Reading 1251

Last updated
Reading 1251
RR72.18.1A Saddle-tank No. 1251 Front Side.jpg
No. 1251 on static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 2016
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Reading Company
Serial number2306
Build dateSeptember 1918
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 0-6-0ST
   UIC C
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.50 in (1,300 mm)
Length28 ft (8.5 m)
Adhesive weight 120,000 lb (54,000 kg)
Loco weight120,000 lb (54,000 kg)
Fuel type anthracite coal
Fuel capacity2 t (2.0 long tons; 2.2 short tons)
Water cap.1,100 US gal (4,200 L; 920 imp gal)
Firebox:
  Grate area40.1 sq ft (3.73 m2)
Boiler pressure150 psi (1,000 kPa)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 20 in × 24 in (510 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson valve gear
Performance figures
Tractive effort 24,500 lb (11,100 kg)
Factor of adh. 4.9
Career
Operators Reading Company
Rail Tours Inc.
Class B-4a
RetiredFebruary 8, 1963 (Revenue service)
October 1966 (Excursion service)
RestoredApril 1964
Current owner Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
DispositionOn static display

Reading 1251 is a preserved class "B-4a" 0-6-0 tank locomotive built by the Reading Company's own locomotive shops in Reading in 1918 as the only tank locomotive to be rostered by the Reading after World War I. It served as a shop switcher to pull and push locomotives in and out of the Reading's shops, until it was taken off of the Reading's active list in early 1963. It subsequently spent the next eight years being sold to various owners until becoming fully owned by the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg for static display. As of 2024, the locomotive remains on indoor display inside the museum and is not likely to run again in the near future.

Contents

History

Original service life

During World War I, the Reading Company constructed various designs of switcher locomotives from their own shops in Reading, Pennsylvania to serve their various rail yards and roundhouses across their system. [1] In September 1918, a unique saddle tank locomotive rolled out of the Reading shops after being constructed from parts of an I-2a class 2-8-0. The locomotive was B-4a No. 1251, which ended up being the only tank locomotive to be rostered by the Reading after the end of the war. [2] The locomotive was never meant to haul trains as it was a shop switcher, or 'goat' as they were often nicknamed, to tow locomotives in and out of the Reading's locomotive facility.

Multiple brand new locomotives were still being manufactured at Reading and others were continuously in need of repairs, so No. 1251 was kept busy shunting them throughout the shop. [3] It was consistently cleaned and well-maintained, and its ease of operation made it well liked by crews. As the 1950s progressed the Reading was in the process of dieselizing their locomotive fleet, although No. 1251 remained on the active list the longest, the only thing forcing it into retirement was age. Its last revenue switching assignment occurred on February 8, 1963.

Preservation

George M. Hart was a steam locomotive historian who formerly worked with Reading Company for years. As the famed Iron Horse Rambles excursion trains were coming to an end, Hart decided to operate his own steam excursions in various parts of the Northeastern United States, and he founded his own private company Rail Tours Incorporated. In early 1964, Hart purchased No. 1251 from the Reading and after some repair work was completed, No. 1251 was put into excursion service over the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad in York County. Owing to its low fuel capacity, No. 1251 was also fitted with an ex-Reading tender to decrease the amount of stops it would require. [4]

No. 1251's running gear and lubricator. RR72.18.1A Saddle-tank No. 1251 Wheels.JPG
No. 1251's running gear and lubricator.

In October 1966, No. 1251 was formerly retired from excursion service after its flue time expired, and it was subsequently replaced by larger locomotives from the Canadian Pacific Railway, including 4-6-0 No. 972. Two years later, No. 1251 was sold to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the hopes of putting it on static display at Hart's future museum ground at Strasburg. No. 1251 was moved across the Strasburg Rail Road and was put in the yard of the new Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania for storage. [5] As construction of the museum's building was almost completed in 1972, No. 1251 was outright donated to it as a permanent addition to their locomotive collection. [5]

In 1982, museum volunteers worked to cosmetically restore No. 1251 to make it more presentable for public view, and when it was completed No. 1251 was moved inside the museum's main building, [6] surrounded by a few Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives. [7] As of 2024 the locomotive remains inside the museum, [1] and there are no plans of restoring No. 1251 back to operating condition anytime soon.

