Pennsylvania Railroad 5550

Pennsylvania Railroad 5550
Artist's rendition of PRR 5550 when finished
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerRalph P. Johnson
Raymond Loewy
BuilderThe T1 Trust
Build date2014–Appx. 2030
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-4-4-4[1]
 • UIC2'BB2'
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.36 in (91 cm)
Driver dia.80 in (203 cm)
Trailing dia.42 in (107 cm)
Wheelbase107 ft (33 m) ​
 • Engine51.92 ft (16 m)
 • Drivers25.33 ft (8 m)
 • Tender39 ft (12 m)[2]
Length122 ft 9+3⁄4 in (37 m)[3]
Width10 ft 0 in (3 m)
Height15 ft 10 in (5 m)
Frame typeRigid
Adhesive weight279,910 lb (126,965 kg)[1]
Loco weight502,200 lb (227,794 kg)
Tender weight442,500 lb (200,715 kg)[2]
Total weight944,700 lb (428,509 kg)
Tender typeClass 210-F-75A Tender[4]
Fuel typeoil[2]
Fuel capacity62,000 lb (28,123 kg)[2]
Water cap.21,000 US gal (79,494 L)[1]
Firebox:​
 • Grate area92 sq ft (9 m2)
Boiler:
​
 • Diameter91+1⁄2 in (2 m) (front)[3]
100 in (3 m) (back)
 • Tube plates214+13⁄16 in (5 m)
Boiler pressure300 psi (2,068 kPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox490 sq ft (46 m2)
 • Total surface5,639 sq ft (523.9 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area1,430 sq ft (133 m2)[1]
CylindersFour
Cylinder size19.75 in × 26 in (502 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearFranklin Type B2 rotary-cam[5]
Valve typePoppet
Performance figures
Maximum speedApproximately 130 mph (209 km/h)[6]
Career
OperatorsPennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust[5]
ClassPennsylvania Railroad T1
Number in class53 (52 built in the 20th Century, and 1 under construction)
Numbers5550
DispositionUnder construction
Estimated completion by 2030

Pennsylvania Railroad 5550 (PRR 5550) is a mainline duplex drive steam locomotive under construction in the United States. With an estimated completion by 2030, the locomotive will become the 53rd example of the Pennsylvania Railroad's T1 steam locomotive class and the only operational locomotive of its type,[7] as well as the largest steam locomotive built in the United States since 1952. The estimated cost of PRR 5550 was originally $10 million, but an updated projected cost of $7 million was released with the acquisition of an existing long-haul tender from the Western New York Railway Historical Society in August 2017.[8] Construction began in 2014 with the casting of the locomotive's keystone-shaped number plate.[8] As of February 2024 the locomotive was 43% complete.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d Llanso, Steve; Duley, Richard. "Pennsylvania 4-4-4-4, 6-4-4-6, etc. "Duplex Drive" Locomotives of the USA". SteamLocomotive.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference T1Trust03 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Class T1 (After 1-1-45) Locomotive – 180 P84 Tender" (JPEG,PDF). Pennsylvania, United States. 2005 [1945]. Retrieved April 27, 2017.Official Pennsylvania Railroad diagram of the T1 class locomotive following revisions after January 1, 1945.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference WNYRHS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c "FAQ Section – The T1 Trust". The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Noble, Bradford (May 4, 2016). "SOLIDWORKS is Helping Build the World's Fastest Steam Locomotive: Part 1". The Solidworks Blog. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Trains01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference T1Trust02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).