PRR GG1

Amtrak #928, a former PRR GG1, speeds through North Elizabeth, New Jersey in December, 1975
Power type	Straight electric
Designer	Raymond Loewy
Build date	1934 – 1943
Total production	139
AAR wheel arr.	2-C+C-2
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Length	79 ft 6 in (24.23 m)
Total weight	477,000 lb (216,000 kg)
Electric system	11,000 V AC, 25 Hz
Collection method	dual pantograph
Engine type	quill drive
Top speed	100 mph (160 km/h) (passenger) 90 mph (144 km/h) (freight)
Power output	4,620 hp (3,660 kW)
Tractive effort	70,700 lbf (314 kN)
Career	Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Amtrak, New Jersey Transit
Class	GG1
Locale	Northeast United States
Disposition	most scrapped, several preserved in static display around the U.S.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's GG1 class of electric locomotives were built between 1934 to 1943 at the PRR shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a total of 139 units constructed. They remained in service with the PRR's successors until the early 1980s. The GG1 became one of the most recognized and famous classes of locomotive worldwide. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x598, 332 KB) Summary Amtrak 928 hauling passengers - North Elizabeth NJ - 12-13-75. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... Raymond Loewy standing on one of his designs, the Pennsylvania Railroads S1 steam locomotive. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive (or unit) wheel arrangements that was developed by the Association of American Railroads. ... Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... Overhead wire in Coventry, England Overhead wire and its suspension system in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives and multiple units. ... Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ... City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ... The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the SI unit of frequency. ... A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. ... A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a driven shaft to shift its position (either axially, radially, or both) relative to its driving shaft. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... Tractive effort is the pulling force exerted, normally by a locomotive, though the term could also be used for anything else that hauls a load. ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... The Penn Central Transportation Company, normally called Penn Central, was an American railroad company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and formed by the merger on February 1, 1968 of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad; the New Haven was added to the merger at the insistence of the... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... New Jersey Transit Arrow III at West Windsor, NJ New Jersey Transit RTS-06 in Newark, NJ The end of the Port Jervis Line The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) is a private statewide public transportation system serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... Class (locomotive) refers to a group of locomotives built to a common design for a single railroad. ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... Modern three-phase AC locomotive (DBAG Class 152) A GG1 An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electric motors which draws current from an overhead wire (overhead lines), a third rail, or an on-board storage device such as a battery or a flywheel energy storage system. ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1849 Incorporated Borough:February 6, 1854 City: April 3, 1867 County Blair County Mayor Wayne Hippo Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 25. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Technical information

The GG1s were large locomotives, 79 ft 6 in (24.23 m) long and weighing 477,000 lb (216,000 kg). The main body was a single unit formed as a bridge-truss framework and clad in welded steel plate. The driving cabs were set up high about a third of the way along the locomotive from each end for greater crew safety in an accident. A narrower section of nose in front of the cab windows enabled view forward, although the nose remained full height to carry the current-collection pantographs. The bodywork as a whole was smoothly rounded. A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... The pound is the name of a number of units of mass, all in the range of 300 to 600 grams. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. ...

