Pennsylvania Railroad 4800

Last updated

Pennsylvania Railroad 4800
RR2000.20 GG1 PRR 4800.jpg
4800 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in June 2010
Type and origin
Power typeElectric
Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works, General Electric
Serial numberGE 11646
Build dateAugust 1934
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  AAR 2-C+C-2
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.57 in (1,448 mm)
Wheelbase 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) [1]
Length79 ft 6 in (24.23 m)
Width10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) [1]
Height16 ft 0 in (4.88 m) over locked-down pantograph]]
Adhesive weight 303,000 lb (137,000 kg) [1]
Loco weight475,000 lb (215,000 kg) [1]
Electric system/s 11,000  V   AC, 25  Hz [1] Overhead
Current pickup(s) Dual pantographs
Performance figures
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Power outputContinuous: 4,620  hp (3,450  kW) [1]
Career
Operators Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Conrail
Class GG1
Nicknames"Old Rivets"
RetiredOctober 1979
RestoredNovember 20, 1982 (cosmetically)
Current owner Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DispositionOn static display
Official namePenn. RR GG1 Electric
Locomotive #4800
DesignatedApril 23, 1983
Reference no.83 [2]

Pennsylvania Railroad 4800, nicknamed "Old Rivets", is a GG1-class electric locomotive located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the prototype GG1 and was originally numbered 4899. Built by General Electric in 1934, the locomotive competed against a prototype, the R1, built by rival company Westinghouse. 4800 was kept in service by the Pennsylvania Railroad and its successors, Penn Central and Conrail, until 1979. It was sold the next year to a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. 4800 was dedicated in 1982 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and was designated a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1983.

Contents

Construction and testing

Detail of PRR 4800 showing the builder's plate Gg4800.jpg
Detail of PRR 4800 showing the builder's plate

In 1933, the Pennsylvania Railroad decided to replace the P5, and instructed General Electric and Westinghouse to design an electric locomotive that was more powerful than the P5, capable of speeds of 100 miles per hour (161 km/h), have a lighter axle load and to be double-ended with a cab in the center of the carbody. [3] Westinghouse designed the R1 #4800, and General Electric submitted the GG1, then numbered 4899.

The frames, running gear and riveted body for the prototype GG1 were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The partially built locomotive was then shipped to the General Electric factory in Erie, Pennsylvania for the installation of its electrical components. [4] Twelve traction motors, two on each of the GG1's six powered axles, produced 4,620 horsepower (3,450  kW ) that was transmitted to the 57-inch (1,400 mm) driving wheels by a quill drive. [5] Unlike other GG1s, access steps were installed at each end of the locomotive to ease maintenance of the pantographs; the pantographs were mechanically linked to a safety plate that blocked access to the steps when the pantographs were raised. [4] The finished locomotive was 79 feet 6 inches (24.23 m) long and 16 feet (4.88 m) tall, with both of its pantographs lowered. [1]

GG1 4899 was extensively tested against the R1 from August to November 1934; both locomotives were substituted on regular passenger service between New York City and Philadelphia. [6] Both locomotives were found to be capable of rapid acceleration with short-term power outputs of up to 10,000 horsepower (7,500  kW ). [7] The GG1, however, did not exert as much lateral force on the rails as the R1, because it was articulated, which allowed for a smaller turning radius than the rigid R1. The Pennsylvania chose the GG1 over the R1 and immediately ordered another 57 locomotives. [7] As the number scheme used by the Pennsylvania prevented the first locomotive in the class from being 4899, the R1 and GG1 prototypes, essentially, swapped numbers. [8] The Pennsylvania also enlisted the assistance of Raymond Loewy to refine the aesthetics of the GG1s. Loewy recommended that all subsequent models of the class should have a welded body rather than the riveted body on the prototype. This led to the nickname "Old Rivets" being given to 4800. [4]

Operation and preservation

On January 28, 1935, 4800 inaugurated electric passenger service between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia by pulling a charter train for railroad and government officials; 4800 set a speed record of 102 miles per hour (164 km/h) outside of Landover, Maryland on the return trip. [4] [9] Regular passenger service began on February 10, 1935. [10] 4800 remained in regular passenger service with the Pennsylvania, until it joined production GG1s 4801–4857 in the pool of 90-mile-per-hour (140 km/h) geared freight locomotives. [11] It had its steam generator removed in June 1960, [12] about a year after hauling a National Railway Historical Society-charted excursion to commemorate its 25th birthday. [13]

