Great Western 90

Last updated
Great Western 90
Strasburg 90 Steam engine - August 2021.jpg
Great Western 90, East Strasburg station, August 20, 2021
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number57812
Model12-42-F
Build dateJune 1924
Rebuild date1945
1994
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 2-10-0
 •  UIC 1′E h
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.56 in (1,422 mm) [1]
Axle load 38,000 lb (17,000 kg) [1]
Adhesive weight 190,000 lb (86,000 kg)
Loco weight212,000 lb (96,000 kg) [1]
Fuel type Coal
Firebox:​
 • Grate area54.3 sq ft (5.04 m2) [1]
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,400 kPa) [1]
Cylinder size 24 in × 28 in (610 mm × 710 mm) [1]
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Maximum speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Tractive effort 48,960  lbf (217.8  kN) [1]
Factor of adh. 3.88
Career
Operators Great Western Railway
Strasburg Rail Road
Class 12-42-F
Numbers
  • GW 90
  • SRC 90
First runJune 1924 (GWR run)
May 13, 1967 (SRC test run)
RetiredApril 5, 1967
RestoredFebruary 1968
Current ownerStrasburg Rail Road
DispositionUndergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
References: [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Great Western 90 is a preserved 12-42-F class 2-10-0 "Decapod" steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) east of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built in June 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 90 originally pulled sugar beet trains for the Great Western Railway of Colorado, and it was the largest of the company’s roster. In April 1967, No. 90 was purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road.

Contents

History

Design and revenue service

Locomotive No. 90 was built in June 1924 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Great Western Railway of Colorado (GW) as part of Baldwin's 12-42-F class. [9] [7] Based on the Russian Decapod design, the locomotive was engineered to deliver high power on lightweight tracks with minimal axle loading. [5] Key specifications included 24-by-28-inch (610 mm × 711 mm) cylinders, 56-inch (1,422 mm) driving wheels, and a superheated boiler operating at 200 psi (1,379 kPa), making it the first superheated locomotive in GW's roster. [7]

No. 90 was the largest and most powerful road locomotive on GW, primarily used for hauling sugar beet trains of 40–50 cars to the Loveland, Colorado, mill. [5] [3] During World War II, it was modified with an extended smokebox to accommodate poor-quality lignite coal. This upgrade followed a rebuild after a 1944 collision with a truck. Post-war, No. 90 served mainly during the autumn harvest season and later operated occasional excursion and campaign trains. [7] [5] [3] [8]

On September 2, 1963, No. 90 hauled the Intermountain Limited excursion as part of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) Convention, working alongside Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 5632. During this event, Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) representatives Huber Leath and John Bowman met GW superintendent Baker, expressing interest in acquiring the locomotive for SRC should it become available. [10] [11] [12] [3] [4] [3] [4]

By 1967, No. 90 was the last active road locomotive on GW and was retired and listed for sale. SRC bid $23,000 in cash (approximately $210,168 in 2024) to acquire the locomotive for use in Pennsylvania. [3] [2] Competing bids aimed to keep it in Colorado for further excursion use, but GW opted for SRC's cash offer. [4] The purchase was finalized on April 5, 1967, transferring No. 90 to SRC for preservation and operation. [8] [4]

Strasburg Rail Road ownership

Following the purchase, the No. 90 locomotive was shipped to SRC's property. [3] [8] [2] No. 90 arrived, on May 5, and then it performed its first test run for the railroad, on May 13. [8] [13] Despite the locomotive's good condition, SRC had to give No. 90 an overhaul for a mandated set of flues, and work was completed, by February 1968. [6] That same month, Ross Rowland's High Iron Company sponsored two mainline excursion trains, and Canadian Pacific (CPR) 4-6-2 locomotives Nos. 1238 and 1286 were originally planned to be leased to pull the train, but owner George M. Hart put them on an emergency lease to the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, to provide steam for a power plant. [6] [14] Unwilling to cancel the excursions, Rowland arranged to lease CPR 4-6-2 No. 127 from Steamtown, U.S.A. and No. 90 from SRC to power the trains. [14]

On February 18, No. 127 hauled the first excursion on the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), Lehigh Valley (LV), and Penn Central (PC) mainlines between Newark, New Jersey and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, and No. 90 doubleheaded with No. 127 for assistance over the CNJ's Penobscot Mountain grades from Jim Thorpe to Ashley. [6] [14] The first excursion was plagued with various problems; while traveling in New Jersey, No. 127 stalled from a poorly-burning fire; while traveling on the CNJ grades downhill, one of No. 90's tender trucks fell apart and derailed; and while in Ashley, No. 127 struggled to negotiate a wye and was blocked by a derailed diesel locomotive. [6] The passengers were sent home in a swiftly-procured fleet of buses. [6] The following weekend, the second doubleheader excursion occurred on the same route without incident. [6]

After the second excursion ended, No. 90 was returned to SRC to pull its first official tourist trains there, and it was celebrated as the railroad’s main attraction. [4] [6] Sometime during No. 90's career on SRC, crews had the locomotive's extended smokebox removed in 1994. [15] In February 2006, No. 90 was repainted in its original GW livery and operated for a photo charter. [15] [16] In October 2020, No. 90 was temporarily backdated to its late 1960s appearance with the original SRC "egg" logo, whitewall wheels, and gold pinstripings for the Steam Strikes Back photo charter, commemorating SRC's 60th anniversary. [17] By early 2024, No. 90 was removed from service to undergo its federally-mandated 1,472-day inspection, and the SRC plans to return the locomotive to service by the start of 2025. [18]

Accidents and incidents

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 King, E. W., Jr. in Drury p.351
  2. 1 2 3 "No. 90". Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bell, Kurt; Plant, Jeremy (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road In Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books. p. 49. ISBN   978-1-58248-479-2.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lewis, Edward (September 1978). "20 years on the "Road to Paradise"". Railfan & Railroad. Vol. 2, no. 6. p. 22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Boyd (1978) , p. 24
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Boyd (1978) , p. 25
  7. 1 2 3 4 Morgan (1975) , p. 36
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Morgan (1975) , p. 37
  9. ↑ "2-10-0 "Decapod" Locomotives in the USA" . Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Most years, 'summer' means 'NRHS' - Classic Trains Magazine - Railroad History, Vintage Train Videos, Steam Locomotives, Forums". cs.trains.com. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  11. ↑ Morgan (1975) , p. 67
  12. ↑ Schilling, Wallace (September 13, 1963). "If You Like to Travel By Train". The Chattanooga Times. Vol. 94, no. 272. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Equipment Roster" (PDF). July 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "Steam News Photos" . Trains. Vol. 28, no. 7. May 1968. p. 13. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Wrinn, Jim (May 2007). "Extreme steam! - 1. Lanky and long-legged" . Trains. Vol. 67, no. 5. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 34–35. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  16. ↑ "News & Photos - Old identity" . Trains. Vol. 66, no. 6. Kalmbach Publishing. June 2006. p. 13. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  17. ↑ Pollock, Christopher (December 18, 2020). "Steam Strikes Back! Strasburg Rail Road Celebrates 60 Years". Railpace Newsmagazine. White River Productions. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Strasburg Railroad's No. 90 pulled from service for inspection". WGAL8. February 23, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  19. 1 2 3 Morgan (1975) , p. 59

Bibliography

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