This was mounted upon two great cast steel locomotive frames linked by a hinge at the locomotive's middle which allowed side-to-side movement. Six driving wheels (three axles) were fitted towards the center of the locomotive on each truck (twelve in total) and a four-wheeled, unpowered guiding truck was mounted toward each end. In the Whyte notation for steam locomotives, each frame comprised a 4-6-0 locomotive; in the PRR's classification system, 4-6-0s were class "G". The GG1 consisted of two such locomotive frames mounted back to back, so it was classified GG—4-6-0+0-6-4. This arrangement is called 2-C+C-2 in AAR wheel arrangement notation. Each driven axle was powered by two 385 hp (305 kW) GEA-627-A1 traction motors mounted above and to either side of the axle. Drive was through a reduction gear and a quill drive assembly. A locomotive frame is the structure that forms the backbone of the railway locomotive, giving it strength and supporting the superstructure elements such as a cab, boiler or bodywork. ... On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotives pistons (or turbine, in the case of a steam turbine locomotive). ... A selection of early 20th century locomotive types according to their Whyte notation and their comparative size The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early 20th century. ... Scheme of steam locomotive. ... In the Whyte notation, a 4-6-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has a two-axle leading truck followed by three driving axles. ... Locomotive classification on the Pennsylvania Railroad took several forms. ... The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive (or unit) wheel arrangements that was developed by the Association of American Railroads. ... The AAR wheel arrangement system is a method of classifying locomotive (or unit) wheel arrangements that was developed by the Association of American Railroads. ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... The kilowatt (symbol: kW) is a unit for measuring power, equal to one thousand watts. ... Traction motor typically refers to those motors that are used to power the driving wheels of a railroad locomotive, electrical multi-unit train (such as a subway or light rail vehicle train), or a tram. ... A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a driven shaft to shift its position (either axially, radially, or both) relative to its driving shaft. ...

While the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy did not design the shape of the GG1 electric locomotives, he did improve their looks by recommending a smooth welded construction be used (rather than riveted construction), along with a pinstriped paint scheme to highlight their smoothly rounded forms. The real design behind the GG1 came from the New Haven Railroad EP3 electric. The New Haven allowed the PRR to borrow a pair of EP3s for testing, and the PRR was quite impressed with their performance and decided to base the design of its electric locomotive on the EP3.^{[citation needed]} Raymond Loewy standing on one of his designs, the Pennsylvania Railroads S1 steam locomotive. ... The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (AAR reporting mark: NH) was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States. ...

Penn Central #4801 and #4800 haul freight through North Elizabeth, New Jersey in December of 1975.

The GG1 was designed to run on the standard Pennsylvania Railroad catenary power of 11,000 V AC, 25 Hz. This high voltage was stepped down by a large transformer mounted in the center of the locomotive body for the traction motors, cooling blowers and all other onboard equipment. The locomotive's power was controlled via a tap-switching arrangement; the number of secondary windings in use could be varied, thus adjusting the output voltage. The units were rated at 4,620 hp (385 hp per motor) continuous rating and a maximum of 9,500 hp at 49 mph (intermittent duty). For passenger service, the GG1 was geared to run at 100 mph maximum although it achieved 110 mph in testing. For freight service, the locomotive was geared to run at 90 mph maximum.
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x598, 374 KB) Summary Penn Central 4801 & 4800 hauling freight - North Elizabeth NJ - 12-13-75. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x598, 374 KB) Summary Penn Central 4801 & 4800 hauling freight - North Elizabeth NJ - 12-13-75. ... The Penn Central Transportation Company, normally called Penn Central, was an American railroad company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and formed by the merger on February 1, 1968 of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad; the New Haven was added to the merger at the insistence of the... Map of Elizabeth in Union County Union County Court House Elizabeth is a City in Union County, New Jersey, in the United States. ... Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ... City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ... The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the SI unit of frequency. ... Three-phase pole-mounted step-down transformer. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ...

History

GG1 4876 after the crash.

Image File history File links CrashedGG1. ... Image File history File links CrashedGG1. ...

