Pennsylvania Railroad class O1

Last updated
PRR O1
PRR O1.jpg
PRR official photo of #7850
Type and origin
Power typeelectric
Builder PRR Altoona Works [1]
Build date1930–1931
Total produced8
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-4-4
   AAR 2-B-2
   UIC 2'B2'
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia. 36 in (914 mm)
Driver dia.72 in (1,829 mm)
Trailing dia. 36 in (914 mm)
Wheelbase 40 ft (12.19 m) (overall)
10 ft (3.05 m) (fixed) [1]
Length52 ft 8 in (16.05 m) [2]
Width10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) [3]
Height15 ft (4.57 m) (over locked-down pantographs) [2]
Axle load O1,O1b,O1c: 75,000 lb (34,000 kg) [3]
O1a: 78,000 lb (35,000 kg) [2]
Adhesive weight O1,O1b,O1c: 150,000 lb (68,000 kg) [3]
O1a: 156,000 lb (71,000 kg) [2]
Loco weightO1,O1b,O1c: 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) [1]
O1a: 309,400 lb (140,300 kg) [1]
Electric system/s 11 kV 25 Hz AC Catenary [1]
Current pickup(s) Pantograph
Traction motors 4× (2 per axle), power output each - O1: 500 hp (370 kW); O1a,O1c: 625 hp (466 kW); O1b: 550 hp (410 kW) [1]
TransmissionAC current fed via transformer tap changers to paired motors driving geared quill drive [1]
Train heating Steam generator
Loco brake Air
Train brakes Air
Safety systems Cab signalling
Performance figures
Maximum speed90 mph (140 km/h) [1]
Power outputO1: 2,000 hp (1,500 kW); O1a,O1c: 2,500 hp (1,900 kW); O1b: 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) [1]
Tractive effort O1: 28,500 lbf (127 kN);
O1a,O1c: 37,500 lbf (167 kN);
O1b: 35,000 lbf (160 kN) [1]
Factor of adh. O1: 5.26; O1a: 4.16; O1b: 4.29; O1c: 4.00
Career
OperatorsPennsylvania Railroad
Class 7850–7857
Retired1948–49 (6), 1961 (2)
DispositionAll scrapped

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class O1 comprised eight experimental boxcab electric locomotives [4] built in 1930 and 1931. [1] They were built in preparation for the New York to Washington Electrification project. [5] They had the wheel arrangement classified as 4-4-4 in the Whyte notation (UIC: 2'B2'; AAR: 2-B-2). Although successful, they were not powerful enough for the railroad's increasingly heavy trains. For production, the PRR chose to concentrate on the P5 class, effectively an enlarged and more powerful version of the O1 with an additional pair of driving wheels.

The eight locomotives were divided into four sub-classes — O1, O1a, O1b, and O1c. [6] Each sub-class was fitted with a different combination of traction motor power output and drive gear ratio. In addition, three O1 locomotives were fitted with General Electric equipment, three with Westinghouse, and two with Brown Boveri. The O1b locomotives used a Buchli drive between the traction motors and the driving wheels. Double traction motors  [ de ] were used, with two motors geared to each axle.

ClassNumbersMotorsPowerGear RatioMaximum Tractive EffortContinuous Tractive Effort
O17850–1500 hp (370 kW)2,000 hp (1,500 kW)31:9128,500 lbf (127 kN)13,200 lbf (59 kN) @ 56 mph (90 km/h)
O1a7852–3625 hp (466 kW)2,500 hp (1,900 kW)36:10337,500 lbf (167 kN)14,900 lbf (66 kN) @ 63 mph (101 km/h)
O1b7854–5550 hp (410 kW)2,200 hp (1,600 kW)49:11435,000 lbf (160 kN)17,800 lbf (79 kN) @ 46 mph (74 km/h)
O1c7856–7625 hp (466 kW)2,500 hp (1,900 kW)31:9137,500 lbf (167 kN)14,900 lbf (66 kN) @ 63 mph (101 km/h)

They were generally employed in pairs by sub-class, generally on short-distance passenger trains between Newark, New Jersey and New York City's Pennsylvania Station. During World War II they were used on the "Susquehannock" between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and New York City. Later in life, they were used for transfer work around Penn Station and Sunnyside Yard, mostly hauling empty passenger stock. They were all out of service and scrapped by the mid 1960s.

Related Research Articles

4-4-4-4

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.

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 many 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 Museum of Transportation in St Louis, Missouri.

Pennsylvania Railroad class DD1

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.

Pennsylvania Railroad class DD2

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class DD2 electric locomotive was a single prototype 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.

Great Northern Y-1 Class of American electric locomotives

The Great Northern Railway's class Y-1 comprised eight electric locomotives with AAR 1-C+C-1 wheel arrangements. The locomotives were used on the 73-mile (117 km) electrified portion of the railroad, from Wenatchee, Washington to Skykomish, Washington, including the Cascade Tunnel.