Penn Central 4801 and 4800 eastward at North Elizabeth in December 1975 Penn Central No 4801 4800.jpg
Penn Central 4801 and 4800 eastward at North Elizabeth in December 1975

4800 continued to haul freight for the Pennsylvania and its successors Penn Central and Conrail. In 1976, Conrail gave 4800 a red, white and blue paint scheme to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. [1] It was also the only GG1 to wear Conrail blue paint; all the other Conrail GG1s remained in black. 4800 was eventually retired by Conrail in October 1979 after the locomotive's main transformer failed, which was deemed too expensive to repair. [4]

4800 was sold by Conrail in 1980 to the Lancaster-chapter of the National Railway Historical Society for the scrap-value price of $30,000. [4] The locomotive was given a cosmetic restoration back to its 1935 appearance by the nearby Strasburg Rail Road and volunteers. 4800 was dedicated and put on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on November 20, 1982. [4] It was designated a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) on April 23, 1983. [2]

In 2012, PRR 4800 was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame for its contribution to the railway industry. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Pennsylvania Railroad, legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia. It was named for the commonwealth in which it was established. At its peak in 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad, the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMD AEM-7</span> Twin-cab four-axle 7,000 hp (5.2 MW) B-B electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Division

The EMD AEM-7 is a twin-cab four-axle 7,000 hp (5.2 MW) B-B electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and ASEA between 1978 and 1988. The locomotive is a derivative of the Swedish SJ Rc4 designed for passenger service in the United States. The primary customer was Amtrak, which bought 54 for use on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. Two commuter operators, MARC and SEPTA, also purchased locomotives, for a total of 65.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric locomotive</span> Locomotive powered by electricity

An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas turbines, are classed as diesel-electric or gas turbine-electric and not as electric locomotives, because the electric generator/motor combination serves only as a power transmission system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1</span> Class of American electric locomotives

The Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 is a class of streamlined electric locomotives built for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), in the northeastern United States. The class was known for its striking art deco shell, its ability to pull trains at up to 100 mph, and its long operating career of almost 50 years.

Locomotive classification on the Pennsylvania Railroad took several forms. Early on, steam locomotives were given single-letter classes. As the 26 letters were quickly assigned, that scheme was abandoned for a more complex system. This was used for all of the PRR's steam locomotives, and — with the exception of the final type bought — all electric locomotives also used this scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania</span> Railroad museum in Strasburg, Pennsylvania

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class P5 comprised 92 mixed-traffic electric locomotives constructed 1931–1935 by the PRR, Westinghouse and General Electric. Although the original intention was that they work mainly passenger trains, the success of the GG1 locomotives meant that the P5 class were mostly used on freight. A single survivor, prototype #4700, is at the National Museum of Transportation in St Louis, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class DD1</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad DD1 was a class of boxcab electric locomotives built by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The locomotives were developed as part of the railroad's New York Tunnel Extension, which built the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City and linked it to New Jersey via the North River Tunnels. The Pennsylvania built a total of 66 locomotives in its Altoona Works; they operated in semi-permanently coupled pairs. Westinghouse supplied the electrical equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class DD2</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class DD2 was a single prototype electric locomotive never placed into series production. It was intended as an improved and simplified GG1 for use on the planned, but never built, extension of the PRR's electrification west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The one locomotive produced was numbered #5800 and used in regular Baltimore tunnel helper service until it was scrapped in September 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class E44</span>

The PRR E44 was an electric, rectifier-equipped locomotive built by General Electric for the Pennsylvania Railroad between 1960 and 1963. The PRR used them for freight service on the Northeast Corridor. They continued in service under Penn Central and Conrail until Conrail abandoned its electric operations in the early 1980s. They were then acquired by Amtrak and NJ Transit, where they lived short lives; all were retired by the mid-1980s. One is preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Railroad class E2c comprised a pair of experimental C-C (AAR) or Co-Co (UIC) electric locomotives. The bodywork and running gear was produced by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton while the electrical equipment was provided by Westinghouse, who also acted as principal contractor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class R1</span> American electric locomotive prototype

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class R1 comprised a single prototype electric locomotive constructed in 1934 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, with the electrical equipment by Westinghouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National New York Central Railroad Museum</span> Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, U.S.

