museum.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Drivers: 69" Weight on Drivers: 292,000 Lbs.
• Cylinders: 26" X 34" Boiler Pressure: 245 Lbs.
• Total Engine Weight: 460,000 Lbs.
• Tractive Effort: 69,350 Lbs. Plus 14,400 Lbs. booster tractive effort
• Numbers 2740-2749 had Total Weight of 468,900 Lbs. Weight on Drivers: 292,600 Lbs.
• Numbers 2750-2759 had Total Weight of 469,680 Lbs. Weight on Drivers: 293,100 Lbs.
• Numbers 2760-2784 had Total Weight of 469,000 Lbs. Weight on Drivers: 293,100 Lbs.
• Numbers 2785-2789 had Total Weight of 463,500 Lbs. Weight on Drivers: 293,100 Lbs.