Fifty-seven of these 1800 class Prairie type (2-6-2) locomotives were built for the AT&SF by Burnham, Williams & Co., one of the early incarnations of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, from August 1906 to March 1907. They were amongst the largest 2-6-2s built.
As built, the 1800s were balanced compounds, with
17½" x 28" high pressure and 29" x 28" low pressure cylinders. The high pressure cylinders were set 7° off the horizontal to clear the front axle and avoid having to use a forked main rod. By this time, however, the writing was on the wall for compound locomotives as staple mainline motive power. Their principle advantage was lower fuel and water consumption, but increased maintenance costs because of their complexity largely offset any fuel economies. In the 1920s, the 1800s were converted to simple expansion.
#1819 was outshopped in November 1906 at a cost of $23,239.51 and was simpled in November 1927. The 1800s were also fitted with Schmidt superheaters in the 1920s and early 1930s, #1809 in 1930, the changes increasing the engine weight from 248,200 lbs to 272,400 lbs. Built as a coal burner, #1809 was also converted to an oil burner in September 1941.
Simpled, #1809 has 25" x 28" cylinders. The 802 sq ft superheating increased the total heating surface from 4,020 sq ft to 4,084 sq ft. The firebox increased from 217 sq ft to 246 sq ft, and the grate area from 53.7 sq ft to 53.8 sq ft. With 69" drivers and operating at a boiler pressure of 225 psi, #1819 delivered 34,846 lbs tractive effort, increasing to 42,500 lbs once simpled.
The tender weighs 164,500 lbs light with a 12 ton coal and 8,500 gallon water capacity. Once converted to oil, the tender held 12,000 gallons of water and 3,909 gallons of oil.
Initially mainline freight haulers, the 1800s were soon relegated to branch line, mixed traffic and local freight service. Retirements began in 1940 and continued until 1955. #1819 worked on the AT&SF's Missouri, Kansas and Colorado divisions, and was last in service in October 1953 having clocked up 916,626 miles. It was donated to the city of Lamar in February 1956 and is now on display next to the Amtrak Depot.
The photos above show there has obviously been some deterioration of #1819's cladding and smokebox jacket, which appear to have been rather badly patched using some kind of foam.