The National New York Central Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Elkhart, Indiana dedicated to the preservation of the New York Central Railroad (NYC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PRR MP54</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's MP54 was a class of electric multiple unit railcars. The class was initially constructed as an unpowered, locomotive hauled coach for suburban operations, but were designed to be rebuilt into self-propelled units as electrification plans were realized. The first of these self-propelled cars were placed in service with the PRR subsidiary Long Island Rail Road with DC propulsion in 1908 and soon spread to the Philadelphia-based network of low frequency AC electrified suburban lines in 1915. Eventually the cars came to be used throughout the railroad's electrified network from Washington, D.C. to New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 3750</span> Preserved PRR K4s class 4-6-2 locomotive

Pennsylvania Railroad 3750 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, just outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. For over a decade, the No. 3750 locomotive stood-in for the prototype K4, No. 1737, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was one of two surviving K4 locomotives, along with No. 1361, both designated as the official state steam locomotive by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 4876</span> Famous PRR GG1 electric locomotive

Pennsylvania Railroad 4876 was a GG1-class electric locomotive built in January 1939 at the PRR's Altoona Works in Altoona, Pennsylvania, United States. It is best known for being involved in an accident on January 15, 1953, when the locomotive overran a buffer stop, crashed into the concourse of Union Station in Washington, D.C., and fell partway into the basement after the train's brakes failed. Due to the major crowds expected for the upcoming inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 4876 was lowered the rest of the way into the basement and a temporary floor was erected overhead. After the inauguration, the locomotive's frame and superstructure was essentially scrapped on site, with all the reusable components shipped back to Altoona, Pennsylvania, to reconstruct a replacement 4876, which operated for another 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 4877</span> Preserved PRR GG1 electric locomotive

PRR 4877, formerly nicknamed "Big Red", is a GG1-class electric locomotive owned by the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey. It is stored at the West Boonton Yard in Boonton, New Jersey, United States. It is fully cosmetically restored to its original appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budd Metroliner</span> Retired high-speed train

The Budd Metroliner was a class of American electric multiple unit (EMU) railcar designed for first-class, high-speed service between New York City and Washington, D.C., on the Northeast Corridor. They were designed for operation up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h): what would have been the first high speed rail service in the Western Hemisphere. Although 164 mph (264 km/h) was reached during test runs, track conditions and electrical issues limited top speeds to 120 mph (190 km/h) in revenue service. The single-ended units were designed to be arranged in two-car sets, which were in turn coupled into four to eight-car trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 4859</span> Preserved PRR GG1 electric locomotive

Pennsylvania Railroad 4859 is a GG1-class electric locomotive located in the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and its successors, Penn Central and Conrail. 4859 pulled the first electrically powered train from Philadelphia to Harrisburg on January 15, 1938. It was used in various freight and passenger service until November 22, 1979, when it pulled the last GG1-powered freight train on November 22, 1979. Originally located in Strasburg, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and was moved to its current location in 1986. It was designated the state electric locomotive of Pennsylvania in 1987 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and was re-listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 4935</span>

Pennsylvania Railroad 4935 is a preserved electric locomotive. It is one of sixteen remaining Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1 locomotives, and one of two at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Abendschein 1983, p. 5.
  2. 1 2 Abendschein 1983.
  3. ↑ Bezilla 1980, p. 141.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Abendschein 1983, p. 2.
  5. ↑ Abendschein 1983, pp. 2, 5.
  6. ↑ Bezilla 1980, pp. 143, 145.
  7. 1 2 Bezilla 1980, p. 145.
  8. ↑ Bezilla 1980, p. 144.
  9. ↑ Bezilla 1980, p. 153.
  10. ↑ Bezilla 1980, p. 154.
  11. ↑ Volkmer 1991, p. 24.
  12. ↑ Volkmer 1991, p. 26.
  13. ↑ Volkmer 1991, p. 101.
  14. ↑ ""Old Rivets"". North America Railway Hall of Fame. 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2016.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.