Pennsylvania Railroad 5550

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Pennsylvania Railroad 5550
PRR 5550 Artist's Rendition.jpg
Artist's rendition of PRR 5550 when finished
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerRalph P. Johnson
Raymond Loewy
BuilderThe T1 Trust
Build date2014–Appx. 2030
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 4-4-4-4 [1]
 •  UIC 2'BB2'
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 36 in (91 cm)
Driver dia.80 in (203 cm)
Trailing dia. 42 in (107 cm)
Wheelbase 107 ft (33 m) ​
 • Engine51.92 ft (16 m)
 • Drivers25.33 ft (8 m)
 • Tender39 ft (12 m) [2]
Length122 ft 9+3⁄4 in (37 m) [3]
Width10 ft 0 in (3 m)
Height15 ft 10 in (5 m)
Frame type Rigid
Adhesive weight 279,910 lb (126,965 kg) [1]
Loco weight502,200 lb (227,794 kg)
Tender weight442,500 lb (200,715 kg) [2]
Total weight944,700 lb (428,509 kg)
Tender typeClass 210-F-75A Tender [4]
Fuel type oil [2]
Fuel capacity62,000 lb (28,123 kg) [2]
Water cap.21,000 US gal (79,494 L) [1]
Firebox:​
 • Grate area92 sq ft (9 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • Diameter91+1⁄2 in (2 m) (front) [3]
100 in (3 m) (back)
 • Tube plates214+13⁄16 in (5 m)
Boiler pressure300 psi (2,068 kPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox490 sq ft (46 m2)
 • Total surface5,639 sq ft (523.9 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area1,430 sq ft (133 m2) [1]
Cylinders Four
Cylinder size 19.75 in × 26 in (502 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Franklin Type B2 rotary-cam [5]
Valve type Poppet
Performance figures
Maximum speedApproximately 130 mph (209 km/h) [6]
Career
OperatorsPennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust [5]
Class Pennsylvania Railroad T1
Number in class53 (52 built in the 20th Century, and 1 under construction)
Numbers5550
DispositionUnder construction
Estimated completion by 2030

Pennsylvania Railroad 5550 (PRR 5550) is a mainline duplex drive steam locomotive under construction in the United States. With an estimated completion by 2030, the locomotive will become the 53rd example of the Pennsylvania Railroad's T1 steam locomotive class and the only operational locomotive of its type, [7] as well as the largest steam locomotive built in the United States since 1952. The estimated cost of PRR 5550 was originally $10 million, but an updated projected cost of $7 million was released with the acquisition of an existing long-haul tender from the Western New York Railway Historical Society in August 2017. [8] Construction began in 2014 with the casting of the locomotive's keystone-shaped number plate. [8] As of February 2024 the locomotive was 43% complete. [5]

Contents

Introduction

The original T1 class

PRR 6110, one of two prototypes of the T1 class built for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1942. The 50 production locomotives entered service in 1945 and 1946. Pennsylvania RR streamlined locomotive T1.jpg
PRR 6110, one of two prototypes of the T1 class built for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1942. The 50 production locomotives entered service in 1945 and 1946.

The Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 class steam locomotive was one of the most unique and controversial classes of locomotives ever constructed. This was due to its unusual duplex drive 4-4-4-4 wheel arrangement, its use of the Franklin Type A oscillating-cam poppet valve, and its characteristic streamlining conceived by renowned industrial designer Raymond Loewy. [5] [1] The T1 was also the only class of Pennsylvania duplex able to travel the railroad's entire network and the first production series locomotive designed to use the poppet valve. [5] The two prototype T1 locomotives were constructed in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, numbered 6110 and 6111 respectively. Of the fifty production units, twenty-five (numbered 5500 to 5524) were constructed at the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona Works and twenty-five (numbered 5525 to 5549) at Baldwin, for a total of fifty-two T1 class locomotives. [9] This made the T1 the most-produced of all the Pennsylvania Railroad's duplex-drive locomotives. [5]

PRR 5549, a production series T1. 5549 was the last of the 27 T1s constructed by Baldwin. Pennsylvania Railroad TR1.JPG
PRR 5549, a production series T1. 5549 was the last of the 27 T1s constructed by Baldwin.

