User:Hachijo8/MR250

The Manila Railroad 250 class were eight 2-8-2 Mikado-type steam locomotives. They were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1928 for the Manila Railroad, predecessor of the Philippine National Railways.

Background
The early 1920s saw popular American manufacturers enter the Philippine market as part of the policy of the newly-reorganized Manila Railroad. Both H.K. Porter, Inc. and American Locomotive Company (Alco) built locomotives for the Manila Railroad. The locomotives enjoyed popularity among railroad engineers for much of the interwar period that the British-built locomotives were almost immediately retired from service. In the late 1920s, the Manila Railroad also ordered locomotives from Baldwin Locomotive Works. This became the Manila Railroad 140 class.

Despite being the first locomotives built by Baldwin, the 140 class was based on a design created by competing H.K. Porter. After replicating the success of the Porter design during its first runs between 1927 and 1928, a four-axle version was ordered. This became the 250 class.

Design
The design of the 250 class was based on the 140 class, and was modified by Baldwin subsidiary Eddystone Arsenal. Like the Alco-built 170 and 200 classes, the 140 and 250 classes were built with a majority of the locomotive having similar (and therefore interchangeable) parts. The tubes, flukes, cylinders, piston valves, arch tubes, among other specifications, were made similar to those of the 140 class. However, the piston valves had a lengthened stroke while the driver diameter was shrank to 45 in from 54 in. This was done to achieve a higher tractive effort.

Service
The 250 class entered service in 1929. However, the 250 class did not have as much documentation as its Pacific-type sister class and information regarding them was scarce. It remains unknown when exactly the 250 class locomotives were decommissioned, presumably before all steam locomotives were retired from mainline service on August 15, 1956. With all steam locomotives of the Manila Railroad era being extinct, the class was eventually scrapped after its retirement.