Historical significance

No. 1251 is a unique locomotive design, as no identical copies of the B-4as were ever made. It is also the only one of the 830 locomotives built new by the Reading to be preserved.

The locomotive also holds the distinction of being the last standard gauge steam locomotive to ever daily operate for a class 1 railroad in the United States. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown National Historic Site</span> Railroad museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on 62.48 acres (25.3 ha) in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The museum is built around a working turntable and a roundhouse that are largely replications of the original DL&W facilities; the roundhouse, for example, was reconstructed from remnants of a 1932 structure. The site also features several original outbuildings dated between 1899 and 1902. All the buildings on the site are listed with the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Yard-Dickson Manufacturing Co. Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strasburg Rail Road</span> Heritage railroad in Pennsylvania

The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi (6.47 km) of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad's headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 2101</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

Reading 2101 is a preserved American class "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive constructed in September 1945 for use by the Reading Company. Constructed from an earlier "I10SA" 2-8-0 "Consolidation"-type locomotive built in March 1923, the 2101 handled heavy coal train traffic for the Reading until being retired from revenue service in 1959. Withheld from scrapping, the 2101 served as emergency backup power for the three other T1 locomotives serving the Reading's "Iron Horse Rambles" excursions until being sold for scrap in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Western 90</span> Preserved American 2-10-0 locomotive

Great Western 90 is a 2-10-0 "Decapod" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1924, No. 90 originally pulled sugar beet trains for the Great Western Railway of Colorado. In April 1967, No. 90 was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road where it now resides and operates today for use in pulling excursion trains.

<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. The G5 was the largest and most powerful 4-6-0 locomotive, except for a single Southern Pacific 4-6-0 that outweighed it by 5,500 lb.

Canadian Pacific 1278 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After being retired from revenue service, the locomotive was purchased in 1965 by F. Nelson Blount for excursion trains at his Steamtown, U.S.A. collection. The locomotive was sold to Gettysburg Railroad in 1987, and it pulled excursion trains between Gettysburg and Biglerville, but it was subject to shoddy maintenance by inexperienced crews. The locomotive was retired from excursion service in 1995, after suffering a firebox explosion in June. As of 2024, the locomotive is on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 2124</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

Reading 2124 is a preserved class T-1 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive that was built by the Reading Company (RDG) in January 1947, using parts from "I-10sa" class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive No. 2024, which was originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in December 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 89</span> Preserved CN class E-10-a locomotive

Canadian National 89 is a 2-6-0 "Mogul" type steam locomotive originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in February 1910 for the Canadian National Railway. It is now owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 7312</span> Preserved CN O-9 class locomotive

Canadian National 7312 is an 0-6-0 "Switcher" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in August 1908 for the Canadian National Railway. It is owned and in active restoration by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colebrookdale Railroad</span> Heritage railroad based in Pennsylvania

The Colebrookdale Railroad, also known as the Secret Valley Line or colloquially as The Colebrookdale, is a tourist railroad located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The railroad operates between Boyertown in Berks County and Pottstown in Montgomery County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading T-1 Class</span>

The Reading T-1 was a class of 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives owned by the Reading Company. They were rebuilt from thirty "I-10sa" class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotives between 1945 and 1947. Out of the thirty rebuilt, four survive in preservation today, those being numbers 2100, 2101, 2102, and 2124.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk and Western 433</span> Preserved N&W class M 4-8-0 locomotive