The T1 class suffered from several performance and design issues, including difficulties with the poppet valves. [1] The original materials used to construct the valves were subject to fatigue issues, particularly when the locomotives were operated above 100 miles an hour. In 1947, a higher-strength and fatigue-resistant alloy was used and retrofitted to the T1 class to solve the fatigue problems. [5] Nevertheless, the design of the Franklin Type A poppet valves made several key areas of the valves hard to access during maintenance overhauls. [1] Despite these issues, the poppet valves did improve the T1's high-speed performance, requiring less horsepower and distributing steam flow with greater precision. [10] The T1 locomotives were further burdened by excessive wheel slip on one of the two engine sets at startup or high speed. [1] The Pennsylvania Railroad tried to address the problem by changing the spring bed arrangement on the T1—from a single bed, supporting all eight drivers, to two beds, each of which supported one of the engines and its adjacent truck. [5] However, no complete solution was found to the problem of wheel slip, even though an "anti-slip" mechanism had been previously installed on the PRR Q2-class duplex. [1] [5] One possible reason is that the engineers, familiar with the slower throttle action of the K4 class, were unprepared for the T1's more immediate throttle response. [5]

Before many of the problems that plagued the T1 class could be solved, the Pennsylvania Railroad decided to begin the transition from steam power to diesel. Moreover, these problems ensured that the T1 class would be retired before more reliable steam engine classes such as the K4s. The T1 locomotives were retired between 1952 and 1953. Scrapping began in 1953, [1] and the last surviving T1 was scrapped in 1956. [5] The hasty retirement of the T1 left several performance-related and technical questions unanswered. [5]

The T1 Trust

The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust, also referred to as the T1 Trust, is a non-profit public charity founded in 2013. The T1 Trust is composed of railroading experts who intend to build the 53rd member of the T1 class and put it into mainline steam excursion service within the United States. The last production T1 bore the number 5549, making 5550 the logical choice for the new locomotive's number. The T1 Trust's goal was to construct the locomotive within 17 years (by 2030) at an estimated cost of $10 million. [11] The price is based on calculated costs for inflation, labor, material, fabrication, retooling, and design. Lessons learned during Tornado's construction in the U.K. were also taken into account. [7] The T1 Trust chose to build a T1, rather than a proven design such as the New York Central Railroad's "J" class Hudsons, to test the T1 class's long-rumored performance and to avoid conflicts of interest with other locomotive replication projects. [5]

World Steam Speed Record

The builders of PRR 5550 hope to break the world steam speed record, which is held by the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard at 126 mph (203 km/h). [6] The 5550 will operate under its original design with no major modifications in its attempt to break the record. [12] It has been claimed that PRR T1 locomotives were capable of achieving speeds in excess of 140 mph (230 km/h) with lighter trains of six or seven cars, and the T1 Trust believes the original T1 design is capable of achieving this feat. [11] [13]

