cefinkjrThank you so much for that link, kgbw49. It's really awesome when played in full screen on a large monitor. It's kind of like my desktop but my desktop has only one M1 among many other locomotives and it's silent. I wonder if there's any way ....
While we are on this subject...
I distinctly remember watching, on the computer, a very long clip of a PRR M1 locomotive done as a 'pacing shot', which I remember as having full sound.
I have tried to find this on a number of subsequent occasions but have not, and it would seem like something that would be well known in the railfan community.
Does anyone have a link to this, or a source for the original material if its posting was determined to be a copyright violation of some kind?
I know the following from family sources (both PRR and BLW).
The Pennsy wanted its 4-8-2's to be dual service locomotives. 10 of the 100 M1a's built by Baldwin in 1930 were built for the passenger pool, but were sent to freight after a couple of years. From what I understand they performed well and from time to time M1's or M1a's were assigned to passenger or express service, though not on a regular basis. In 1931, in fact, the PRR actually designed an M2, which was supposed to be the top-line replacement for the K4.
Two things happened to change all these plans. The Depression, which severely depressed revenues and put all new steam locomotive development on hold, and the electrification project, which consumed every spare nickel the Pennsy had and incidentally freed up large numbers of K4's. It was more profitable to use the M1's and M1a's on whatever high-value frieght there was and use surplus (and paid-for) K4's on passenger runs.
So the 4-8-2's were fine passenger locomotives. It was financial considerations that made them freight haulers.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.