Pennsylvania Railroad Class F1

Pennsylvania Railroad F1
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	PRR's Altoona Works PRR's Juniata Works
Build date	1895
Total produced	F1: 43. F1a: 83. Total: 126
Classification	F1 & F1a
Wheel arrangement	2-6-0 "Mogul"
Dia. of Drivers	62"
Weight	222,200 Lbs. (Engine and Tender Loaded)
Rail gauge	Standard gauge
Valve gear	Stephenson
Cylinders	20" x 28"
Boiler pressure	185 Lbs. PSI.
Firegrate area	30 Sq ft.
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	7.5 Tons of Coal 3,600 Gallons of Water
Braking	Westinghouse
Performance figures
Maximum speed	Up to nearly 65 Miles per Hour
Tractive effort	28,406 lbs
Factor of adhesion	4.51
Service information
Years in-service	Pennsylvania Railroad

The F1s were 2-6-0 steam locomotives that were built for the Pennsylvania Railroad by Altoona Works in the 1890's.

History and Design

It was the early 1890's and the Pennsylvania Railroad Lines was the Standard Railroad Line of the World, being amongst the Largest Railway Systems on the Globe. Stretching out to Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania the Railroad was rapidly Growing, and with the R Class 2-8-0's (Later H3 in September 1897) they were the Premier Freight Power. These Locomotives at the Time were built in hundreds by various Builders and had Impressive Tractive Effort at 21,500 Lbs. on large 20" x 24" Cylinders hauling over two-thousand Tons. They were great Pullers in they're Prime with many around by 1894, but one of the problems with the engines and growing Company is they couldn't haul the Freight Trains fast enough. During that year the Pennsy Executives thought up of a Newer and faster Locomotive for the job, and being slightly heavier than the other engines in service at the Time during the Flood of Demands for the new coming Century, the Railroad needed lots of them. With the Pennsylvania Railroad's two largest Manufacturing complexes the Juniata Shops and Altoona Machine Shops calculating specifications of an engine design to fit these Standards for both Weight and Speed along with Pulling Power, a 2-6-0 Mogul design was selected. This class was originally designated as the Class F, having a large Wagon top Boiler fit with the Belpaire firebox. Built with larger 20" x 28" cylinders with Stephenson valves, the Boiler had a pressure of 185 Lbs. PSI. creating 26,730 Lbs. of Tractive Effort riding on much larger 62" Drivers than the common 50" on the Consolidations. Within the next few years after 1895 the type became an Instant success and over more than a hundred were built between the two Shops. Eventually the class members had they're Tractive Effort raised to 28,406 Lbs.

Service on the Pennsy and into the New Century

First being put into service on the Pittsburgh Division, these Moguls were rated at 375 tons light, 433 tons loaded. Fitted with the common Narrow-Belpaire firebox. Of the development of the H6 class Consolidations that the F1 design was a definite improvement on the then-current H3s: tractive effort was up 16% and the weight showed a 10% increase. With 12" larger drivers, they were able to handle 2,700-Ton trains and roll them faster than the H3s. Favorable grades, particularly along fairly level Eastern divisions helped make such performance possible. Although dwarfed in numbers by the thousands of Pennsy Consolidations, the unusual and ambidextrous many-faceted F-series Mogul delivered good service in a variety of roles. F-series development came from an unexpected choice by Altoona's designers, a Mammoth-like new 2-6-0 design tucked up their garter-banded shirtsleeves that had just about bigger everything cylinders, driving wheels, steam pressure, weight, and pulling power. A twelve-inch (305 mm) increase in driver diameter marked the designers' intentions to have this class handle fast freight. It was proven by the early 1900's that the F-1 class were Good Steaming and Reliable in their Era. Even at good speeds the 4-6-0's, 2-8-0's, and 2-6-0's were the Premier Freight Power on the Pennsylvania Railroad in the first Decade of the Twentieth Century. In the early 1910s the F series Moguls were overshadowed by larger engine types such as the H10s series 2-8-0's and eventual Appearance of the L-1s Mikado's and I-1s Decapods that had more than twice the Tractive Effort. Many seen services during World War I assisting Secondary Roles until the 1920's when All were eventually Retired from Active Service as they were Surplus Locomotives by that point.

Later Years and Retirement

(Coming Soon)

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