Design and construction

Project leadership, techniques and organization

The chairman of the T1 Trust is Bradford Noble, with Scott McGill the chief mechanical officer, Wes Camp the director of operations, and Jason Johnson the general manager. [7] [8] The project structure is similar to that used by the A1 Trust to accomplish the funding and construction of Tornado. To do this, the T1 Trust reached out to the UK-based A1 Trust and its engineering director, David Elliot, who gave important advice on organizational structure and engineering techniques to be used when critical information or blueprints regarding specific locomotive parts or needed materials are absent. [7] Other UK-based organizations that are helping or working with the T1 Trust include the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust, the Caprotti Black 5 Limited and the P2 Steam Locomotive Company. [12] The T1 Trust has sponsorship programs, where donors can choose to sponsor driving wheels or other parts of the locomotive as well as sponsoring blueprints. This along with occasional Kickstarter campaigns, regular monthly donations, one-time donations and membership for the Trust's "Founders Club" help raise the money necessary to construct the locomotive. [5] The CMO of the Trust, Scott McGill, visited the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he scanned hundreds of original drawings and blueprints of the Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 from the Pennsylvania Railroad collection into digital formats. [11] By November 2016, most of the scanning work had been completed with 1,638 of the 1,798 needed drawings and blueprints having been scanned and acquired by the T1 Trust. Only 150 of the drawings are missing from the collection, and these are composed mainly of simple fasteners and other readily-available, commercial components. [8] The digitally-scanned drawings collected by the T1 Trust are used to create detailed and intricate 3D Models using the Dassault Systèmes Solidworks computer aided drafting (CAD) program. [6] For construction of the locomotive's many pieces and components, the T1 Trust contracts with different manufacturers and organizations such as the Strasburg Rail Road or Diversified Rail Services. The T1 Trust also prints a quarterly newsletter called the T1 Trail Blazer, which is received by members of the Trust's "Keystone Society": a group of donors that either pledge life income gifts to the Trust or pledge to list the Trust as an estate beneficiary. [5] In September 2016, Doyle McCormack, a locomotive engineer best known for restoring and operating the 4-8-4 GS-4 class steam locomotive Southern Pacific 4449, joined the T1 Trust as a member of the organization's advisory board. [8]

First signs of progress

Construction of PRR 5550 was officially started on May 31, 2014, with the completion of the locomotive's bronze keystone-shaped number plate, following a successful conclusion to the initial Kickstarter campaign launched by the Trust. The number plate was forged by traditional methods by a member of the T1 Trust, Chuck Blardone, at an Amish forge within Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This was followed by the construction of the first driving link pin, in October 2014. On May 2, 2014, the T1 Trust began meetings and discussions with the Federal Railroad Administration to help ensure that PRR 5550 is constructed to FRA standards. The T1 Trust's application to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to operate as a federally approved tax-exempt 501(3)(c) charity was approved in July 2014. By March 2015, Steamtown National Historic Site, the Steam Railroading Institute and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad expressed interest to the T1 Trust to have the locomotive run on their premises. A part sponsor named Gary Bensman constructed the headlight of PRR 5550 in May 2015 and donated it to the T1 Trust. As a sign of gratitude, Bensman's name was engraved into the headlight by the Trust. [8]

Wheelset and engine assembly

USATC 611, a USATC S160 Class steam locomotive, is currently the only surviving engine to be fitted with Franklin Type D Rotary Cam poppet valve, similar to what will be on PRR 5550. Note the large eccentric gear above the first two driving wheel sets, iconic to the Type B valve. US Army Transportation Corps No 611.jpg
USATC 611, a USATC S160 Class steam locomotive, is currently the only surviving engine to be fitted with Franklin Type D Rotary Cam poppet valve, similar to what will be on PRR 5550. Note the large eccentric gear above the first two driving wheel sets, iconic to the Type B valve.

