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....

's class A1 was a class of 0-4-0

0-4-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...

 type steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s.

History

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class A1 was a class of 0-4-0 switcher type steam locomotive. When the A1 was introduced into service, 0-4-0s were being used by other railroads. In time the 0-6-0 came and other railroads neglected the 0-4-0. But, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, this wasn't happening. This is because, the PRR had a bunch of tight trackage and street trackage as well. The Pennsylvania Railroad elected to use a small locomotive to operate these tight and confined tracks. By the 1920s the Pennsylvania Railroad class A1 was greatly replaced by the even larger class A5s, the largest 0-4-0s on the Pennsylvania Railroad's roster of 0-4-0s in service at the time. By the 1950s as the diesel switchers became available for easier and more efficient switching duties, the Pennsylvania Railroad started to replace the 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s notably the Pennsylvania Railroad class B6sb switchers with diesel switchers. In 1957, as with all Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives still in service, they were completely replaced by the diesel locomotive.

See also

PRR B6

PRR B6

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class B6 was its most successful class of switcher, or as the PRR termed them, "shifter". The PRR preferred the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement for larger switchers, whereas on other roads the 0-8-0 gained preference...

 This is about the Pennsylvania Railroad's class of highly successful 0-6-0

0-6-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...

type switchers.