There just aren't many photographs of Pennsy's 4-4-4-4 T1's on RP.... yet!
A group known as The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust, aka, "The T1 Trust", is hard at work with dedicated volunteers and the financial support of many generous donors from around the globe with the stated goal of constructing, from scratch, a brand new PRR T1. When complete, it will become the fifty-third locomotive of its class. The first PRR T1 Duplex locomotive was built in 1942. Designers from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the PRR's longtime development partner, were eager to prove the viability of steam in the face of new competition from diesel-electric locomotives. They persuaded the railroad to adopt Baldwin's latest idea: the duplex locomotive. This split the locomotive's driving wheels into two sets, each with its own pair of cylinders and rods. The first PRR duplex was the single experimental 4-6-6-4 S1, No. 6100 of 1939. The PRR returned to Baldwin to develop a duplex design fit for series production. The PRR ordered two Baldwin prototypes (Nos 6110 and 6111) on June 26, 1940. Both prototypes had numerous teething problems and were prone to wheelslip if not handled carefully by the engineer. Favorable test reports resulted in a follow up production order for 50 T1s, split between the PRR's own Altoona Works and Baldwin. The locomotives were built between 1945 and 1946 (Nos 5500–5549). The T1's were the first production express passenger locomotives produced by the railraod since its K4s of 1914, which were produced until 1928. Two experimental enlarged K5 locomotives were produced in 1929, but they apparently were not considered enough of an improvement to pursue and the railroad's attention switched to electrification. Sadly, all PRR's T1's were out of service by 1952 and scrapped between 1951 and 1956.
Enter "The T1 Trust". Founded in 2014, the T1 Trust is constructing an all-new, fully-operational T1 using the original blueprints with subtle performance improvements where necessary. The T1 Trust's goal is to provide mainline excursion service, and... after its been thoroughly tested and broken in, an attempt will be made in Pueblo, CO, to set the world speed record for a steam locomotive. These locomotives had the capability of achieving speeds in excess of 120 mph, and anecdotal reports indicate that speeds of up to 140 mph were attained!
Photo taken during an Open House at the Sheraton Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg, PA on May 13th, 2022, coinciding with the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society's annual meet. Lighting and effects by Pete Lerro, on behalf of the T1 Trust. The locomotive is to make its return trip to Continental Fabricators in St Louis, MO, on Sunday, May 15th. For more information about the T1 Trust, check them out on Facebook, or click here.
Click here to purchase a t-shirt, sponsor a part or make a donation. Also, note that Amazon Smile lists the T1 Trust as one of the charities you can link and they will make a donation with every purchase you make!
