PRR G5
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania Railroad
G5s was a class of 4-6-0
steam locomotives built by the PRR's Juniata Shops in the mid-late 1920s. The class was designed primarily for providing power to passenger trains, particularly on commuter lines, and thus became a fixture on suburban railroads, most notably the Long Island Railroad, until the mid 1950s. The G5s was the largest and strongest class of 4-6-0 locomotives ever built.
and Fort Wayne. In his book Pennsy Power, Alvin Staufer noted that "The G5s at times assumed the role of backwoods branchline meanderer." He cites an example of a G5s-led milk train that ran 145 miles daily through rural Pennsylvania, trailing an old combine at the end for the occasional passenger - which sometimes included a hunter that the crew would let off at a clearing in the woods. However, the class was not limited solely to commuter service. Fan trips as early as the 1930s also were headed by ten-wheelers: "'Off the Beaten Track' excursions covering branch lines frequently drew G5s power, since larger engines were prohibited." Work trains were another assignment too menial for mainline power but fine for the versatile G5s, which often elicited adjectives such as "gutsy," "squat," "tough," or "husky." By 1929, it was the only 4-6-0 class remaining in active service on the PRR.
The G5s was the last steam locomotive to operate in revenue service on Long Island. The last four units in operation, 35, 38, 39, and 50, were in service until 1955. In October of that year, a special "End of Steam Ceremony" was held at Hicksville
. Engines 35 and 39 each pulled a single coach to the station with local Boy Scouts on board. Upon arriving, the coaches were uncoupled from the two steam engines, and each coupled to an Alco RS3 diesel locomotive. 35 and 39 were then coupled nose to nose, and ran west to Morris Park to await official withdrawal.
PRR 5741 - Selected by the PRR itself for preservation upon its retirement, currently on permanent static display in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
. 5741 was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979 as Freight Locomotive No. 5741.
LIRR 35 - Donated by the LIRR to Nassau County
. 35 was displayed in Eisenhower Park
until 1978, and is now based at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum in Oyster Bay, NY. The museum is working to secure funding for the full restoration of the locomotive. This includes a conversion to oil firing, and possibly a new tender. Engine 35 was recently inspected by contractors from Steam Operations Corps, and thoroughly cleaned in preparation for the locomotive being shipped to Alabama for further restoration. It is currently sitting in pieces at the museum site.
LIRR 39 - Donated by the LIRR to Suffolk County
. Formerly displayed at the Carriage House in Stony Brook, NY, the engine is now under the care of the Railroad Museum of Long Island, based in Riverhead, NY. The boiler is currently in the process of restoration at Strasburg, PA, while the rest of the locomotive remains in Riverhead. The restoration includes a conversion to oil firing.
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....
G5s was a class of 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
steam locomotives built by the PRR's Juniata Shops in the mid-late 1920s. The class was designed primarily for providing power to passenger trains, particularly on commuter lines, and thus became a fixture on suburban railroads, most notably the Long Island Railroad, until the mid 1950s. The G5s was the largest and strongest class of 4-6-0 locomotives ever built.
