History Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1

1 history

1.1 shell design
1.2 incidents
1.3 disposition

history

beginning in 1910s, pennsylvania received ff-1 decided slow passenger trains , relegated heavy freight service. in mid 1920s, received l5 electric had third rail power supply @ time. when pennsylvania built o1 , p5, chose p5 on o1 ability , power on rails. after grade cross accident p5, cab moved center , designated p5a. pennsylvania still searched ultimate electric since p5 did not track @ high speeds , wondering if p5a improved further. enough, pennsylvania in luck , found 2 contacts 1932. mechanical design of gg1 based largely on new haven ep3, had been borrowed earlier new haven railroad prr compare current standard electric locomotive, p5a. in 1933, prr decided replace p5a locomotives , told general electric , westinghouse design prototype locomotives following specifications: lighter axle load , more power p5a, top speed of @ least 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), streamlined body design , single (central) control cab.

gg1 locomotive circa 1940

both companies delivered prototypes prr in august 1934. general electric submitted gg1 , westinghouse submitted r1. r1 little more elongated , more powerful version of p5a aar wheel arrangement of 2-d-2. both locomotives tested ten weeks in regular service between new york , philadelphia , on test track in claymont, delaware. because r1 s rigid wheelbase prevented negotiating sharp curves , railroad switches, prr chose gg1 , ordered 57 additional locomotives on november 10, 1934. of 57, 14 built general electric in erie , 18 @ altoona works. remaining 20 locomotives assembled in altoona electrical components westinghouse in east pittsburgh , chassis baldwin locomotive works in eddystone. additional 81 locomotives built @ altoona between 1937 , 1943.

on january 28, 1935, mark completion of electric line washington, d.c new york city, prr ran special train pulled prr 4800 before opened line revenue service on february 10. made round trip d.c. philadelphia and, on return trip, set speed record arriving in d.c. 1 hour , 50 minutes after departure philadelphia.

in 1945, pennsylvania gg1 pulled funeral train of president franklin d. roosevelt washington, d.c. s union station new york city s pennsylvania station.

in mid-1950s, declining demand passenger train service, gg1s 4801–4857 re-geared maximum speed of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) , placed in freight service. retained train heating steam generator, , recalled passenger service holiday season mail trains, , passenger extras such run annual army–navy football game in philadelphia.

pennsylvania railroad gg-1 4899 @ newark, nj in september 1964



a penn central gg1 afternoon congressional, @ washington, dc union station on january 18, 1969

timetable speed limit gg1 75-80 mph until october 1967 when allowed 100 mph couple of years; when metroliner cars being overhauled in late 1970s, gg1s again allowed 100 mph short time when pulling amfleet cars on trains scheduled run 224.6 miles new york washington in 3 hours, 20–25 minutes.

on june 8, 1968, 2 penn central gg1s train pulled robert f. kennedy s funeral train.

shell design

the first designer gg1 project industrial designer donald roscoe dohner, produced initial scale styling models, although completed prototype looked different. @ point, prr hired famed industrial designer raymond loewy enhance gg1 s aesthetics.

although thought until 2009 loewy solely responsible gg1 s styling, dohner understood have contributed well. (dohner s gg1 designs influenced modified p5as, debuted before gg1 — not, thought, other way around.) loewy did claim recommended use of smooth, welded body instead of riveted 1 used in prototype. loewy added 5 gold pinstripes , brunswick green paint scheme.

in 1952, paint scheme changed tuscan red; 3 years later, pinstripes simplified single stripe , large red keystones added.

incidents

on january 15, 1953, train 173, overnight federal boston, approaching washington behind gg1 4876. train passed signal 2.1 miles (3.4 km) north of union station between 60 , 70 miles per hour (97 , 113 km/h), , engineer decreased throttle , started applying brakes. when engineer realized train not slowing down, , applying emergency brake had no effect, sounded engine s horn. signalman, hearing horn , noting speed of 4876, phoned ahead station master s office. 4876 negotiated several switches without derailing, @ speeds on safe speed limits , entered station @ around 35 40 miles per hour (56 64 km/h). train demolished bumping post, continued through station master s office , concourse fell through floor station s basement. evacuation of concourse, there no fatalities in station, or aboard train. temporary floor erected on engine, , hole created, inauguration of president dwight d. eisenhower. 4876 dismantled, removed basement , reassembled in altoona. survives in b&o railroad museum in baltimore.

the accident determined have been caused closed angle cock , valve on front , rear of locomotives , rail cars used in train s airbrake system, on rear of third car in train. handle of angle cock had been improperly placed , had contacted bottom of car. once closed air brake pipe on cars behind closed valve remained @ full pressure, keeping brakes released on cars while brakes on locomotive , first 3 cars applied in emergency.

the major electro-mechanical breakdown of gg1 caused blizzard swept across northeastern united states in february 1958. storm put half of gg1s out of commission. exceptionally fine snow, caused extreme low temperatures, able pass through traction motors air filters , electrical components. snow melted , short circuited components. on 40 units, air intakes moved position under pantographs.

disposition

amtrak 904 westbound @ harrison, new jersey in june 1975

in 1968 prr 119 surviving gg1s merged new york central railroad form penn central. after creation in 1971, amtrak purchased 30 $50,000 each, , leased 21, of 11 use on new york , long branch commuter trains. amtrak renumbered purchased gg1s #900–929 solid block, later renumbered prefix 4 . leased units conflicting numbers renumbered 4930–4939, except 4935 kept old prr/pc number.

amtrak attempted replace gg1s in 1975 general electric e60, not success: 102-mile-per-hour (164 km/h) derailment during testing had investigated (the e60 used same trucks p30ch diesel in service amtrak), delayed acceptance, , hoped-for 120 miles per hour (193 km/h) service speed never achieved (timetable limit 90 mph, 80, 90).

it not until amtrak imported 2 lightweight european locomotives – x995, rc4a built asea of sweden , x996, french design – replacement found. asea design, nicknamed swedish swifty , or mighty mouse -- , later referred swedish meatball -- winning design. electro-motive diesel, part of general motors, licensed build , became basis of aem-7. aem-7s on hand, amtrak replaced gg1s. gg1 service on amtrak ended on april 26, 1980.

penn central went bankrupt in 1970 , freight operations later assumed government-controlled conrail, used 68 gg1s in freight service until end of electric traction in 1980.

the last gg1s in use of 13 assigned new jersey transit (#4872–4884) north jersey coast line between new york , south amboy (the former new york , long branch) ran until october 29, 1983.