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The USRA Light Pacific 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. It was the standard light passenger locomotive of the USRA types, with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′C1′ in UIC classification.
A total of 81 locomotives were built under USRA control, and were sent to the following railroads:
| Railroad | Quantity | Class | Road numbers | Notes | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) | 45 | 1500–1544 | 25 P-5-As (Nos. 1545-1569) were built by Alco's Richmond Works in 1920, and 165 P-5-Bs (Nos. 1600-1764) were also built as copies between 1920 and 1926 by BLW. [2] | 1939-1953 [2] | |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) | 30 | P-5 | 5200–5229 | Built by BLW (Nos. 5200-5219) and ALCO (Nos. 5220-5229) in 1919. | 1951-1955 [3] |
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) | 6 | K-5 | 240–245 | 20 copies (Nos. 264-283) built between 1923 and 1924. [4] | 1945-1953 |
| Total | 81 |
After the dissolution of USRA, the ACL and L&N ordered additional copies of the USRA Light Pacific design, [2] [4] while both the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O) also ordered copies in the 1920s. [5] [6]
| Railroad | Quantity | Class | Road numbers | Notes | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) | 25 | 1545–1569 | Continuation of the USRA design after the USRA disbanded. [2] | 1939-1953 [2] | |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) | 165 | 1600–1764 | P-5-A but with smaller driving wheels and designed for freight traffic. [2] | 1950-1953 [7] | |
| Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) | 5 | K-4-a | 5627-5631 | 5629 was formerly preserved but was scrapped in July 1987 due to negligence. [8] [9] | 1960-1961 [5] |
| Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) | 3 | K-4-b | 5632-5634 | 5632 is preserved. [10] [11] | 1960-1961 [5] |
| Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) | 20 | K-5 | 264–283 | Nos. 275 and 277 streamlined. | 1945-1953 [12] |
| Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O) | 10 | N/A | 260-269 | Built by BLW. [6] | 1946-1949 [6] |
| Rutland Railroad (RUT) | 6 in total, three in each class | K-1, K2 | 80-82 and 83-85 respectively | Built by Alco-Schenectady. | 1951-1953 |
| Total | 234 |
No. 1504 is one of seventy USRA Light Pacifics built by ALCO for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). [13] : 8 Classified as a P-5-A, No. 1504 had the capability to haul 10-12 passenger cars at 70–80 mph (113–129 km/h) between Richmond, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. [13] : 7 [14] It was assigned to haul the ACL's premier passenger trains such as the Miamian, Florida Special , Palmetto Limited , Southland , South Wind and Dixie Flyer . [13] : 7 On December 25, 1952, ACL retired the No. 1504 locomotive from revenue service and put it on static display in front of their headquarters building in Jacksonville, where it became the only USRA Light Pacific steam locomotive preserved in original as-built condition. [13] : 8
In 1986, ACL's successor, CSX donated the No. 1504 locomotive to the Jacksonville City Council, where they relocated it to its new static display site in the parking lot of the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, located at the former Jacksonville Union Terminal. [15] In 1990, the No. 1504 locomotive was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). [14] In 2021, the locomotive was purchased by the U.S. Sugar Corporation (USSC) in Clewiston, Florida, where it is being restored to operating condition for use in excursion service on the South Central Florida Express shortline railroad as part of USSC's heritage tourist passenger train named the Sugar Express . [16] [17]
No. 5629 was one of five copies (Nos. 5627-5631) of the USRA Light Pacifics built in 1924 by ALCO for the Grand Trunk Western (GTW). Classified as a K-4-a, No. 5629 was assigned to pull commuter trains throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. In 1960, the locomotive was purchased by Richard Jensen, who subsequently restored it to pull excursion trains on the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad (B&OCT). It was initially stored at a Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) roundhouse in Hammond, Indiana before Jensen moved it to another roundhouse, which was owned by the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad (C&WI). [18] No. 5629 was refitted with a larger ex-Soo Line tender to pull long-distance excursions throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and the state of Indiana. [19] [lower-alpha 1]
In the early 1970s, Jensen was running into some financial trouble, due to legal issues with the C&WI and a loss of access to nearby railroads, and he lost all motivation to operate steam excursions. No. 5629 would be stored in Penn Central's yard outside of Chicago Union Station, until Jensen searched for another location to store the locomotive. He subsequently reached an agreement with the Rock Island Railroad (RI) to store it within the Burr Oak freight yard at Blue Island, Illinois, but he never paid rent that was owed to the railroad.
