PRR 4877
Encyclopedia
PRR 4877, nicknamed "Big Red", is a GG1
-class electric locomotive
located in the New Jersey Transit station
in Lebanon
, New Jersey
, United States
.
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 57 GG1s was placed in November 1934 and the first locomotives were delivered in April 1935.
Raymond Loewy
was hired by the Pennsylvania to "enhance the GG1's aesthetics." Loewy had the production locomotives' bodies be welded together, instead of rivet
ed the way 4800 was, to give the GG1 a more streamlined appearance. Loewy also formulated the Brunswick green paint scheme and the gold pinstripes
, nicknamed "cat's whiskers", which was eventually applied by the Pennsylvania to all of its locomotives for the next 20 years. In 1952, the Pennsylvania repainted its fleet of GG1s to a Tuscan red
paint scheme with pinstripes.
in Altoona, Pennsylvania
. 4877 was transferred to Penn Central when the Pennsylvania was merged with the New York Central Railroad
in 1968. It was transferred again, to Conrail
in 1976, when Penn Central went bankrupt. Thirteen GG1's were loaned to the New Jersey Department of Transportation
in the 1980s, for use in what would eventually become New Jersey Transit
. 4877 was repainted from the solid black paint scheme used by both Penn Central and Conrail in 1981.
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 in the New Jersey Transit station
Lebanon (NJT station)
Lebanon is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line in Lebanon, New Jersey. There is a station building on the north side of the tracks. The southern track is no longer in use and the stop has limited weekday service and no weekend service.-External links:*...
in Lebanon
Lebanon, New Jersey
Lebanon is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,358.Lebanon was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1926, from portions of Clinton Township, based on the results of a...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Background
The GG1 was developed in 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 57 GG1s was placed in November 1934 and the first locomotives were delivered in April 1935.
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...
was hired by the Pennsylvania to "enhance the GG1's aesthetics." Loewy had the production locomotives' bodies be welded together, instead of rivet
Rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
ed the way 4800 was, to give the GG1 a more streamlined appearance. Loewy also formulated the Brunswick green paint scheme and the gold pinstripes
Pin striping
Pin striping is the application of a very thin line of paint or other material called a pin stripe, and is generally used for decoration. Freehand pin stripers use a specialty brush known as a pinstriping brush...
, nicknamed "cat's whiskers", which was eventually applied by the Pennsylvania to all of its locomotives for the next 20 years. In 1952, the Pennsylvania repainted its fleet of GG1s to a 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...
paint scheme with pinstripes.
History
4877 was built in January 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, Pennsylvania
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...
. 4877 was transferred to Penn Central when the Pennsylvania was merged with the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
in 1968. It was transferred again, to Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
in 1976, when Penn Central went bankrupt. Thirteen GG1's were loaned to the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
in the 1980s, for use in what would eventually become New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
. 4877 was repainted from the solid black paint scheme used by both Penn Central and Conrail in 1981.
External links
- GG1: An American Classic, 1984 documentary on the last run of the GG1, focusing on PRR 4877, at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....