Southern Railway 1401

Southern Railway 1401
Southern Railway No. 1401 on static display at the National Museum of American History in 2013
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder ALCO's Richmond Works Serial number 66888 Build date July 1926
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2′C1′ h Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 33 in (838 mm) Driver dia. 73 in (1,854 mm) Trailing dia. 43 in (1,092 mm) Loco weight 304,000 lb (138,000 kg) Tender weight 261,600 lb (118,700 kg) Total weight 565,600 lb (256,600 kg) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 16 tonnes (35,000 lb) Water cap. 14,000 US gallons (53,000 L) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 70+1⁄2 sq ft (6.55 m2) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1.38 MPa) Feedwater heater Elesco Cylinders Two Cylinder size 27 in × 28 in (686 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts, (originally Baker)
Performance figures Maximum speed 60–80 mph (97–129 km/h) Power output 2,624 hp (2,660 PS; 1,957 kW) Tractive effort 47,535 lbf (211.45 kN) Factor of adh. 3.79
Career Operators Southern Railway Class Ps-4 Number in class 46 of 64 Locale Southeastern United States Retired November 1952 Preserved February 1953 Restored November 1961 (cosmetically) Current owner Smithsonian Institution Disposition On static display
References:[1][2][3][4]

Southern Railway 1401 is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in July 1926 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia, for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ps-4 class, which was based on the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) Heavy Pacific design with some minor differences. It was assigned to haul SOU's premier main line passenger trains between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia.

Painted in a Virginian green and gold paint scheme, No. 1401 and the other Ps-4s were signified as the First Ladies of the Pacifics around the SOU system. Originally built with Baker valve gear and alligator crossheads, the Ps-4s were eventually re-equipped with Walschaerts valve gear in the 1930s and multiple-bearing crossheads in the 1940s.

During 1945, No. 1401 hauled the funeral train of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Retired from revenue service by the SOU in 1952, No. 1401 was donated to the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., around 1961, where it remains on permanent display as the sole survivor of the Southern Railway Ps-4 class.