Osceola Cypress Lumber Company 2-6-0 "Mogul" Locomotives in the USA

The largest industry brought to the Geneva area by the railroad was the Osceola Cypress Company. The company constructed a very large sawmill north of Geneva and their log trains were among the first trains to use the new railroad. Mr. E. T. Summersill began work for the company in 1919 and remained as engineer until the mill was closed in 1942. The Summersill family lived first in Geneva for a short time until quarters could be found for them at Osceola. A locally generated map of Osceola shows the Summersill home at Osceola. In 1922, Mr. Summersill was sent to Palatka to bring back a new and larger train steam engine that had been ordered from a factory in Patterson, New Jersey. Much to his surprise, he found his own name in gold lettering on the cab of the engine. When the mill was moved to Port Everglades in 1942, the plaque from the engine was presented to Mr. Summersill. It is believed to be the only such factory installed marker for an engine.

Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 50 (Locobase 11733)

Data from American Locomotive Company builder's card illustrating order C-659 of March 1923. See also Dan Myers, "An 11 Update", Middletown & New Jersey Railway Historical Society, [], last accessed 27 October 2010. Myers' article notes that OCLC #50 was built in May 1922.

Myers reports that Cooke received a large order for locomotives from a Cuban source, but that the whole deal fell through after only 3 were completed. This trio languished in the yard until Alco could sell them, one by one, to stateside operators. There were slight differences among the three and each, of course, had a different history.

This engine was delivered as an oil-burner. Bret Summersill's November 2011 email to Locobase helped us see that the 50's OCLC history covered almost 2 decades and had a possibly unique feature. When Bret's great grandfather reported to Palatka, Fla in 1922 to pick the Cooke-built engine, he found that the Paterson, NJ builder had lettered E T Summersill in gold under the cab windows and fastened a plaque in the cab as well.

Summersill operated the engine throughout the 20s and probably until the end of operations. The line closed once the yellow-pine woods near Lake Geneva were harvested and the OCLC moved its operations to Port Everglades in 1942. Having no further need for the 50, the OCLC presented the factory-installed plaque with his name to Summersill; it is believed to have been the only such plaque fitted by a locomotive builder to its engine at the factory

The OCLC sold the 50 to the Virginia-Carolina Railway's Florida operation in Nichols, where they put a slope-back tender on it to improve visibility during switching turns. Retired in 1958, the #50 was donated to the City of Bradenton, Fla in 1961 and was placed in Adair Park where it still reposes.

See Locobases 11732 for Narragansett Pier #11 and 11734 for Maryland & Delaware Coast #1.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class50
Locobase ID11733
RailroadOsceola Cypress Lumber Company
CountryUSA
Whyte2-6-0
Number in Class1
Road Numbers50
GaugeStd
Number Built1
BuilderAlco-Cooke
Year1922
Valve GearWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)10 / 3.05
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)19.83 / 6.04
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.50
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)46.71 / 14.24
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)91,500 / 41,504
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)111,000 / 50,349
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)85,800 / 38,918
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)196,800 / 89,267
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)4000 / 15.15
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)51 / 25.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)50 / 1270
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)180 / 12.40
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 24" / 457x610
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)23,795 / 10793.24
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 3.85
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)194 - 2" / 51
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11 / 3.35
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)113 / 10.50
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)24.40 / 2.27
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1222 / 113.57
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1222 / 113.57
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume172.84
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation4392
Same as above plus superheater percentage4392
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area20,340
Power L13791
Power MT274.02

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