OK, the L2's were five USRA 2-8-2's and the L6's were a class of never completed (except for the prototype) 1-D-1 electrics, but what were the missing intermediate classes...paper exercises at Altoona...locos that became PRR property when it bought a couple of shortlines...enquiring minds want to know
The L5s of course were some of the worst-designed electrics in the history of railroading -- long rigid wheelbase and 80" drivers, high polar moment of inertia, ugly as sin, etc. Most of these were DC, for the Manhattan Transfer electrification, but a couple were given equipment for 11kV AC with both single and double pans. Ed will have pictures but you might want to avert your eyes...
They were still a bit wet behind the ears back then:
The Pennsy did go therough quite a design program before finally working out the bugs.
PRR_experiment by Edmund, on Flickr
PRR_L5 by Edmund, on Flickr
I prefer "utilitarian" over ugly. Sure would be neat to see one up close and personal. And the FF1 as well. Aah, I can whiff the ozone now.
The L5s were designed to be easily modified for DC or AC, freight or passenger gearing and Westinghouse or GE electrical equipment. These were noted in an alphabetical suffix to the class, i.e. L5pdw, L5faw, etc.
The AC designs had one pantograph and later a second one was added.
DD2 anyone?
PRR_DD2 by Edmund, on Flickr
I suppose the same could be said for the P5. There wasn't much recorded in the way of a P1,2,3 or 4.
Cheers, Ed
Duh, Of course, the L5's, forgot about them. And I've always liked the GG1's lil brother, the dual service DD2. Only one built and confined to local service around Baltimore. I've never figured out why it was unsuccessful - maybe it was sinking in that the wires would never make it to Pittsburgh and, like the L6's, a class of them would never be needed.
BEAUSABREI've always liked the GG1's lil brother, the dual service DD2.
The 1943 plan for electrification to Pittsburgh does not go into specific locomotive detail, but the horsepower ratings map perfectly to locomotives with multiple 428As, which would have included more DD2s as well as six-drive-axle versions (almost surely GG2s of similar styling to the DD2 and to the V1 of 1944 which followed). Better still were helpers that would have eight drive axles apiece, run in pairs... I have looked for engineering studies on these, perhaps the ultimate snappers even for freight, and perhaps something has survived...
The thing that killed the DD2 was likely the same thing that killed the K5 -- too much investment in 'older' stuff. Just as PRR built an enormous number of K4s as great changes were occurring in steam, PRR built a huge number of GG1s, and as you noted, with the expansion west of Harrisburg on hold, no new electric classes were needed (especially with all those embarrassing P5s on the property...)
By the time PRR was again in the market for electrics, we'd be in the rectifier era, technological overripe tomatoes right up to (some argue including) E44s.
Only one built and confined to local service around Baltimore. I've never figured out why it was unsuccessful