Atlantic Coast Line class P-5-A

The Atlantic Coast Line P-5-A was a class of 70 4-6-2 USRA Light Pacific steam locomotives built by the Richmond Locomotive Works and the Brooks Locomotive Works in between 1919 and 1920 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and operated by the railroad until the early 1950s.

Atlantic Coast Line class P-5-A
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Locomotive No. 1504
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder American Locomotive Company, Brooks Locomotive Works Serial number 59310-59319, 61063-61069, 61248-61275, 62069-62093 Build date 1919-1920 Total produced 70
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2′C2′ h1 Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 73 in (1,854 mm) Wheelbase Loco & tender: 70.79 ft (21.58 m) Axle load 59,333 lb (26,913 kilograms; 26.913 metric tons) Adhesive weight 178,000 lb (81,000 kilograms; 81 metric tons) Loco weight 278,000 lb (126,000 kilograms; 126 metric tons) Tender weight 188,000 lb (85,000 kilograms; 85 metric tons) Total weight 466,000 lb (211,000 kilograms; 211 metric tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons) Water cap 10,000 US gal (38,000 l; 8,300 imp gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 66.70 sq ft (6.197 m^2) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in^2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface:  • Firebox 242 sq ft (22.5 m^2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 794 sq ft (73.8 m^2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 25 in × 28 in (635 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Baker
Performance figures Maximum speed 80 mph (130 km/h) Tractive effort 40,753 lbf (181.28 kN) Factor of adh. 4.12
Career Operators Atlantic Coast Line Class P-5-A Numbers 1500-1569 Retired 1949-1952 Preserved One (No. 1504) preserved Disposition Atlantic Coast Line 1504 on display at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida, remainder scrapped

The locomotives were built to haul passengers on the ACL mainline, pulling trains such as the Florida Special and the Palmetto Limited. By the early 1950s, all have been retired and only 1504 survives today.

Service history

The locomotives pulled passenger trains 10 to 12 cars long, including the Miamian, the Florida Special, Palmetto Limited, the Southland, the South Wind and the Dixie Flyer. By the late 1940s, the railroad had dieselised its passenger trains and they were assigned to fast freight service, of which they were successful in doing so.[1][2][3] However, they couldn't pull passenger trains exceeding 14 cars without double-heading, as such, they were replaced in heavier passenger service by the R-1 class of Northerns.[4]

Preservation

Only one P-5-A has been preserved, No. 1504. It was chosen for preservation by ACL president Champion Davis and the Head of ACL's Mechanical Department, John W. Hawthornethe. In 1960, after some years in storage, the locomotive was given a thorough mechanical overhaul and then placed on display in front of the then new ACL General Office Building in Jacksonville.[5] It was cosmetically restored and put on display at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, where it currently resides.[6] It is the only surviving original USRA Light Pacific steam locomotive and is in almost original condition.

The locomotive was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1990.^:8[7] It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

1. https://www.rgusrail.com/flacl1504.html
2. https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-oct-atlantic-coast-line-1504
3. https://steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-6-2&railroad=acl
4. https://steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-8-4&railroad=acl
5. https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-oct-atlantic-coast-line-1504
6. https://www.rgusrail.com/flacl1504.html
7. "Atlantic Coast Line Locomotive No. 1504, Jacksonville, Fla". National Railway Historical Society. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2019.