PRR 4800
Encyclopedia
PRR 4800, nicknamed "Old Rivets", is a GG1
-class electric locomotive
located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
, outside of Strasburg
, Pennsylvania
in the United States
. It is the prototype GG1 and was originally numbered 4899. Built by General Electric
in 1934, the locomotive competed against a prototype, the R1
, built by rival company Westinghouse
. 4800 was kept in service by the Pennsylvania Railroad
and its successors, Penn Central and Conrail
, until 1979. It was sold the next year to a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
. 4800 was dedicated in 1982 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and was designated an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1983.
decided to replace the P5
, and instructed General Electric
and Westinghouse
to design an electric locomotive that was more powerful than the P5, capable of speeds of 100 miles per hour (44.7 m/s), have a lighter axle load
and to be double-ended with a cab in the center of locomotive. Westinghouse designed the R1
#4800, and General Electric submitted the GG1, then numbered 4899.
The frames
, running gear and riveted body for the prototype GG1 were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
. The partially built locomotive was then shipped to the General Electric factor in Erie, Pennsylvania
for the installation of its electrical components. Twelve traction motor
s, two on each of the GG1's six powered axles, produced 4620 hp that was transmitted to the 57 inches (144.8 cm) driving wheel
s by a quill drive
. Unlike other GG1s, access steps were installed at each end of the locomotive to ease maintenance of the pantographs; the pantographs were mechanically linked to a safety plate that blocked access to the steps when the pantographs were raised. The finished locomotive was 79 in 6 in (24.23 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, with both of its pantographs lowered.
GG1 4899 was extensively tested against the R1 from August to November 1934; both locomotives were substituted on regular passenger service between New York City
and Philadelphia. Both locomotives found to be capable of quick acceleration with short-term power outputs of up to 10000 hp. The GG1, however, did not exert as much lateral force into the rails as the R1, and that it was articulated
, which allowed for smaller a turning radius
than the rigid R1. The Pennsylvania chose the GG1 over the R1 and immediately ordered another 57 locomotives. As the number scheme used by the Pennsylvania prevented the first locomotive in the class from being 4899, the R1 and GG1 prototypes, essentially, swapped numbers. The Pennsylvania also enlisted the assistance of Raymond Loewy
to refine the aesthetics of the GG1s. Loewy recommended that all subsequent models of the class should have a welded body rather than the riveted body on the prototype. This led to the nickname "Old Rivets" being given to 4800.
, to Philadelphia by pulling a charter train for railroad and government officials; 4800 set a speed record of 102 miles per hour (45.6 m/s) outside of Landover, Maryland
on the return trip. Regular passenger service began on February 10, 1935. 4800 remained in regular passenger service with the Pennsylvania, and its successors Penn Central and Conrail
. In 1976, Conrail gave 4800 a red, white and blue paint scheme to commemorate the United States Bicentennial
. 4800 was eventually retired by Conrail in October 1979 after the locomotove's main transformer
failed, which was deemed too expensive to repair.
4800 was sold by Conrail in 1980 to the Lancaster-chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
as scrap
for $30,000. The locomotive was given a cosmetic restoration back to its 1935 appearance by the nearby Strasburg Rail Road
and volunteers. 4800 was dedicated and put on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
on November 20, 1982. It was designated an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) on April 23, 1983.
PRR GG1
The PRR GG1 is a class of electric locomotives that was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad for use in the northeastern United States. A total of 140 GG1s were constructed by its designer General Electric and the Pennsylvania's Altoona Works from 1934 to 1943....
-class electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...
, outside of Strasburg
Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the prototype GG1 and was originally numbered 4899. Built by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in 1934, the locomotive competed against a prototype, the R1
PRR 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....
, built by rival company Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
. 4800 was kept in service by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and its successors, Penn Central and Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
, until 1979. It was sold the next year to a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
. 4800 was dedicated in 1982 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and was designated an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1983.
Construction and testing
In 1933, the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
decided to replace the P5
PRR P5
The Pennsylvania Railroad's class P5 comprised 92 mixed-traffic electric locomotives constructed 1931–1935 by the PRR, Westinghouse and General Electric....
, and instructed General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
to design an electric locomotive that was more powerful than the P5, capable of speeds of 100 miles per hour (44.7 m/s), have a lighter axle load
Axle load
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle...
and to be double-ended with a cab in the center of locomotive. Westinghouse designed the R1
PRR 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....
#4800, and General Electric submitted the GG1, then numbered 4899.
The frames
Locomotive frame
A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. The vast majority of locomotives have had a frame structure of some kind...
, running gear and riveted body for the prototype GG1 were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
. The partially built locomotive was then shipped to the General Electric factor in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
for the installation of its electrical components. Twelve traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s, two on each of the GG1's six powered axles, produced 4620 hp that was transmitted to the 57 inches (144.8 cm) driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s by a quill drive
Quill drive
A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a drive shaft to shift its position relative to its driving shaft. It consists of a hollow driving shaft with a driven shaft inside it...
. Unlike other GG1s, access steps were installed at each end of the locomotive to ease maintenance of the pantographs; the pantographs were mechanically linked to a safety plate that blocked access to the steps when the pantographs were raised. The finished locomotive was 79 in 6 in (24.23 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, with both of its pantographs lowered.
GG1 4899 was extensively tested against the R1 from August to November 1934; both locomotives were substituted on regular passenger service between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia. Both locomotives found to be capable of quick acceleration with short-term power outputs of up to 10000 hp. The GG1, however, did not exert as much lateral force into the rails as the R1, and that it was articulated
Articulated locomotive
Articulated locomotive usually means a steam locomotive with one or more engine units which can move independent of the main frame. This is done to allow a longer locomotive to negotiate tighter curves...
, which allowed for smaller a turning radius
Turning radius
The turning radius or turning circle of a vehicle is the size of the smallest circular turn that the vehicle is capable of making. The term turning radius is actually a misnomer, since the size of a circle is actually its diameter, not its radius. The less ambiguous term turning circle is preferred...
than the rigid R1. The Pennsylvania chose the GG1 over the R1 and immediately ordered another 57 locomotives. As the number scheme used by the Pennsylvania prevented the first locomotive in the class from being 4899, the R1 and GG1 prototypes, essentially, swapped numbers. The Pennsylvania also enlisted the assistance of Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...
to refine the aesthetics of the GG1s. Loewy recommended that all subsequent models of the class should have a welded body rather than the riveted body on the prototype. This led to the nickname "Old Rivets" being given to 4800.
Operation and preservation
On January 28, 1935, 4800 inaugurated electric passenger service between Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to Philadelphia by pulling a charter train for railroad and government officials; 4800 set a speed record of 102 miles per hour (45.6 m/s) outside of Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
on the return trip. Regular passenger service began on February 10, 1935. 4800 remained in regular passenger service with the Pennsylvania, and its successors Penn Central and Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
. In 1976, Conrail gave 4800 a red, white and blue paint scheme to commemorate the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
. 4800 was eventually retired by Conrail in October 1979 after the locomotove's main transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
failed, which was deemed too expensive to repair.
4800 was sold by Conrail in 1980 to the Lancaster-chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
as scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
for $30,000. The locomotive was given a cosmetic restoration back to its 1935 appearance by the nearby Strasburg Rail Road
Strasburg Rail Road
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad located near Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It operates excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.Across the street lies the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania...
and volunteers. 4800 was dedicated and put on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...
on November 20, 1982. It was designated an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
(ASME) on April 23, 1983.