5550 is slated to use the Franklin Type B2 rotary-cam poppet valves in place of the Type A oscillating-cam poppets due to an increased ease of maintenance and superior performance. Although an unusual arrangement, it is not the first time the Type B poppets were used on a Pennsylvania Railroad class T1. In 1948, T1 number 5500 was rebuilt to use the Type B2 poppets following a damaging collision with a K4s in St. Louis, Missouri. Franklin Type B gear was applied to a handful of locomotives starting in 1948, including K4s 3847, which had been designed or built with conventional piston valves. Type B2 was devised specifically for the T1 as the existing valve arrangement from the Type A gear differed from Type B. 5500, perhaps the first locomotive fitted with two types of poppet valve gear, was soon noted for its superior performance over the other engines of its class. The Pennsylvania Railroad at one point even considered retrofitting the Type B2 poppets to other T1's, but this action was never taken. [5] It is worth noting the Pennsylvania Railroad also experimented with the idea of fitting the conventional Walschaerts valve gear to the T1 and retrofitted number 5547 to such a configuration. [1] To aid in the reconstruction of the Type B2 poppets, the T1 Trust was generously given full access to the USATC S160 Class 2-8-0 USATC No. 611 by Bill Miller Equipment Sales. USATC 611 is located along with its owner in Eckhart Mines, Maryland. USATC 611 was fitted with Franklin Type D rotary-cam poppet valves during the 1950s during its career at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The T1 Trust hopes to do a full inspection and documentation of key features within the Type D poppets to use as a basis for reconstructing the Type B2 poppets proposed for use on 5550. It is also hoped that the investigative work and documentation can aid a future restoration of USATC 611. [8] The P2 Steam Locomotive Company is also using the Franklin Type B Rotary Cam poppet valve (albeit the earlier B1 model) for the underconstruction new build LNER Class P2 steam locomotive, No. 2007 Prince of Wales, and has shared valuable design documents with the T1 Trust needed to reproduce the valve. Components of the Caprotti valve gear will be examined to help recreate the gear box of the Type B2 poppet valve, as some of the original blueprints of the Type B2 gearbox have been lost. The copies of design documents and blueprints of the Caprotti gearbox were provided by the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust and Caprotti Black 5 Limited. [12]

The number 7 and number 8 Boxpok driving wheels cast for PRR 5550, the first of their kind to be cast in the United States since the late 1940s. PRR 5550 Boxpok Drivers.jpg
The number 7 and number 8 Boxpok driving wheels cast for PRR 5550, the first of their kind to be cast in the United States since the late 1940s.

The eight Boxpok driving wheels of the original T1's were 80 inches (2,032 mm) in diameter. This design is of a higher strength than conventional spoked driving wheels and is ideal for high-speed operations. [11] On July 8, 2015, the T1 Trust launched a Kickstarter campaign titled "Let's Get Rolling" to raise $20,000, to be used in the design and building of a casting pattern for the new Boxpok drivers. The campaign reached over its goal and construction began on the casting patterns, which were finished in October 2015. [8] Construction of the casting patterns was undertaken by Liberty Pattern in Youngstown, Ohio, using a complex CAD model made of PRR 5550's proposed number-four wheelset. Casting of the drivers was awarded to Beaver Valley Alloy in Monaca, Pennsylvania [11] On February 26, 2016, Beaver Valley Alloy cast the first of eight driving wheels at its foundry successfully. [5] This historic event marked the first time a steam locomotive driving wheel had been cast in the United States since the 1940s. [11] As of May 2024, seven of the locomotive's eight drive wheels have been completed. [14]

Aluminum components

The cab of the locomotive is of aluminum construction. [8] This is not a new feature, as the cabs of the previous T1s were also made of aluminum, which was done to reduce weight. The streamlining of the locomotive, like the cab, also consists of aluminum construction. [5] Digitization of the original cab blueprints was undertaken by JAKTOOL in Cranbury, New Jersey. On January 18, 2017, the frames and main components of the cab were cut by Gemini Industrial Machine in Dover, Ohio, beginning construction of the cab. Construction of the cab was contracted to Curry Rail Services in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. By coincidence, the facility currently housing Curry Rail Services was previously the Pennsylvania Railroad's Samuel Rea Car Shops. The cab was completed on July 10, 2017, albeit unpainted. [8]

The prow of PRR 5550, as completed in May 2017, featuring the keystone number plate and headlight. PRR 5550 Prow.jpg
The prow of PRR 5550, as completed in May 2017, featuring the keystone number plate and headlight.

