Pittsburgh and Lake Erie class A-2a

Last updated
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie class A-2a
NYC-P&LE 9401 A-2 Berkshire.jpg
NYC No. 9401
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder American Locomotive Company (ALCO)
Build dateMay-June 1948
Total produced7
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 2-8-4
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.63 in (1,600 mm)
Adhesive weight 280,000 lb (127.0 tonnes)
Loco weight426,000 lb (193.2 tonnes)
Tender weight352,780 lb (160.0 tonnes)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity22 tonnes (49,000 lb)
Water cap.20,000 US gallons (76,000 L; 17,000 imp gal)
Boiler pressure230 psi (1.59 MPa)
Career
Operators Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE)
New York Central Railroad (NYC)
Class P&LE A-2a
Numbers9400-9406
RetiredAugust 1956
Scrapped1957
References: [1]

The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie class A-2a was a class of seven 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotives built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) in 1948. They were also the last steam locomotives to be built by ALCO.

Contents

History

In 1948, the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) purchased seven 2-8-4 "Berkshire" type steam locomotives from the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady New York and designated as the class A-2a and assigned road numbers 9400 through 9406. [2] [3] The tenders were built by Lima and weighed in 22 tonnes (22,000,000 g; 22,000 kg). [4]

Delivered between May and June 1948, the class had a short life span even during the days of the New York Central Railroad (NYC) and were the last steam locomotives ever produced by ALCO. Nos. 9400 through 9406 were retired in August 1956 and all of them were scrapped in 1957.

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, Pennsylvania. 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">American Locomotive Company</span> Defunct locomotive manufacturer

The American Locomotive Company was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various times diesel generators, automobiles, steel, tanks, munitions, oil-production equipment, as well as heat exchangers for nuclear power plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Transportation</span> American railroad rolling stock manufacturer

GE Transportation is a division of Wabtec. It was known as GE Rail and owned by General Electric until sold to Wabtec on February 25, 2019. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. The company was founded in 1907. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while its main manufacturing facility is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine manufacturing takes place in Grove City, Pennsylvania. In May 2011, the company announced plans to build a second locomotive factory in Fort Worth, Texas, which opened in January 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Central Hudson</span> American 4-6-4 steam locomotives (1927–1957)

The New York Central Hudson was a popular 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Lima Locomotive Works in three series from 1927 to 1938 for the New York Central Railroad. Named after the Hudson River, the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement came to be known as the "Hudson" type in the United States, as these locomotives were the first examples built and used in North America. Built for high-speed passenger train work, the Hudson locomotives were famously known for hauling the New York Central's crack passenger trains, such as the 20th Century Limited and the Empire State Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schenectady Locomotive Works</span> Defunct locomotive manufacturer in Schenectady, New York, United States

The Schenectady Locomotive Works built railroad locomotives from its founding in 1848 through its merger into American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad</span> Railroad in the United States

The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad was a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-8-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a steam locomotive that has two unpowered leading wheels, followed by eight coupled and powered driving wheels, and four trailing wheels. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway used the name Kanawha for their 2-8-4s. In Europe, this wheel arrangement was mostly seen in mainline passenger express locomotives and, in certain countries, in tank locomotives.

In 1948, 14 railroads in North America owned more than 1,000 steam locomotives each. See also: Historical sizes of railroads

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-2 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by two sets of three pairs of powered driving wheels and one pair of trailing wheels. The wheel arrangement was principally used on Mallet-type articulated locomotives, although some tank locomotive examples were also built. A Garratt locomotive or Golwé locomotive with the same wheel arrangement is designated 2-6-0+0-6-2 since both engine units are pivoting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USRA 0-6-0</span>

The USRA 0-6-0 was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. This was the standard light switcher locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 0-6-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or "C" in UIC classification.

The USRA 0-8-0 was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. This was the standard heavy switcher locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 0-8-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or "D" in UIC classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO FA</span> American locomotive class

The ALCO FA is a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and General Electric in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959. Designed by General Electric's Ray Patten, they were of a cab unit design; both cab-equipped lead FA and cabless booster FB models were built. A dual passenger-freight version, the FPA/FPB, was also offered. It was equipped with a steam generator for heating passenger cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Central 3001</span> Preserved American 4-8-2 locomotive

New York Central 3001 is a 4-8-2 Mohawk (Mountain)-type steam locomotive built in October 1940 by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York as a member of the L-3a class for the New York Central Railroad (NYC). Normally known as Mountain types, the NYC 4-8-2 steam locomotives were dubbed as Mohawk types after the Mohawk River, which ran alongside NYC's famed Water Level Route. Built for dual-service work, No. 3001 was used to haul both freight and passenger trains on the NYC system until being retired in February 1957.

Maine Central Railroad steam switchers were designated Class K. They were of 0-6-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or "C" in UIC classification. American Locomotive Company (ALCO) began building more powerful yard locomotives for Maine Central in 1909. Twenty locomotives numbered 161 through 180 were active in 1923, and worked in Maine's largest cities until replaced by diesels after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Western 4070</span> Preserved GTW S-3-a class 2-8-2 locomotive

Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 is an S-3-a class 2-8-2 USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive, and it was originally built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in December 1918 for the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) as No. 474. It was later re-numbered to 3734 by the Grand Trunk Western (GTW), after the GTR was absorbed into Canadian National (CN). In the late 1950s, the locomotive received a larger tender from an S-3-c class locomotive, and it was further re-numbered to 4070.

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.

Paul Walter Kiefer was an American mechanical engineer, locomotive designer, chief engineer at New York Central Railroad, and inventor, who was awarded the 1947 ASME Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentetsu Tehoko-class locomotive</span> 4-6-0 steam locomotive

The Tehoko-class (テホコ) locomotives were a class of steam tender locomotives of the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) with 4-6-0 wheel arrangement. The "Teho" name came from the American naming system for steam locomotives, under which locomotives with 4-6-0 wheel arrangement were called "Ten Wheeler".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago and North Western D Class</span>

The Chicago and North Western Railway D Class was a class of 92 American 4-4-2 "Atlantic" locomotives. They were built by Schenectady Locomotive Works and by its corporate successor the American Locomotive Company between 1900 and 1908. In addition, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway bought seven, classifying them as class G-3

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 1380</span> Streamlined American 4-6-2 steam locomotive

Southern Railway 1380 was a streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in 1923 by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ps-4 class, which was based on the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) Heavy Pacific design with some minor differences. Redesigned in a Streamline Moderne style design by industrial designer Otto Kuhler in 1941, No. 1380 hauled SOU's streamlined Tennessean passenger train between Washington, D.C., and Monroe, Virginia, until it was removed from the train in the late 1940s and scrapped around 1953.

References

  1. "Boston & Albany / Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  2. Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice, 1950-52: Definitions, Drawings and Illustrations of Diesel, Steam, Electric and Turbine Locomotives for Railroad, Industrial and Foreign Service; Their Parts and Equipment; Descriptions and Illustrations of Locomotive Shops and Servicing Facilities. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Company. 1950. p. 511.
  3. Railroadman's Magazine. Vol. 60–61. 1953. p. 52.
  4. Trains. Vol. 37. Kalmbach Publishing Company. 1976. p. 25.

Further reading