Pennsylvania Railroad class FF1

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class FF1 was an American electric locomotive, a prototype numbered #3931 and nicknamed "Big Liz". It was built in 1917 to haul freight trains across the Allegheny Mountains where the PRR planned to electrify. "Big Liz" proved workable but too powerful for the freight cars of the time with its 4600 available horsepower and astonishing 140,000 lbf (620 kN) of tractive effort. Pulling the train it regularly snapped couplers and when moved to the rear as a pusher its force was sufficient to pop cars in the middle of the train off the tracks.

Pennsylvania Railroad class E3c 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.

Pennsylvania Railroad class R1

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

Pennsylvania Railroad class L5

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class L5 were the railroad's second generation of production electric locomotives after the DD1, and the last to use a jackshaft and side rods to drive the wheels. The L5 was a single-unit locomotive instead of the twin-unit DD1. The wheel arrangement in Whyte notation was 2-4-4-2, or 1-B-B-1 in the AAR scheme. Twenty five were built in 4 distinct subclasses. The lead unit of the class was equipped for AC operation with an overhead pantograph, while the other 24 were third rail DC units to work on the existing PRR third rail electrification in the New York area.

Pennsylvania Railroad class B1

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class B1 comprised 42 switcher-type electric locomotives built between 1926 and 1935. They were of 0-6-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation with 700 horsepower. As built, the first 28 locomotives in the 1926 order formed semi-permanently coupled pairs grouped in three classes.

Pennsylvania Railroad class AA1

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class AA1 comprised two experimental electric locomotives constructed in 1905 by the company's own Altoona Works with the assistance of Westinghouse. Intended as testbeds as the PRR began its electrification project, both locomotives remained service into the 1930s.

Pennsylvania Railroad Odd D 10003

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".

Pennsylvania Railroad class D16

Class D16 on the Pennsylvania Railroad was their final development of the 4-4-0 "American" type of steam locomotive. A total of 429 of these locomotives were built at the PRR's Juniata Shops, spread across five subclasses; some had 80 in (2,030 mm) diameter driving wheels for service in level territory, while others had 68 in (1,730 mm) drivers for mountainous terrain. In the pre-1895 scheme, these locomotives were second class L.

The class D15 of the Pennsylvania Railroad comprised a solitary Lindner-system cross compound steam locomotive of 4-4-0 "American" wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation. The sole locomotive was #1515, built in 1892 at the PRR's Altoona Shops, it had very British lines with a full-length footplate, splashers, a six-wheel tender, and large 84 in (2,134 mm) drivers.

Class D14 on the Pennsylvania Railroad was a type of steam locomotive with a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation. They were originally designated class P in the PRR's pre-1895 classification scheme. Twenty-two locomotives were built at the PRR's Altoona Works ; six in 1893 with 78-inch (1,981 mm) driving wheels, and sixteen in 1894 with 80-inch (2,032 mm) drivers, classified D14a. Later, all sixteen class D14a were rebuilt to class D14b with 68-inch (1,727 mm) drivers for secondary service after they were replaced in top-flight express service, while three of the six class D14 were similarly rebuilt to class D14c.

Pennsylvania Railroad class L1s

Class L1s on the Pennsylvania Railroad comprised 574 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotives constructed 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). It was the largest class of 2-8-2 locomotives anywhere, although other railroads had more Mikados in total.

Class D7 on the Pennsylvania Railroad was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive. Fifty-eight were built by the PRR's Altoona Works between 1882–1891 with 68 in (1.73 m) drivers, while sixty-one of class D7a were constructed with 62 in (1.57 m) drivers.

Pennsylvania Railroad class D1

The Pennsylvania Railroad's steam locomotive class D1 comprised thirteen 4-4-0 locomotives for express passenger service, constructed at the railroad's own Altoona Works during 1868–1872. They were the first standardized class of locomotives on the railroad and shared many parts with other standard classes.

PRR MP54

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, DC to New York City and Harrisburg, PA. The ubiquitous cars became a commuting tradition during their long years of service in several major cities. and were known as "red cars" or "red rattlers". The cars ran in service with the PRR until the Penn Central merger in 1968 at which point they were already being marked for replacement by new technology railcars such as the Budd M1 and Pioneer III. After the bankruptcy of the Penn Central the remaining MP54s found themselves being operated by Conrail under contract with local commuter rail authorities. The last MP54 cars were retired in 1980-81 while engaged in Philadelphia suburban service with SEPTA.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class K29s comprised 1 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Barris, Wes (2007). "The O-1". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pennsylvania Railroad (1932-08-18). "PRR Equipment Diagrams: Tracing #E-93844: O1a". PRR.Railfan.net. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  3. 1 2 3 Pennsylvania Railroad (1933-09-27). "PRR Equipment Diagrams: O1, O1b, O1c". PRR.Railfan.net. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  4. Staufer, Alvin F.; Pennypacker, Bert (1962). Pennsy Power: Steam and Electric Locomotives of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1900-1957. Research by Martin Flattley. Carollton, Ohio: Alvin F. Staufer. ISBN   978-0-9445-1304-0.
  5. Soloman, Brian (2003). Electric Locomotives. Saint Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. p. 47. ISBN   978-0-7603-1359-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  6. Schafer, Mike; Solomon, Brian (1997). Pennsylvania Railroad. Osceola, WI: MotorBooks International. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-7603-0379-5. OCLC   36676055.