A GG1 crash

One of the more interesting moments in the history of the GG1 locomotive took place on the morning of January 15, 1953 at Washington's Union Station. Due to a brake line cock (valve) that closed due to poor location (its location caused the valve to close due to contact with the bottom cross member of the car), the Federal Express from Boston was unable to apply the brakes on part of the train. Pushed by the unbraked cars, the GG1 engine (#4876) and two passenger cars ran off the end of Track 16 and crashed through the floor of Union Station and into the baggage room. With President Eisenhower's inauguration in days, the cars were hauled out by the next day. The GG1 was left in the basement under a temporary flooring. After the inauguration, in a remarkable demonstration of the durability of the GG1 engines, Engine #4876 was later cut into three pieces, removed from the baggage room, and reassembled at the Altoona (PA) shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It then re-entered commercial service and went on to be one of the last-serving GG1 engines. As of August 2006 it is owned by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately it isn't as good looking or as well kept as sister 4877 (4877 recently had its door stolen as a matter of fact), its actually in quite poor condition. January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Burnhams Union Station: the central block of the immense front façade of Union Station Union Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, DC when it opened in 1907. ... The Federal Express was a passenger train run by the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between Washington, DCs Union Station and Boston, Massachusettss South Station. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Dwight David Eisenhower (also known as Ike) (born David Dwight Eisenhower on October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American soldier and politician. ...

Disposition

While it is widely believed that the GG1s were retired due to a change in the electric power supply on the former PRR electrified zone, other concerns led to the retirement of the GG1s. Aside from maintenance and performance issues, the nail in the GG1's coffin was an ever growing problem with frame cracks which were expensive to repair and occurring more and more frequently. Amtrak's first attempt to replace the GG1, the E60, did not live up to expectations. Amtrak's purchase of AEM-7 electric locomotives allowed it to retire its fleet of GG1s. With the AEM-7s on hand Amtrak was not only able to replace its own GG1s, but sell a number of E60s to New Jersey Transit to replace their GG1s operating commuter trains on the North Jersey Coast Line (all E60s have since been retired by both Amtrak and NJT, with both agencies using AEM-7 or ALP-44 locomotives with NJT recently introducing ALP-46 on its electric operations). The GE E60 was a C-C electric locomotive built for Amtrak in its early years. ... The AEM-7 is a B-B electric locomotive used by Amtrak on its Northeast Corridor routes between Washington DC and Boston, United States. ... The North Jersey Coast Line is one of New Jersey Transits commuter lines. ...

It has often been proposed for a GG1 to be restored to operating condition. While it would be theoretically possible to run a GG1 on the current Northeast Corridor's electrical system, surviving GG1s contain large amounts of toxic PCBs in their electrical systems as well as asbestos. These put a restoration far out of reach for most non-profit preservation groups. Most of the NEC is owned by Amtrak (those sections shown in red). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). ... Fibrous asbestos on muscovite Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos (a misapplication of Latin: asbestos quicklime from Greek : a, not and sbestos, extinguishable) describes any of a group of minerals that can be fibrous, many of which are metamorphic and are hydrous magnesium silicates. ...

Surviving examples

Pennsylvania Railroad #4890, on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

PRR 4927, still lettered for Penn Central, at IRM.

• PRR 4800 — Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburg, PA (a.k.a. "Old Rivets" — the prototype GG1 and was the only GG1 that had a riveted body; was formerly painted in Bicentennial colors and was the only GG1 to receive Conrail blue).
• PRR 4859 — Transportation Center, Harrisburg, PA (designated as official electric locomotive of PA in 1938).
• PRR 4876 — B&O Museum, Baltimore, MD (as of Spring 2006, in rapidly deteriorating condition); the GG1 was languishing in a CSX Yard south of downtown Baltimore (seen from Interstate 95 northbound between Washington Boulevard and Maryland 295), but as of summer 2006 has been moved back onto museum property. Restoration plans are unknown.
• PRR 4877 — New Jersey Transit yard, Morristown, NJ. Currently undergoing renovations at Lebanon Station (Raritan Valley Line).
• PRR 4879 — URHS of NJ.
• PRR 4882 — National NYC Railroad Museum, Elkhart, IN (currently painted as Penn Central 4882)
• PRR 4890 — National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI.
• PRR 4903/Amtrak 4906 — Age of Steam Museum, Dallas, TX (pulled Robert Kennedy's funeral train along with GG1 4901 from New York to Washington on June 8, 1968).
• PRR 4909/Amtrak 4932 — Cooperstown Junction, NY (arguably the most confused ownershipped surviving GG1; cited and/or supposed owners have ranged from Steamtown National Historic Site to the Henry Ford Museum).
• PRR 4913/Amtrak 4913 — Railroader's Memorial Museum, Altoona, PA.
• PRR 4917/Amtrak 4934 — Leatherstocking RY Museum, Cooperstown Jct, NY (one of 75 GG1s built with Westinghouse components, the other 64 GG1s used GE devices and motors).
• PRR 4918/Amtrak 4916 — Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, MO (was once the property of the Smithsonian Institute).
• PRR 4919/Amtrak 4917 — VA Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, VA.
• PRR 4927/Amtrak 4939 — Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL (Amtrak's renumbering in 1976 to 4939 bucked 42 years of numbering by making it the highest numbered GG1).
• PRR 4933/Amtrak 4926 — Central NY Chapter NRHS, Syracuse, NY (plans are to make it run via a diesel motor).
• PRR 4935/Amtrak 4935 — Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (a.k.a. "Blackjack" — arguably the best-restored and best-displayed GG1 due to its display in a climate controlled environment).

