USRA Light Pacific

USRA Light Pacific
Atlantic Coast Line 1504 on static display in Jacksonville, Florida
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	American Locomotive Company (ALCO) Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW)
Build date	1919–1920
Total produced	106, plus copies
Rail gauge	4 Foot 8 Inches
Cylinders	Two
Boiler pressure	200 psi (1.38 MPa)
Bore stroke	25 in × 28 in (635 mm × 711 mm)
Firegrate area	66.7 sq ft (6.20 m2)
Fuel type	Coal
Heating area	794 sq ft (73.8 m2)
Performance figures
Tractive effort	40,750 lbf (181.3 kN)
Factor of adhesion	4.1
Service information
Running numbers	Two (Atlantic Coast Line 1504 and Grand Trunk Western 5632)
Disposition details
Preserved	Two Preserved
Disposition	1 original under restoration and 1 copy on static display, remainder scrapped

The USRA Light Pacific was a USRA standard class of steam locomotive designed under the control of the United States Railroad Administration, the nationalized railroad system in the United States during World War I. This was the standard light passenger locomotive of the USRA types with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation, or 2′C1′ in UIC classification.

History

A total of 106 locomotives were built under USRA control; these were sent to the following railroads:

Table of original USRA allocation

Railroad	Quantity	Class	Road numbers	Notes	Retired
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL)	70	P-5-A	1500–1569	165 P-5-Bs were also built as copies (Nos. 1600-1764) between 1922 and 1926 by BLW.	1939-1953
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O)	30	P-5	5200–5229	Built by BLW (Nos. 5200-5219) and ALCO (Nos. 5220-5229) in 1919.	1951-1955
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N)	6	K-5	240–245	20 copies (Nos. 264-283) built between 1923 and 1924.	1945-1963
Total	106

After the dissolution of USRA, the ACL and L&N ordered additional copies of the USRA Light Pacific design, while both the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O) also ordered copies in the 1920s.

Table of USRA copies

Railroad	Quantity	Class	Road numbers	Notes	Retired
Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW)	8	K-4a, K-4b	5627-5634	Built by both ALCO and BLW in 1924 and 1929, respectively.	1960-1961
Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O)	10	N/A	260-269	Built by BLW.	1946-1949
Rutland Railroad (RUT)	6 in total, three in each class	K-1, K2	80-82 and 83-85 respectively	Built by Alco-Schenectady.	1951-1953
Total	18

Notable locomotives

Atlantic Coast Line 1504:

No. 1504 is one of seventy USRA Light Pacifics built by ALCO for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). Classified as a P-5-A, No. 1504 had the capability to haul 10-12 passenger cars at 70–80 mph (113–129 km/h) between Richmond, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. It was assigned to haul the ACL's premier passenger trains such as the Miamian, Florida Special, Palmetto Limited, Southland, South Wind and Dixie Flyer. On December 25, 1952, ACL retired the No. 1504 locomotive from revenue service and put it on static display in front of their headquarters building in Jacksonville, where it became the only USRA Light Pacific steam locomotive preserved in original as-built condition.

In 1986, ACL's successor, CSX donated the No. 1504 locomotive to the Jacksonville City Council, where they relocated it to its new static display site in the parking lot of the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, located at the former Jacksonville Union Terminal. In 1990, the No. 1504 locomotive was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In 2021, the locomotive was purchased by the U.S. Sugar Corporation (USSC) in Clewiston, Florida, where it was being restored to operating condition for use in excursion service on the South Central Florida Express shortline railroad as part of USSC's heritage tourist passenger train named the Sugar Express.

Grand Trunk Western 5629:

Grand Trunk Western No. 5629 pulling a fantrip excursion towards South Bend, Indiana Union Station, 1967

No. 5629 was a K-4a Pacific, which was a copy of the 4-6-2 USRA Light Pacific-type built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1924 for the Grand Trunk Western. After completing a railroad club-sponsored excursion in 1959, it was purchased by Richard Jensen for further excursion service in the 1960s. It also pulled the Circus World Museum’s train from Baraboo to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Chicago and Northwestern trackage. Unfortunately, the 5629's good fortunes were soon to change. In 1971, Jensen wanted to use the 5629 to pull an excursion trip on Penn Central trackage, which was cancelled due to insurance issues with passenger cars. Ticket buyers wanted refunds, and because Jensen had paid for some passenger cars to be moved to Chicago which never came, he was left with a heavy financial deficit. Worse still, as the 1970s progressed, Jensen broke his back from a fall while helping a friend move a refrigerator to a third-floor apartment, landing him in the hospital for several weeks. This crippled the rest of Jensen's finances and he could no longer afford to run any more excursions with the locomotive. He stored the 5629 at the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) freight yard in Blue Island, Illinois.

In 1980, the CRI&P was filing for liquidation, as well as selling the Blue Island freight yard property to the Chicago commuter railroad, Metra. Metra asked Jensen to move the 5629 to the nearby Iowa Interstate Railroad in order to redesign the Blue Island property and build a repair shop where the locomotive stood. However, they refused to allow him to inspect the engine to have someone else move it.

Metra stated that they would not help Jensen move the engine, either. However, Jensen decided to sign a restraining order where only he was allowed to touch his locomotive and no one else was. The Court's ruling was that Metra was allowed the use of its property, but Metra could not move the 5629. Metra went back to court, asking relief, and got permission if it were not moved, to be scrapped. This would lead to a heated dispute as Metra, who became increasingly irritated about the presence of the 5629, threatened Jensen that they would scrap the locomotive if he did not move it out of the Blue Island freight yard. At that point, the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) and the Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRY) were allowed by Metra to move the locomotive out, but could not have done so since it was owned by Jensen.

By June 1987, Jensen had been banned from entering the Blue Island yard to access the 5629, as he had been selling several parts off of the locomotive to local railfans, so much so that Metra feared that the steam locomotive had become a safety hazard. Metra continued negotiating with Mr. Jensen, including the IRM and MCRY, but to no avail. After the IRM and MCRY attempted to purchase the 5629 and move it out of harm's way free of charge without Jensen's permission, Metra received a court order that 5629 was to be destroyed, and Metra contacted the Erman-Howell division of the Laurier Brothers Scrap Company, who scrapped the locomotive from July 14, 1987 to July 20, 1987.

Grand Trunk Western 5632

No. 5632 is a K-4b Pacific, which was also a copy of the USRA design, but with an all-weather cab. It was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929, and it was donated to the city of Durand, Michigan in 1961, and it has remained on display there ever since.

Gallery

OIP (31).jpg

Steam Locomotives of the United States Railroad Administration (USRA).
Switchers	0-6-0 • 0-8-0
Light	2-8-2 • 2-10-2 • 4-6-2 • 4-8-2
Heavy	2-8-2 • 2-10-2 • 4-6-2 • 4-8-2
Articulated	2-6-6-2 • 2-8-8-2