Pennsylvania Railroad Q2 class

Last updated
Pennsylvania Railroad Q2 class
PRRQ2p6.jpg
PRR Q2 prototype #6131
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Altoona Works
Build date1944–45 [1]
Total produced26 [1]
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-4-6-4 [1]
   UIC 2'BC2'
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge [1]
Leading dia. 36 in (0.914 m) [1]
Driver dia.69 in (1.753 m) [1]
Wheelbase 26 ft 4.5 in (8.039 m) (driving)
20 ft 4 in (6.20 m) (rigid)
53 ft 5.5 in (16.294 m)
Length124 ft 7.125 in (37.976 m) (locomotive and tender) [1]
Width11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) (storm windows open) [1]
Height16 ft 5.5 in (5.017 m) [1]
Adhesive weight 393,000 lb (178,000 kg; 178 t) [1]
Loco weight619,100 lb (280,800 kg; 280.8 t) [1]
Tender weight430,000 lb (195,000 kg; 195 t) [1]
Total weight1,049,100 lb (475,900 kg; 475.9 t) [1]
Tender typePRR class 180F84, 8 axles, with conductor "doghouse"
Fuel type Soft coal
Fuel capacity39.86 short tons (36.16 t; 35.59 long tons) [1]
Water cap.19,020 US gal (72,000 L; 15,840 imp gal) [1]
Fuel consumption12.5 t (12.3 long tons; 13.8 short tons) of coal per hour
16,600 US gal (63,000 L; 13,800 imp gal) of water per hour
Boiler106 in (2.692 m)
Boiler pressure300 psi (2.1 MPa)
Front cylinder19+34 in × 28 in (502 mm × 711 mm)
Rear cylinder23+34 in × 29 in (603 mm × 737 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Power output6,645  hp (4,955  kW), [2] (drawbar)
Tractive effort 100,816 lbf (without booster) / 115,816 lbf (with booster)
Factor of adh. 3.9
Career
Operators Pennsylvania Railroad [1]
Numbers6131, 6175–6199 [1]
Last run1951
DispositionAll scrapped

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class Q2 comprised one prototype and twenty-five production duplex steam locomotives of 4-4-6-4 wheel arrangement built between 1944 and 1945. [1] [3] [4] [2]

They were the largest non-articulated locomotives ever built and the most powerful locomotives ever static tested, producing 7,987 cylinder horsepower (5,956  kW) on the PRR's static test plant[ clarification needed ]. They were by far the most successful duplex type. The duplex propensity to slip was combated by an automatic slip control mechanism that reduced power to the slipping unit.

The Q2 locomotive was 78% more powerful than the locomotives that PRR had in service at the time, and the company claimed the Q2 could pull 125 freight cars at a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). [5] These were an improved version of the previous Q1 class, which was a 4-6-4-4 dual-purpose engine instead of a 4-4-6-4 freight engine.

Despite the overall success, the Q2s were all out of service by 1951. With dieselization, they were the obvious first targets to be withdrawn since they were only a little more capable than the conventional J1 class 2-10-4s, but with far-higher operating and maintenance costs. The final Q2, 6199's power output is 7,987 hp. All have been scrapped and none were preserved.

Related Research Articles

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-10-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement was often named Decapod, especially in the United States, although this name was sometimes applied to locomotives of 0-10-0 "Ten-Coupled" arrangement, particularly in the United Kingdom. Notable German locomotives of this type include the war locomotives of Class 52.

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 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">6-4-4-6</span> Duplex locomotive wheel arrangement

A 6-4-4-6 steam locomotive, in the Whyte notation for describing locomotive wheel arrangements, is one with six leading wheels, two sets of four driving wheels, and six trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad class B6</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class B6 was its most successful class of switcher locomotive, or as the PRR termed them "shifter". The PRR preferred the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement for larger switchers, whereas on other railroads the 0-8-0 gained preference. The PRR generally used 2-8-0s when larger power was required.

<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 steam locomotive ever built. The streamlined Art Deco styled shell of the locomotive was designed by Raymond Loewy.

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 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.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class L6 comprised three electric locomotives of 2-8-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation. The intention was to build a whole class of freight boxcab locomotives using this design, but the displacement of class P5a to freight work after the introduction of the GG1 meant that there was little need for more electric freight locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Railroad Odd D 10003</span> Class of 1 American 2′B electric locomotive

Pennsylvania Railroad's Odd D #10003 was an experimental electric locomotive built in 1907 by Baldwin and Westinghouse. It had a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2-B in the AAR scheme. On the PRR, class D was assigned to 4-4-0 locomotives. Production classes of locomotive were assigned a number after the letter, but one-off locomotives were simply designated "Odd".

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.

Class E6 on the Pennsylvania Railroad was the final type of 4-4-2 "Atlantic" locomotive built by the railroad, and second only to the Milwaukee Road's streamlined class A in size, speed and power. Although quickly ceding top-flight trains to the larger K4s Pacifics, the E6 remained a popular locomotive on lesser services and some lasted to 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 class H6</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class H6, H6a, and H6b steam locomotives were of the 2-8-0 "Consolidation" freight type, the most numerous class on the railroad with 1,707 units and the second most prolific 2-8-0 class in North America, with the USATC S160 class rostering 88 units more. The three subclasses differed as follows:

<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">Pennsylvania Railroad class E2</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class E2, E3, E7 steam locomotives were of the 4-4-2 "Atlantic" passenger type, frequently called light Atlantics after the introduction of the heavier E6 Atlantics. All were similar in size and boiler capacity but differed in firebox type, valves and valve gear and cylinder diameter. Classes E2 and E3 were built simultaneously.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Harley, E.T. (1982). Classic Power 5: Pennsy Q Class. Hicksville, New York: N.J. International. ISBN   0-934088-09-8.
  2. 1 2 William L. Withuhn (2019). American Steam Locomotives: Design and Development, 1880-1960. Bloomington, IA: Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-253-03933-0.
  3. Staufer, Alvin (1962). Pennsy Power. Staufer. pp. 216–225. LOC 62-20872.
  4. Brian Reed (June 1972). Loco Profile 24: Pennsylvania Duplexii. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications.
  5. "4-Cylinder Engine Has 78% More Power." Popular Mechanics, December 1944, p. 13.