QUOTE: LIONEL STEAM LOCOMOTIVES Ask anyone on the street, “What do you remember about a Lionel train?” and most of them will smile as fond memories return and say “its black, heavy, and you put little pills in the smoke stack.” This is a fitting description for the bulk of Lionel’s postwar steamers. Lionel had introduced zinc-alloy die-casting in its manufacturing process prior to World War II, though it took a few years to perfect. Impurities in the metal can cause it to “rot” over years, swelling and disintegrating – a common problem in prewar trains, but unusual in postwar production. This new process allowed the company to create handsome, detailed, yet rugged locomotives. the mechanisms housed in these heavy metal boiler shells were works of art themselves, especially during the late 1940s when they were as precisely made as a fine watch. Ultimately, some of the less-expensive locomotives came to be made of plastic, but die-casting remained the basis for the better engines until the end. Continued innovation kept Lionel ahead of its competition, and the steam locomotives were at the forefront. Prior to WWII, Lionel had introduced its famed air whistle. Usually housed inside the tender, a small electric motor turned an impeller, forcing air through two acoustic changers and producing a realistic whistle sound. The motor was controlled by a relay, which was closed by imposing a slight DC current on top of the normal AC track power that ran the train. A similar relay was used to ring the bell on the switch engines. In 1946, Lionel wooed consumers by producing the first locomotives with a puffing smoke. These were replicas of a handsome 2-8-4 Berkshire and Pennsylvania’s revolutionary, albeit unsuccessful S-2 turbine. The first year’s smoke unit used a special oversized light bulb to heat the smoke material, but beginning in 1947, a nichrome wire-wound heater element was used instead on most of the larger locomotives. It was these units that seemed to have an insatiable appetite for the memorable “SP” smoke pellets. In the late 1950s, a third type of smoke generator appeared that used a liquid rather than pills. Lionel’s golden anniversary year of 1950 saw the final major innovation in steam locomotive production – the introduction of Magnetraction. This feature was intended to better keep the locomotive on the track and increase its pulling power by using powerful Alnico magnets to magnetize the wheel, “sticking” the train to Lionel’s tin-plated steel track. The fortunes of Lionel seemed to parallel that of full-size steam locomotives. Both reached their zenith in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and both seemed to be fading memories by the late 1960s.
QUOTE: The GG1 was designed by the Pennsylvania Railroad based on the need for a locomotive that could pull more than 12 to 14 passenger cars. The railroad thought it had designed the perfect electric passenger locomotive, the P-5a, but as the P-5a locomotives arrived, it became necessary to double head them on many trains in order to protect schedules. Two other factors were involved in the development of the GG1. The chassis and wheel arrangement were a result of experiments with a leased New Haven EP3a and the streamlined body and center crew cab were an outcome of concern for crew safety. A tragic grade crossing accident in which a box cab P-5a hit a truck killing the engineer, reinforced the need for better protection for the crew. After the accident, a hold was put on further manufacture of the box cab P-5a and the locomotive was redesigned to include a center crew cab. The GG1 was given a sculptured carbody with contoured hoods that were tapered to provide visibility for the enginemen. As a result, a very aesthetically pleasing design evolved. Raymond Loewy, the renowned industrial designer, reviewed the prototype and recommended welding the shell rather than using rivets. He then suggested adding the famous pin stripes, making the design an award winner. The railroad built 139 units (#4800 through #4938) between the years 1934 and 1943. Many of them were built at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, PA. This streamlined locomotive, designed for bidirectional operation was mainly used for passenger trains, but a few were regeared for freight service. The GG1 survived longer than any other American locomotive design, lasting from 1934 to well into the 1980s. The 79.5 foot long 230+ ton GG1 was built on an articulated frame which permitted its 2-C+C-2 wheel arrangement to negotiate tight curves even in congested areas. Power was picked up from an overhead 11,000 Volt AC catenary wire by a pantograph and the voltage stepped-down through an on board transformer to feed the 12 single phase 25 cycle traction motors. Each of these motors developed 385 HP giving the GG1 a total of 