Design and Production
By the 1920s, the Pennsylvania Railroad was in search of a locomotive that could handle the unique stresses of commuter service. Although earlier classes such as the K4s Pacifics and E6s Atlantics had been successful, the railroad recognized the need for an engine that could combine power with acceleration. When the first G5s rolled out of the Juniata shops in 1923, the Pennsylvania Railroad hadn't built a 4-6-0 in more than two decades. Mechanical Engineer William F. Kiesel, Jr. who designed the engine took the boiler from an E6s Atlantic and designed one of the largest and most powerful ten-wheelers ever built. Smaller drive wheels than an Atlantic and the lack of a trailing truck concentrated more engine weight on the drivers and produced an engine with great power and acceleration but a lower top speed The 4-6-0 wheel arrangement was found to provide sufficient tractive effort, (41,000 lbs of tractive force) but at the same time, allow the locomotive to accelerate and decelerate the train more quickly. Such a design was ideal for the frequent station stops on the various commuter lines of the PRR. 90 G5s locomotives were built for the PRR between 1923 and 1925 at the railroad's Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA. An additional 31 examples were built between 1924 and 1929 for the Long Island Railroad, which was a PRR subsidiary at the time. Like the I1s Decapod, the G5s was infamous among enginemen as a rough-riding steed; famed locomotive historian Alvin Staufer stated bluntly, "Riding qualities were sacrificed for power when Pennsy designed these G5s Ten Wheelers."Service on the Pennsylvania Railroad
The G5s was designed for rapid acceleration and the ability to make frequent stops, which made it optimal for service on commuter railroads. The 90 G5s locomotives that were owned by the PRR were therefore used on lines that linked cities to suburban areas. There was a large concentration of G5s's in the Pittsburgh area, but the class was also prevalent in New Jersey, and the areas surrounding ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Fort Wayne. In his book Pennsy Power, Alvin Staufer noted that "The G5s at times assumed the role of backwoods branchline meanderer." He cites an example of a G5s-led milk train that ran 145 miles daily through rural Pennsylvania, trailing an old combine at the end for the occasional passenger - which sometimes included a hunter that the crew would let off at a clearing in the woods. However, the class was not limited solely to commuter service. Fan trips as early as the 1930s also were headed by ten-wheelers: "'Off the Beaten Track' excursions covering branch lines frequently drew G5s power, since larger engines were prohibited." Work trains were another assignment too menial for mainline power but fine for the versatile G5s, which often elicited adjectives such as "gutsy," "squat," "tough," or "husky." By 1929, it was the only 4-6-0 class remaining in active service on the PRR.
Service on Long Island
The G5s acted as the primary passenger locomotive on the Long Island Railroad until the end of steam operations in the mid 1950s, sharing the duty with K4s's leased from the PRR, as well as diesels such as the Alco RS3 that ultimately replaced them. The G5s locomotives that operated on Long Island differed slightly from those produced for the PRR, in that a larger tender was included.The G5s was the last steam locomotive to operate in revenue service on Long Island. The last four units in operation, 35, 38, 39, and 50, were in service until 1955. In October of that year, a special "End of Steam Ceremony" was held at Hicksville
Hicksville, New York
Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
. Engines 35 and 39 each pulled a single coach to the station with local Boy Scouts on board. Upon arriving, the coaches were uncoupled from the two steam engines, and each coupled to an Alco RS3 diesel locomotive. 35 and 39 were then coupled nose to nose, and ran west to Morris Park to await official withdrawal.
Preservation
The G5s is one of the best preserved classes of Pennsy steam locomotives, with three surviving examples.PRR 5741 - Selected by the PRR itself for preservation upon its retirement, currently on permanent static display in 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...
. 5741 was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979 as Freight Locomotive No. 5741.
LIRR 35 - Donated by the LIRR to Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. 35 was displayed in Eisenhower Park
Eisenhower Park
Eisenhower Park is centrally located in East Meadow, New York bordered by Hempstead Turnpike on the south and Old Country Road on the north. At , it is larger than Central Park, with much of the area devoted to three 18-hole golf courses, including the Red Course, host to the annual Commerce Bank...
until 1978, and is now based at the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum in Oyster Bay, NY. The museum is working to secure funding for the full restoration of the locomotive. This includes a conversion to oil firing, and possibly a new tender. Engine 35 was recently inspected by contractors from Steam Operations Corps, and thoroughly cleaned in preparation for the locomotive being shipped to Alabama for further restoration. It is currently sitting in pieces at the museum site.
LIRR 39 - Donated by the LIRR to Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
. Formerly displayed at the Carriage House in Stony Brook, NY, the engine is now under the care of the Railroad Museum of Long Island, based in Riverhead, NY. The boiler is currently in the process of restoration at Strasburg, PA, while the rest of the locomotive remains in Riverhead. The restoration includes a conversion to oil firing.