The John Stevens

This locomotive was named for an energetic Revolutionary War Veteran, John Stevens, who was one of the first men to promote railroads in the United States. In fact, Charters issued to him for railroads in New Jersey (1821) and Pennsylvania (1831) are among the first issued anywhere.

The “John Stevens” was built as a result of a trip to England by Robert Stevens, president of the Camden & Amboy. He was impressed by the “Crampton-type” engines, featuring tow large driving wheels, which were popular in England at the tome. On his return he commissioned Isaac Dripps to design a similar locomotive. The specifications included a 38” diameter boiler “made with spiral seams and to burn anthracite” and driving wheels eight feet in Diameter which were to be “all of wrought iron, the spaces between spokes to be filled with wood.”

In 1847, the order for the locomotive was placed and in April 1849, the first trial run was made. The designer had reservations which were realized when tests provided that the single pair of drivers did not provide enough traction and the boiler was too small. However, in spite of his objections, several more were built and placed in service to haul six-coach passenger trains. Although they never performed with complete satisfaction these locomotives were in service, with modifications, until 1865.

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD Print Steam Locomotives of Yesteryear By Harry P Albrecht

What could be more “Pennsy” than a K-4 in the famous Broad Street Station, In Philadelphia, PA.?

The First Pacific 4-6-2 wheel arrangement locomotive built for the Pennsylvania was completed in 1907 and from that date to 1913, a total of 271 Pacific type locomotives of 5 different designs were built. In 1814 the first Pacific type locomotive of a new design, classified as the K4s was built at Altoona. This locomotive combined the best features of the previous designs with the addition of what was then new thinking in the art of locomotive building.

Interest in the Pennsylvania K4s locomotive has been stimulated over the years by its distinctive appearance and performance. The Belpaire boiler and simplified piping system gave it clean functional lines at a time when smooth surface consciousness had not yet brought the word “streamlining” in general use. The light weight design of Walschaert valve gear for the K4s was first used on the Pennsylvania class E6 Atlantic type locomotive. While it was designed to reduce maintenance, it also enhanced the appearance of the running gear.

When tests at the Altoona Test Plant and service experience showed the K4s performance to be so remarkable, this class was built in quantity. In all, 425 K4s locomotives were built which is the largest number of steam passenger engines of one class to be built by any railroad in this country.

It was designed for a maximum speed of 100 MPH at a time when 60 MPH was considered high passenger train speed. Consequently, as train speeds and weights were increased, the K4s was able to meet the new schedules without any design changes. The original 7,000 gal. tender was replaced by 11,000 tenders to provide for increased working rates. Tenders having a water capacity of 21,000 gal. were also used experimentally. This locomotive has been assigned to haul such trains as the Broadway, The Congressional, the Spirit of St. Louis and the “clocker” trains between Philadelphia and New York where speeds of up to 80 MPH are common. These trains and all other heavy passenger trains, were hauled for years by this class locomotive until replaced by Electrics, Class T! steam locomotives and more recently Diesels.

The first K4s locomotive, numbered 1737, was, as previously mentioned, built in 1914. It was not originally equipped with a stoker, which was subsequently applied; but, except for refinements incorporated into the design over the years, it was essentially the same as the last of this class locomotive built in 1928. In addition to stokers, such features as power reverse gear, roller bearings, improved drafting, improved injectors, cab signals and train telephone were added later. ----And the story goes on with many pictures!

Historical Highlights

The ‘Pennsylvania,’ known as a tank-type locomotive, was designed by James Milholland, Master of Machinery for the Philadelphia & Reading, and built under his supervision in the Reading shops of the P & R. It is typical of the heavier, more powerful engines required as the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania were called on to produce ever-increasing tonnage of anthracite for the industries of the East. The P & R was one of the most important ‘coal roads’ and traffic grew rapidly.

The ‘Pennsylvania’ was the first of six anthracite coal-burning tank locomotives used as ‘pushers’ to move heavy coal trains across the mountains between the Schuykill and Delaware Rivers. The principal grade was the climb to the summit of Broad Mountain – a gradient of 180 feet to the mile.

The ‘Pennsylvania’ originally had twelve driving wheels coupled, as in the illustration. In 1870, because it had to work on more severe curves, the rear pair of wheels were removed, making the locomotive an 0-10-0. It had a separate tender attached, the water tanks having been removed from the top and sides of the boiler. Picture measurements 15.5 x19.5 inches.

Wheel arrangement: 0-12-0 Drivers: 43 inches in diameter

Weight: 100,320 pounds Cylinders: 20” x 26”

Type of service: Freight

Builder: Reading Shops of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad

BEST FRIEND OF CHARLESTON

1830 0-4-0 art – South Carolina Railroad

Wheel arrangement: 0-4-0 Weight: Four tons (approximately)

Cylinders: Two, inclined Horsepower: Six

Builder: West Point Foundry, New York.

Historical Highlights

In 1830, while the Baltimore & Ohio was establishing the nation’s first common carrier, the Charleston & Hamburg Railroad became the first to use the steam power which set the standard for American railroading. ** Horatio All, chief engineer of the Charleston & Hamburg, later the South Carolina Railroad, was responsible for the decision to purchase a steam locomotive and a contract was awarded to E. I. Miller. Records indicate that E.C. Detmold assisted in the design of the locomotive and it was constructed by the West Point Foundry in New York. In October, 1830 it was delivered to Charleston on the ship ‘Niagara.’ The new engine was given the unusual name ‘Best Friend of Charleston’ and trial runs began immediately over the six –mile right-of-way. Historians do not agree on the date of the regularly scheduled run. But sometime between December 25, 1830 and January 15, 1831 the first trip was made, an event attended by great ceremony. The amazed passengers were carried over the new road at the breath-taking speed of 21 miles an hour, to the accompaniment of the regular firing of a ‘small field piece mounted on one of the cars.’ This was the first time a steam engine pulled a passenger train over a stretch of track, on a scheduled run, in the United States. ** Before long, the new railroad recorded another rather unpleasant ‘first’ – the first locomotive explosion. On June 17,1831, at the end of a run, the fireman, annoyed by the noise of steam escaping from a safety valve, held the valve leaver down. The resulting explosion injured four men and wrecked the engine. There were tow immediate results – the valve levers were placed out of reach of everyone except the engineer, and the railroad placed a ‘barrier car’ (a flatcar piled with cotton bales) between the engine and the rest of the train. The engine was rebuilt eventually and re-named the ‘Phoenix’.

Print Size 15.5 x 19.5 inches.