Norfolk and Western 433 is a preserved class M 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company's Richmond Locomotive Works in January 1907 for the Norfolk and Western Railway. It was one of 125 M Class engines in operation on the N&W for around 50 years. After surviving an accident in 1951, the 433 was rebuilt and worked in Bristol, Virginia for a time where she was also assigned as a back up locomotive for the Abingdon Branch. This "Mollie" also worked as a switcher in Roanoke, Salem, and Radford. The 433 was eventually retired in 1958 and it became one of only two M Class locomotives to survive aside from the "Lost Engines of Roanoke". It was cosmetically restored in 2002 and now resides as a static display along the old Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 2100</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 locomotive (RDG class T-1)

Reading 2100 is the prototype of the T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives constructed in September 1945 for use by the Reading Company (RDG). Constructed from an earlier 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive built in May 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. 2100 pulled heavy freight and coal trains for the Reading until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1961 and 1964, No. 2100 was used to pull the RDG's Iron Horse Rambles excursions alongside fellow T-1's Nos. 2124 and 2102. After the rambles ended, No. 2100 was sold along with No. 2101 in 1967 to a scrapyard in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4000</span> Preserved American CB&Q S-4a class 4-6-4 locomotive

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy No. 4000, also known as Aeolus, is a preserved S-4a class 4-6-4 "Hudson" steam locomotive that was originally built by Baldwin in 1930 as S-4 locomotive No. 3002. It was primarily used to pull fast passenger trains before it was rebuilt by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1937 to be re-classified as an S-4a with Streamlining, and it was renumbered 4000 in the process. The streamlining was removed during World War II, and the locomotive was later downgraded to secondary passenger and mail service. In 1956, No. 4000 pulled two excursion trains out of Chicago, Illinois before it was retired. The locomotive was donated to the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1963, and it remains on static display in Copeland Park, as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1238</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1286</span> Preserved CP G5d class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1286 is a preserved G5d class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company. It was sold to George Hart, who used it to pull excursion trains in the 1960s. It was eventually sold again to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. As of 2023, No. 1286 is stored under private ownership at the Prairie Dog Central Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 1187</span> Preserved RDG A-4b class 0-4-0 camelback locomotive

Reading 1187 is a camelback 0-4-0 switcher locomotive built in 1903 by Baldwin for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. It was primarily used for yard switching services, until 1946, when it was sold to the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's E&G Brooke Plant as No. 4. In 1962, it made its way to the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania to be used in hauling tourist trains, but due to its small size, it was reassigned to switching passenger cars. After being removed from service in 1967, 1187 sat on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, before sitting idle at the Strasburg yard. In 2020, it was acquired by the Age of Steam Roundhouse, who is currently giving the locomotive a cosmetic stabilization at their location in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15</span> Preserved 0-6-0ST steam locomotive

Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 is a 0-6-0ST "Switcher" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 972</span> Preserved CP D-10j class 4-6-0 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 972 is a preserved D-10j class 4-6-0 "Ten-wheeler" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912. It was used for pulling branchline and mainline freight trains for the Canadian Pacific Railway, until it was removed from service in 1959. It eventually became famous for pulling multiple mainline excursion trains throughout the state of Pennsylvania under the ownership of George Hart. It was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road in 1995, who had an initial plan to rebuild it to pull their own tourist trains. As of 2024, No. 972 is stored outdoors and disassembled in the Strasburg Rail Road's yard.

References

  1. 1 2 Hart, George M. (1946). "HISTORY OF THE LOCOMOTIVES of the READING COMPANY". The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin (67): 1–119. ISSN   0033-8842. JSTOR   43519942.
  2. "RDG Co.–Surviving Steam Profile". www.readingrailroad.org. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  3. 1 2 "RailPictures.Net Photo: RDG 1251 Reading Steam 0-6-0T at Reading, Pennsylvania by John Dziobko www.godfatherrails.com". www.railpictures.net. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  4. "Gallantly Saving Railroad History: The Adventures of George M. Hart, Founding Director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  5. 1 2 "Pictures of RDG 1251". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  6. "Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Main Train Shed - www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  7. "Railroad Museum of PA photos". travelwp.com. Retrieved 2021-08-12.