The Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

's class J28 comprised 2 experimental 2-6-2

2-6-2

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...

 "Prairie" type steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

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History

In 1905, the Pennsylvania Railroad needed a better steam locomotive, than the class E 4-4-2

4-4-2 (locomotive)

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...

"Atlantic" type. So, the railroad ordered two 2-6-2s from Alco-Schenectady. They were tested extensively and failed in railroad service. But, they were still on the roster in the late 1920s.

Specifications

The two J28s had 14.83 inch drivers, a 34.25 inch engine base. They had a Stephenson Valve Gear and weighed 377500 pounds with the tender. They had 27504 pounds of tractive effort. They had 89 square feet (8.3 m²) of firebox space. They had a grate area of 54 square feet (5 m²). They could 7000 gallons of water and 13.5 tons of coal. Despite these specifications and more, the J28 was not a powerful enough Pennsylvania Railroad steamer.