In March 1980, the RI went bankrupt, and Metra acquired the Burr Oak yard. They ordered Jensen to move No. 5629 to the nearby Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS), but upon inspecting it to be moved, he discovered that it was vandalized during its time stored in Blue Island. Upon hearing about No. 5629's current condition, Metra wanted to help Jenson, who actually subsequently formulated a plan to allow the No. 5629 locomotive to be scrapped, leading to him suing Metra to gain a million dollars. [21]
After Jensen inconsiderately refused to remove his locomotive from the Burr Oak yard, Metra went to court, who ordered Metra to scrap the No. 5629 locomotive as the only alternative solution. [8] Many groups, such as the Illinois Railway Museum, offered to purchase the locomotive for $15,000 and move it out of harm’s way, but Jensen declined and instead removed No. 5629's journal boxes to prevent the locomotive from being moved out of the Blue Island freight yard. [21] [8] On July 14, 1987, the court ordered Metra to scrap the No. 5629 and the railroad reluctantly contacted the Erman-Howell Division of the Luria Brothers Scrap Company to dispose of the locomotive. [8] [9] After the scrapping, Jensen sued Metra as planned, but he eventually lost the case.
No. 5632 was one of three K-4-b class 4-6-2's (Nos. 5632-5634) constructed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Eddystone, Pennsylvania in November 1929, and it was delivered to the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) in 1930. [22] [23] The K-4-b locomotives were follow-ups to the K-4-a class (Nos. 5627-5631). [24] The only difference from the USRA design is that the K-4-b class was equipped with an all-weather vestibule cab and an enclosed coffin feedwater heater. [24] The GTW ordered the K-4-b's from Baldwin to use them for their sleeper trains—the Chicago Express and the Detroit Express—between Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan, in competition with the Michigan Central (MC), but both trains were quickly discontinued, due to challenges from the Great Depression. [24]
No. 5632 was subsequently reassigned to pull regular passenger trains in the GTW's Chicago Division between Chicago and Port Huron, Michigan alongside the K-4-a's. [24] [25] In 1938, when the GTW received six streamlined U-4-b class 4-8-4 locomotives, No. 5632 was relegated to the GTW's Detroit Division, where it was reassigned again to pull commuter trains between Detroit and Muskegon. [24] [25] [26] The K-4-b last operated for the GTW on June 13, 1958, before it was retired from revenue service. [25] [26] In August 1960, the GTW donated No. 5632 to the city of Durand, Michigan. [26] [27] [10] The following year, in 1961, the K-4-b was put on static display near the GTW mainline in Durand, and a dedication ceremony was held on May 20. [25] [27] [10]
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad has been under CN's subsidiary holding company, the Grand Trunk Corporation. Grand Trunk Western's routes are part of CN's Michigan Division. Its primary mainline between Chicago and Port Huron, Michigan serves as a connection between railroad interchanges in Chicago and rail lines in eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States. The railroad's extensive trackage in Detroit and across southern Michigan has made it an essential link for the automotive industry as a hauler of parts and automobiles from manufacturing plants.
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 Light Mikado 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 freight locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 2-8-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 1′D1′ in UIC classification.
Great Western 90 is a class 12-42-F 2-10-0 "Decapod" 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 presently resides and operates for use in pulling excursion trains.
Grand Trunk Western 6325 is a class "U-3-b" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built in 1942 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. As a member of the dual service U-3-b class, the 6325 handled heavy passenger and freight work for the Grand Trunk Western. In 1946, the 6325 gained notoriety for pulling United States President Harry S. Truman's election campaign train through the state of Michigan. Retired in 1959, the locomotive was donated for display to the City of Battle Creek, Michigan where a failed restoration attempt left 6325 in danger of being scrapped. Purchased in 1993 by Jerry Jacobson of the Ohio Central Railroad, the locomotive sat in storage for six years until being restored to operating condition on July 31, 2001, for use on excursion trains across the Ohio Central System. The locomotive is in storage, on static display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Atlanta and West Point 290 is a P-74 steam locomotive built in March 1926 by the Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio for the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. It is a 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotive, which was remarkably similar to the Southern Railway's Ps-4 class. With sister locomotive No. 190 built for the Western Railway of Alabama (WRA), No. 290 ferried the Southern Railway's Crescent passenger train from Atlanta, Georgia to Montgomery, Alabama until its retirement from revenue service in 1954.
