PRR 4876
Encyclopedia
PRR 4876 is a GG1
-class electric locomotive
located at the B&O Railroad Museum
in Baltimore
, Maryland
, United States
. It was built in 1939 and was involved in the only accident to befall a GG1. In 1953, the locomotive overran the buffer stop
and crashed into Union Station
in Washington, D.C.
after its brakes failed. A temporary concourse floor was erected over 4876 (which had broken through the original) for the upcoming inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower
. After the inauguration it was shipped back to Altoona
, Pennsylvania
, for repairs and placed back into service.
as the replacement for the Pennsylvania Railroad's then standard electric locomotive, the P5a
, and was based largely on the New Haven EP3. The GG1 was capable of a top speed of 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h), powered by its twelve 385 hp traction motor
s. The prototype GG1, PRR 4800
, was tested against Westinghouse
's submission, the R1
. The Pennsylvania selected the GG1 over the R1, as the R1 was not articulated
and the GG1's traction motors were similar to ones already in use. An order for the first 57 of a total 139 GG1s was placed in November 1934, with delivery starting in April 1935.
in Altoona
, Pennsylvania
, and was the 77th locomotive in its class. It operated between New York City
, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
on the electrified Northeast Corridor
.
At 8:38 AM on the morning of January 15, 1953, 4876 was the subject of a wreck
, the only one to involve a GG1, while pulling southbound Federal Express
#173 from Boston
, Massachusetts
, to Washington, D.C. Upon nearing an "Approach" signal
about 1 miles (1.6 km) outside of Washington, the engineer applied the brakes to slow the train down from 60 to 70 mph (26.8 to 31.3 ). Noting that the train still was not slowing after passing the signal, the engineer engaged the emergency brake
and sounded the locomotive's horn. Also observing the excessive speed of 4876 was an assistant train director in Interlocking Tower 'C', who radioed ahead to Tower 'K'. The train director in Tower 'K' had the switches
changed to allow 4876 to enter Union Station
on Track 16, its regularly assigned track. Having insufficient time to switch the runaway on to another track, the director alerted the station master
's office which was situated at the end of Track 16. Still traveling at around 35 to 40 mph (15.6 to 17.9 ), 4876 rammed the buffer stop
and continued into the concourse
of Union Station, before partially falling through the floor into the baggage room below.
An investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission
discovered a design flaw on a style of passenger car used by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
in which the handle of an angle cock, a valve used to close the brake pipe when the car is the last one in the train, came into contact with a bottom crossmember
of the coupler pocket. The angle cock would become closed, rendering the brakes on all the trailing cars inoperable. The third car behind 4876, New Haven 8665, was of this design, but the fourth car had a slightly different style of coupler. The difference between the two cars increased the frequency and the intensity of which the angle cock at the rear of 8655 would hit the crossmember. Earlier in the morning, the train was stopped outside of Kingston
, Rhode Island
, because the brakes on the final two cars were "sticking" and could not be released from the locomotive. Upon inspection, the angle cock on 8655 was found to be closed and was reopened by the engineer, but, after a locomotive and shift change, the matter was forgotten.
With the inauguration
of Dwight D. Eisenhower
set to occur on January 20, the passenger cars were re-railed and 4876 was lowered the rest of the way into the baggage room. A temporary floor was erected over the locomotive so as to not impede the crowds traveling to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. After the inauguration, 4876 was cut into 6 feet (1.8 m) sections, hoisted from the baggage room, and reassembled in the Altoona shops. The insurance company deemed it less expensive to reassemble 4876 than to replace it with a new locomotive.
Ten months later, 4876 was returned to service, repainted in Tuscan red
. It stayed in service until 1983, when it was retired and donated to B&O Railroad Museum
in Baltimore
, Maryland
. Originally, the museum planned on restoring 4876 and putting it on display, however the museum no longer is looking to restore it. The locomotive has been stored outside since it was acquired by the museum, has become defaced with graffiti
and parts of its steel body are corroded.
PRR GG1
The PRR GG1 is a class of electric locomotives that was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad for use in the northeastern United States. A total of 140 GG1s were constructed by its designer General Electric and the Pennsylvania's Altoona Works from 1934 to 1943....
-class electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
located at the B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1939 and was involved in the only accident to befall a GG1. In 1953, the locomotive overran the buffer stop
Buffer stop
A buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
and crashed into Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
after its brakes failed. A temporary concourse floor was erected over 4876 (which had broken through the original) for the upcoming inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. After the inauguration it was shipped back to Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, for repairs and placed back into service.
Background
The GG1 was developed in the 1930s by General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
as the replacement for the Pennsylvania Railroad's then standard electric locomotive, the P5a
PRR P5
The Pennsylvania Railroad's class P5 comprised 92 mixed-traffic electric locomotives constructed 1931–1935 by the PRR, Westinghouse and General Electric....