Construction on the "prow" portion of the locomotive's streamlining, also made of aluminum, began on November 10, 2016, by Gemini Industrial Machine. This part of the structure houses the headlight and keystone number plate. Using existing CAD models, a water jet cutter, bodywork, fabrication and paint, the prow was completed on May 16, 2017, with the headlight and keystone number plate attached. [8]

Locomotive frame

The locomotive frame is under construction at a Dover, Ohio-based fabrication shop [15] as of December 2024. [16]

When finished this will bring the locomotive's completion over the 50% mark. [17] This is the most complicated part and described as the "lynchpin" of the entire locomotive as everything bolts to it: the boiler bolts to it and the wheel cannon boxes come up into the pedestal jaws. [18] : 28:59  The 5550 frame is designed to have a buff strength exceeding FRA requirements for durability and running at high speed on 4 cylinders. [18] : 11:38  Steam era calculations were revived to deal with yawing from reciprocating cylinders. [18] : 13:45 

Boiler

On January 26, 2018, the T1 Trust announced it had ordered the first and second courses of the massive boiler. The courses are the largest parts of PRR 5550 ordered to date. The first two sections of the boiler will be constructed from 1 inch (25 mm) thick boiler code steel and will each be 93 inches (2.4 m) in diameter and 12 feet (3.7 m) in length. The sections will be welded and will include openings for water refilling along with washout plugs. Once finished, the welds made will be x-rayed to detect and prevent any possible defects or flaws. The order was placed with Continental Fabricators in St. Louis, Missouri, which as of February 2018 is involved in at least 3 other steam engine boiler construction projects and has been involved in steam locomotive projects since the 1980s. [8] On March 6, 2018, the first two boilers courses were completed and welded-together, and, on June 15, 2018, the third boiler course was completed and welded to the first two. [19] [20]

The design of 5550's boiler was handled by the T1 Trust's boiler engineering team, led by Wolf Fengler. Others working on the design of the boiler included Trust members Gary Bensman, Dave Griner, Scott McGill and Jason Johnson. The team re-engineered the T1 boiler and firebox design to exceed current ASME standards and codes. [8] In December 2019, the Trust officially launched a campaign to raise the necessary $150,000 to build the firebox.

In 2020, the full boiler was completed and welded together. The smokebox, smokebox streamlining, and combustion chamber have also been completed. These components were joined along with the prow by the end of 2020.

Tender

On August 7, 2017, the T1 Trust purchased the sole surviving "Coast to Coast" 16-wheeled tender from the Western New York Railway Historical Society for eventual use on PRR 5550. According to the Trust, the purchase of said tender reduces the overall cost of the project by at least $3,000,000 US. [8] The tender, No. 6659, was originally thought to that been built for an M1 class 4-8-2 Mountain type locomotive. Upon doing further research the Trust found that is was built as an auxiliary coast-to-coast tender and not assigned to any one locomotive. This, and its use a fuel tank for the track department, likely contributed to it being saved. [21] Prior to the sale, the Historical Society planned to display the tender behind PRR 4483, an I1sa class 2-10-0 locomotive. Currently, the tender sits in North Collins, New York. [4] The Trust agreed to help restore the tender currently paired with the Historical Society's I1sa as part of the M1 tender purchase agreement. The Trust plans to perform a mandatory test of the tender's brake system, restore the brake systems, replace the oil in the roller bearings and move the tender to Hamburg, New York, for repainting and final restoration. To help fund the tender restoration, the Trust has created a separate donation fund for this task and will display the names of all donors who pledge $500 or higher to the fund on a bronze plaque placed upon the tender itself. The total cost of the tender restoration is estimated to be more than $50,000. [2] On October 5, 2017, an automatic coal stoker was donated to the Trust. The motor, coal crusher, gearbox, stoker trough, and reversing valve were donated by Gary Bensman and Warren Lathom. [8]

Project milestones

The project is 43.3% complete as of November 2023. [22]