4620 HP in continuous operation and allowed speeds up to 100 mph. The body of the locomotive also housed large blowers for motor and transformer cooling, a steam boiler for passenger car heat, electric controllers and sanding boxes. Of the 139 units built, only 16 survive today. Some have been restored superficially and can be visited as shown below. It is not likely that any of these survivors will ever run again because of the prohibitive cost to rebuild or replace the electrical components. Will a GG1 ever run again? A GG1 will probably never run again. Steam locomotives can be restored through extraordinary efforts, if needed, to repair or remanufacture mechanical parts. Once a steam locomotive has been restored, all one needs is coal (or oil) and water, to have the ability to run if track is available. The GG1 survivors have had their transformers removed, many of the traction motors have shorted out and all of the other current carrying parts have deteriorated to the point of uselessness. The one exception may be 4935 in Strasburg, PA which may be capable of actually running if a transformer and a proper catenary were available. The GG1 was a 25 cycle (HZ) machine for which the PRR maintained their own substation to provide the 25 cycle current. Locomotives today are capable of operating on 25 HZ or 60 HZ and most railroads are using 60 HZ so they can buy power directly from the power companies and avoid the expense of maintaining their own substations. There is also a possible problem with contamination from PCB's, which to this point no one talks about. The GG1 transformer was cooled with a fluid known generically as Askarel (a non-flammable synthetic liquid dielectric). This liquid contains PCB's, and any evidence of PCB's would be a show stopper. Many of the GG1s had developed cracks in their frames which means major repair or replacement would be needed. In addition the drivers, the trucks, and the carbody would have to refurbished. After that, all new electrical components and controls would have to be furnished. This could possibly cost around $1.5 to $2.0 million. I seriously doubt that anyone would spend the money to get a GG1 to run. Some have spent large sums to refurbish steam locomotive but only where there has been available track to allow excursion to provide payback. With all new electrical equipment and modern controls, this new GG1 could run on the Northeast Corridor or any other electrified railroad but, it would not be an authentic GG1, it would simply be a modern electric locomotive with the carbody of a GG1. Unfortunately changes in technology have finally, after 60 years, forced the retirement of the most durable locomotive of all time. The Pennsylvania Railroad GG1: The "Congressionals" and "The Senator" In 1885, the PRR introduced a passenger train that ran between New York City and Washington, DC with limited stops along the route. This train, known as the " Congressional Limited Express", became the favorite train for businessmen and politicians. As traffic increased, more "limiteds" were added to the railroad's schedule and by the 1940's there were, among many "limiteds" two "Congressionals", one leaving Washington for New York and one leaving New York for Washington each afternoon , except Sunday. These two very popular trains were each led by a GG1 and the "Congressonal" out of Washington could make the 226.6 mile run in 3 hours and 35 minutes with six station stops. In the early 1950s, two more "Congressionals" were added. Each day there would be a "Morning Congressional" and an "Afternoon Congressional" leaving from each city. Later, two "Mid-Day Congressionals" were added. The PRR purchased sixty new streamlined cars from the Budd Company in 1952. The cars were used on the "Congressionals" and also on "The Senator", a Boston - Washington "limited" that was shared with the New Haven Railroad. These handsome stainless-steel cars with Tuscan red trim were assembled into train sets of coaches, parlor cars, dinning cars and squared-ended observation cars. To pull these "signature" trains the PRR painted six of its GG1 locomotives Tuscan red with the famous gold leaf pin stripes in 1952. The GG1s selected were numbers 4908 through 4913. Later, four more (numbers 4856, 4857, 4876 and 4929) were given the same Tuscan red livery. In 1955, when the GG1 livery was restyled, all of the GG1s were painted Brunswick green execpt five of them. Numbers 4907 and 4916 were painted Tuscan red and numbers 4866, 4872 and 4880 were given a special livery. These three were painted silver and had, a broad red stripe, a very large keystone and 18 inch high black "Roman" lettering. All five of these locomotives were eventually painted Brunswick green with standard livery. from: www.steamlocomotive.com
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