, and was based largely on the New Haven EP3. The GG1 was capable of a top speed of 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h), powered by its twelve 385 hp traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s. The prototype GG1, PRR 4800
PRR 4800
PRR 4800, nicknamed "Old Rivets", is a GG1-class electric locomotive located at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the prototype GG1 and was originally numbered 4899. Built by General Electric in 1934, the locomotive competed against...
, was tested against Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
's submission, the R1
PRR R1
The Pennsylvania Railroad's class R1 comprised a single prototype electric locomotive constructed in 1934 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, with the electrical equipment by Westinghouse....
. The Pennsylvania selected the GG1 over the R1, as the R1 was not articulated
Articulated locomotive
Articulated locomotive usually means a steam locomotive with one or more engine units which can move independent of the main frame. This is done to allow a longer locomotive to negotiate tighter curves...
and the GG1's traction motors were similar to ones already in use. An order for the first 57 of a total 139 GG1s was placed in November 1934, with delivery starting in April 1935.
History
4876 was built in 1939 at the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona WorksAltoona Works
Altoona Works is a large railroad industrial complex in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to supply the railroad with locomotives, railroad cars and related equipment. For many years it was the largest railroad shop complex in the world.-History:In 1849, PRR...
in Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and was the 77th locomotive in its class. It operated between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on the electrified Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
.
At 8:38 AM on the morning of January 15, 1953, 4876 was the subject of a wreck
Train wreck
A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler...
, the only one to involve a GG1, while pulling southbound Federal Express
Federal Express (passenger train)
The Federal Express was an overnight named passenger train run by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between Washington, DC's Union Station and Boston, Massachusetts's South Station from 1912 to 1971. Train numbers on both railroads were 172 northbound and...
#173 from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, to Washington, D.C. Upon nearing an "Approach" signal
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
about 1 miles (1.6 km) outside of Washington, the engineer applied the brakes to slow the train down from 60 to 70 mph (26.8 to 31.3 ). Noting that the train still was not slowing after passing the signal, the engineer engaged the emergency brake
Emergency brake (train)
On trains, the expression emergency brake has several meanings:* The maximum brake force available to the driver/engineer from his conventional braking system, usually operated by taking the brake handle to its furthest postion, through a gate mechanism, or by pushing a separate plunger in the cab*...
and sounded the locomotive's horn. Also observing the excessive speed of 4876 was an assistant train director in Interlocking Tower 'C', who radioed ahead to Tower 'K'. The train director in Tower 'K' had the switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
changed to allow 4876 to enter Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
on Track 16, its regularly assigned track. Having insufficient time to switch the runaway on to another track, the director alerted the station master
Station master
The station master was the person in charge of railway stations, in the United Kingdom and some other countries, before the modern age. He would manage the other station employees and would have responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station...
's office which was situated at the end of Track 16. Still traveling at around 35 to 40 mph (15.6 to 17.9 ), 4876 rammed the buffer stop
Buffer stop
A buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
and continued into the concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
of Union Station, before partially falling through the floor into the baggage room below.
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
discovered a design flaw on a style of passenger car used by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
in which the handle of an angle cock, a valve used to close the brake pipe when the car is the last one in the train, came into contact with a bottom crossmember
Crossmember
A crossmember is a structural section of steel, usually boxed, that is bolted across the underside of a monocoque / unibody motor vehicle, to support the internal combustion engine and / or transmission...
of the coupler pocket. The angle cock would become closed, rendering the brakes on all the trailing cars inoperable. The third car behind 4876, New Haven 8665, was of this design, but the fourth car had a slightly different style of coupler. The difference between the two cars increased the frequency and the intensity of which the angle cock at the rear of 8655 would hit the crossmember. Earlier in the morning, the train was stopped outside of Kingston
Kingston, Rhode Island
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, because the brakes on the final two cars were "sticking" and could not be released from the locomotive. Upon inspection, the angle cock on 8655 was found to be closed and was reopened by the engineer, but, after a locomotive and shift change, the matter was forgotten.
With the inauguration
First inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower
The first inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1953. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Dwight D. Eisenhower as President and Richard Nixon as Vice President. Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson...
of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
set to occur on January 20, the passenger cars were re-railed and 4876 was lowered the rest of the way into the baggage room. A temporary floor was erected over the locomotive so as to not impede the crowds traveling to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration. After the inauguration, 4876 was cut into 6 feet (1.8 m) sections, hoisted from the baggage room, and reassembled in the Altoona shops. The insurance company deemed it less expensive to reassemble 4876 than to replace it with a new locomotive.
Ten months later, 4876 was returned to service, repainted in Tuscan red
Tuscan Red
Tuscan red is a shade of red that was used on the passenger cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad, as well as on the PRR TrucTrailers. It also was used extensively by the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia, in a similar fashion to the PRR. The Canadian Pacific Railway used it historically...
. It stayed in service until 1983, when it was retired and donated to B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Originally, the museum planned on restoring 4876 and putting it on display, however the museum no longer is looking to restore it. The locomotive has been stored outside since it was acquired by the museum, has become defaced with graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and parts of its steel body are corroded.