Anticipated operation

Economic, regulatory and liability considerations required that the Trust make some changes to the PRR's operation of the T1. The locomotive will burn oil rather than coal and have multiple-unit compatibility with diesel locomotives. It will also have a modern 26-L braking system and a wheel-slip alarm. Though capable of operating on the main line it would not be economical to do so and will likely operate up to 40 mph (64 km/h) on branch lines. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive classification</span> Overview of locomotive classification on the Pennsylvania Railroad in the United States

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">Pennsylvania Railroad K4 class</span> Class of 425 American 4-6-2 locomotives

The Pennsylvania Railroad K4 was a class of 425 4-6-2 steam locomotives built between 1914 and 1928 for the PRR, where they served as the primary main line passenger steam locomotives on the entire PRR system until late 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad I1 class</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) class I1s steam locomotives were the largest class of 2-10-0 "Decapods" in the United States. From 1916 to 1923, 598 locomotives were produced. They were the dominant freight locomotive on the system until World War II and remained in service until 1957. Nicknames for the type included Decs and Hippos, the latter due to their large boiler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class M1</span>

The M1 was a class of steam locomotive of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). It was a class of heavy mixed-traffic locomotives of the 4-8-2 "Mountain" arrangement, which uses four pairs of driving wheels with a four-wheel guiding truck in front for stability at speed and a two-wheel trailing truck to support the large firebox needed for sustained power. Although built for both passenger and freight work, they spent most of their service lives hauling heavy high-speed freight trains. Many PRR men counted the M1 class locomotives as the best steam locomotives the railroad ever owned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class T1</span> Class of 52 4-4-4-4 duplex locomotives

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) class T1 duplex-drive 4-4-4-4 steam locomotives, introduced in 1942 with two prototypes and later in 1945-1946 with 50 production examples, were the last steam locomotives built for the PRR and arguably its most controversial. They were ambitious, technologically sophisticated, powerful, fast and distinctively streamlined by Raymond Loewy. However, they were also prone to wheelslip both when starting and at speed, in addition to being complicated to maintain and expensive to run. The PRR decided in 1948 to place diesel locomotives on all express passenger trains, leaving unanswered questions as to whether the T1's flaws were solvable, especially taking into account that the two prototypes did not have the problems inherent to the production units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-4-4-4</span> Duplex locomotive wheel arrangement

A 4-4-4-4 steam locomotive, in the Whyte notation for describing locomotive wheel arrangements, has a four-wheel leading truck, two sets of four driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. While it would be possible to make an articulated locomotive of this arrangement, the only 4-4-4-4s ever built were duplex locomotives—with two sets of cylinders driving two sets of driven wheels in one rigid frame, essentially a 4-8-4 with divided drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class S2</span> American steam turbine locomotive

The Pennsylvania Railroad's S2 class was a steam turbine locomotive designed and built in a collaborative effort by Baldwin Locomotive Works and Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, as an attempt to prolong the dominance of the steam locomotive by adapting technology that had been widely accepted in the marine industry. One was built, #6200, delivered in September 1944. The S2 was the sole example of the 6-8-6 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, with a six-wheel leading truck keeping the locomotive stable at speed, eight powered and coupled driving wheels, and a six-wheel trailing truck supporting the large firebox. The S2 used a direct-drive steam turbine provided by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, geared to the center pair of axles with the outer two axles connected by side rods; the fixed gear ratio was 18.5:1. Such design was to prevent energy loss and S2 achieved a mechanical efficiency of 97% which means only 3% of steam energy was lost within the propulsion equipment. The disadvantage of a direct-drive steam turbine was that the turbine could not operate at optimal speeds over the locomotive's entire speed range. The S2 was the largest, heaviest and fastest direct-drive turbine locomotive design ever built.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class K5 were experimental 4-6-2 "Pacific" types, built in 1929 to see if a larger Pacific than the standard K4s was worthwhile. Two prototypes were built, #5698 at the PRR's own Altoona Works, and #5699 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Although classified identically, the two locomotives differed in many aspects, as detailed below. They were both fitted with a much wider boiler than the K4s, but dimensionally similar to those of the I1s 2-10-0 "Decapods". Most other dimensions were enlarged over the K4s as well; the exceptions being the 70 square feet (6.5 m2) grate area and the 80 in (2.032 m) drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class S1</span> Experimental American 6-4-4-6 duplex locomotive