The USRA Heavy Pacific 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 passenger locomotive of the USRA types, and was 4-6-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′C1′ in UIC classification.
The USRA Light Mountain 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 freight locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 4-8-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′D1′ in UIC classification.
The USRA Heavy Mountain 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 freight locomotive of the USRA types, and was of 4-8-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′D1′ in UIC classification.
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.
Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a preserved O-1A class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in August 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). It was used by the CB&Q to pull freight trains, until 1958, when the locomotive pulled its first excursion fantrip, as part of the railroad's steam excursion program.
Atlantic Coast Line 1504 is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in March 1919 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia, for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) as a member of the P-5-A class under the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) standard. No. 1504 was assigned to pull ACL's premier main line passenger trains during the 1920s to early 40s and even main line freight trains in the late 1940s until it was retired from revenue service at the end of 1952.
The Chicago Burlington and Quincy O-5 was a class of 36 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) between 1936 and 1940 and operated by the CB&Q until the late 1950s.
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad 2102 is a preserved "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as an "I-10sa" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive for the Reading Company, No. 2102 was rebuilt by the Reading's own locomotive Shops as a 4-8-4 "Northern" in September 1945, and it was used for pulling heavy coal trains for the railroad until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1962 and 1964, No. 2102 was used to pull the famous Iron Horse Rambles excursion trains. After the Rambles ended in 1964, No. 2102 was sold to Steam Tours Inc. of Akron, Ohio to spend the next 23 years pulling various fan trips in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. In 1985, it was sold again to Andy Muller to operate on his Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad alongside 4-6-2 "Pacific" No. 425, until its flue ticket expired on October 27, 1991. Beginning in February 2016, the locomotive was restored to operating condition and returned to service in April 2022.
Grand Trunk Western No. 6323 is a preserved class "U-3-b" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by Alco in 1942. It served the Grand Trunk Western Railroad by pulling various heavy freight and passenger trains across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Indiana. It became famous in later years for being the very last active steam locomotive to run on the GTW's trackage while still on the railroad's active list in 1961. After sitting in storage for several years in Detroit, No. 6323 was sold in 1981 to the Illinois Railway Museum, and since then, it has remained on static display in Union, Illinois.
U.S. Sugar 148, formerly Florida East Coast 148, is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in April 1920 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia, originally for the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). It hauled passenger and freight trains on the FEC's Overseas Railroad to Key West, Florida until the line was destroyed in 1935. The locomotive was sold in 1952 to U.S. Sugar Corporation (USSC) to haul sugarcane trains in Clewiston, Florida.
Grand Trunk Western 5629 was a 4-6-2 K-4-a steam locomotive, which was a copy of the United States Railroad Administration's (USRA) Light Pacific design, built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1924, for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. It was used to haul commuter passenger trains in Michigan until 1960, when it was purchased by Chicago-based railfan Richard Jensen, who used No. 5629 to pull several excursion trains in the Chicago area throughout the 1960s.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 5632 was an O-5B class 4-8-4 “Northern” built in the CB&Q's shops in August 1940. It was used to pull mainline passenger and freight trains before it eventually became famous for pulling a plethora of excursion trains for the CB&Q's steam excursion program. By the time the program ended in 1966, No. 5632 was disassembled for an unfinished overhaul, and was subsequently sold to Chicago area railfan Richard Jensen.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4963 is a preserved class "O-1a" 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It was used by the CB&Q to haul mainline freight trains before it was leased to the Bevier and Southern Railroad to haul short-distance freight trains in the early 1960s. It was subsequently retained by the CB&Q and used as a source of spare parts before being acquired by Richard Jensen.
Illinois Central 2613 was a 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotive, built by the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah, Kentucky shops in 1943. No. 2613 and its class were the most powerful 4-8-2 locomotives ever built.