The PRR S1 class steam locomotive was a single experimental duplex locomotive of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was designed to demonstrate the advantages of duplex drives espoused by Baldwin Chief Engineer Ralph P. Johnson. The S1 class was the largest rigid frame passenger steam locomotive ever built. The streamlined Art Deco styled shell of the locomotive was designed by Raymond Loewy.

The Pennsylvania Railroad class Q1, #6130, was a single experimental steam locomotive designed for dual service. The locomotive entered service in 1942, and retired in 1949 after accumulating a relatively low 165,000 service miles.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Class E6 was the final type of 4-4-2 "Atlantic" locomotive built for the company, and second only to the Milwaukee Road's streamlined class A in size, speed and power. Although quickly replaced on the fastest trains by the larger K4s Pacifics, the E6 remained a popular locomotive on lesser services and some lasted until the end of steam on the PRR. One, #460, called the Lindbergh Engine, is preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It was moved indoors to begin preparations for restoration on March 17, 2010. On January 10, 2011, PRR #460 was moved to the museum's restoration shop for a two- to three-year project, estimated to cost $350,000. The engine is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad L1 class</span> Class of 574 American 2-8-2 locomotives

Pennsylvania Railroad Class L1s were 2-8-2 "Mikado"-type steam locomotives that were used on the Pennsylvania Railroad during the early twentieth century. These 574 locomotives were manufactured between 1914 and 1919 by the railroad's own Juniata Shops as well as the Baldwin Locomotive Works (205) and the Lima Locomotive Works (25).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad 1361</span> Preserved PRR K4 class 4-6-2 locomotive

Pennsylvania Railroad 1361 is a 4-6-2 K4 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in May 1918 by the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It hauled mainline passenger trains in Pennsylvania and commuter trains in Central New Jersey on the PRR until its retirement from revenue service in 1956. Restored to operating condition for excursion service in 1987, No. 1361 and its only surviving sister locomotive, No. 3750, were designated as the official state steam locomotives by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. In late 1988, it was sidelined due to mechanical problems and was currently owned by the Railroaders Memorial Museum (RMM) in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who were currently getting No. 1361 back to operation.

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

Pennsylvania Railroad 3750 is a K4 class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Altoona Works for the Pennsylvania Railroad, it is 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.

Pennsylvania Railroad 1737 was a 4-6-2 Pacific type K4 class steam locomotive built in 1914 as the first of its class and would haul heavier passenger trains that the smaller E class 4-4-2 Atlantics could not handle such as the PRR's flagship passenger train, the Broadway Limited. In the 1930s, as the PRR had increased passenger service time tables, the trains became longer and heavier than a single K4s could handle, necessitating double-heading with a second engine. The "Standard Railroad Of The World" made attempts to replace the 1737 and its classmates with larger, more powerful classes including: K5, S1, and the T1, none of which were successful; thus, the K4s continued hauling passenger trains until the Pennsylvania Railroad replaced steam locomotives with the increasingly-popular and less-costly diesel-electric locomotives in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class G5</span> United States historic place

The Pennsylvania Railroad G5 is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives built by the PRR's Juniata Shops in the mid-late 1920s. It was designed for passenger trains, particularly on commuter lines, and became a fixture on suburban railroads until the mid-1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Class 19C 4-8-2</span> 1935 design of steam locomotive

The South African Railways Class 19C 4-8-2 of 1935 was a steam locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duplex locomotive</span> Type of steam locomotive

A duplex locomotive is a steam locomotive that divides the driving force on its wheels by using two pairs of cylinders rigidly mounted to a single locomotive frame; it is not an articulated locomotive. The concept was first used in France in 1863, but was particularly developed in the early 1930s by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the largest commercial builder of steam locomotives in North America, under the supervision of its then chief engineer, Ralph P. Johnson.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class K29s comprised a single experimental 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive. Constructed by Alco-Schenectady, it was given road number 3395. Although only one demonstrator was constructed, the K29s would become the basis for the highly successful K4s Pacifics and L1s Mikados. The lone example spent most of its life on the PRR's Pittsburgh division main line and was retired around 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double chimney</span> Part on steam locomotives

A double chimney is a form of chimney for a steam locomotive, where the conventional single opening is duplicated, together with the blastpipe beneath it. Although the internal openings form two circles, the outside appearance usually forms a single elongated oval.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Llanso, Steve; Duley, Richard. "Pennsylvania 4-4-4-4, 6-4-4-6, etc. "Duplex Drive" Locomotives of the USA". SteamLocomotive.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "5550 Tender Preservation Fund". prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org. Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA: Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust (published August 2017). August 21, 2017. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Class T1 (After 1-1-45) Locomotive – 180 P84 Tender" (JPEG,PDF). Pennsylvania, United States. 2005 [1945]. Retrieved April 27, 2017.Official Pennsylvania Railroad diagram of the T1 class locomotive following revisions after January 1, 1945.
  4. 1 2 "PRR #6659 Class 210F75A Tender". trainweb.org. Buffalo, New York, USA: Western New York Railway Historical Society. August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "FAQ Section – The T1 Trust". The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Noble, Bradford (May 4, 2016). "SOLIDWORKS is Helping Build the World's Fastest Steam Locomotive: Part 1". The Solidworks Blog. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Wrinn, Jim (February 18, 2015). "10 questions and answers for the T1 Trust". Trains Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Latest News (March 24, 2019)". The T1 Trust. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  9. ↑ Ayers, Bill (August 17, 2006). "Crestline PRR Engine Facility Duplex and Experimentals". Crestline Engine Facility. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 Steam Locomotive Trust Glossary". The T1 Trust Official Website. The Pennsylvania T1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Johnson, Jason; Noble, Bradford (December 2015). "Building from the Rails, Up: The Pennsylvania Railroad class T1 Trust" (PDF). Railfan and Railroad (December 2015 ed.). pp. 60 to 61. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
  12. 1 2 3 "Q+A: T1 5550". New Build Steam. United Kingdom. May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  13. ↑ Withuhn, William L. (March 1, 2019). American Steam Locomotives: Design and Development, 1880–1960. Indiana University Press. pp. 361–386. ISBN   978-0253039330.
  14. ↑ Cupper, Dan (May 13, 2024). "T1 Trust shows frame and drivers; K4s 1361 tender painted". Trains.com. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Klambach Media. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  15. ↑ "PRR T1 Trust to hold open house for its new-build 4-4-4-4 frame". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Media. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust update December 10, 2024". T1 Trust Official Facebook page. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  17. ↑ Cupper, Dan (May 13, 2024). "T1 Trust shows frame and drivers; K4s 1361 tender painted". Trains.com. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Klambach Media. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 Lynch, Kelly; Johnson, Jason; Ward, Davidson; Fengler, Wolf; Palermo, Matt (January 2024). "Can we build a NEW mainline steam locomotive in the United States?". Restoration Roundtable. FMW Solutions.
  19. ↑ "Spring 2018 Newsletter". prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org. The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Spring 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Summer 2018 Newsletter". prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org. The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Summer 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  21. ↑ "T1 Trust update: June 22, 2024". PRR T1 Steam Locomotive Trust (official page). Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  22. ↑ "The T1 Trust". The T1 Trust. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  23. ↑ Rogers, Jose P. (May 14, 2022). "T1 Trust displays progress in building new steam locomotive". ModelRailwayTrains.org. Retrieved May 23, 2022.

Further reading

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