Download high resolution version (1024x768, 222 KB)Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 number 4890 on display at the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI. Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo). ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 222 KB)Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 number 4890 on display at the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI. Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo). ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... Chinese-built 2-8-0 on display at the National Railroad Museum on April 26, 2004. ... Green Bay is the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1458x1008, 215 KB) Summary Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 number 4297 at Illinois Railway Museum Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): PRR... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1458x1008, 215 KB) Summary Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 number 4297 at Illinois Railway Museum Photo by Sean Lamb (User:Slambo) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): PRR... The Penn Central Transportation Company, usually called Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. ... The only surviving EMD E5 is used regularly on the museums excursion trains, usually pulling the Nebraska Zephyr. ... The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, located on Route 741 just east of Strasburg, opened in 1975. ... Chinese-built 2-8-0 on display at the National Railroad Museum on April 26, 2004. ... Robert Kennedy Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy, also called RFK (November 20, 1925–June 6, 1968) was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, and was appointed by his brother as Attorney General for his administration. ... Abraham Lincolns funeral train. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) is a heritage railway and museum located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). ... A Ford Model T, used for giving tourist rides, is shown above at Greenfield Village. ... The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an organization founded by George Westinghouse in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. ... GE redirects here. ... The Smithsonian castle, as seen through the garden gate. ... The only surviving EMD E5 is used regularly on the museums excursion trains, usually pulling the Nebraska Zephyr. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ...

Last scrapped GG1s

• PRR 4872/NJT 4872 — Date Scrapped Unknown by New Jersey Transit.
• PRR 4873/NJT 4873 — Sold for scrap in 1992 by the Whippany Railroad Museum.

New Jersey Transit Arrow III at West Windsor, NJ New Jersey Transit RTS-06 in Newark, NJ The end of the Port Jervis Line The New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) is a private statewide public transportation system serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

The GG1 in the movies

• In the 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate, the train that Marco (Frank Sinatra) takes north from Washington, D.C. is being pulled by a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 dressed in the standard PRR pinstripes.
• A GG1 can be seen briefly during the first robot attack sequence in the 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
• A GG1 can be seen briefly during the first few minutes of the 1945 film The Clock.
• Two GG1s (one painted black with white Penn Central logo; the other in silver, red and blue for Amtrak) can be seen at the end of the movie "The Seven Ups."
• An inoperative GG1 can be seen in a train station in Barry Levinson's movie Avalon. The scene was filmed at Baltimore's Pennsylvania Station and the train was actually pushed by a diesel locomotive and can be heard in the movie.
• A GG1 is seen pulling into a station in the 1952 movie "Bright Victory".

The Manchurian Candidate is a film adapted from the satirical 1959 novel written by Richard Condon. ... Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and Academy Award-winning actor who many consider to be one of the finest male popular song vocalists of all time. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia. ... Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a film released on September 17, 2004 in the United States. ... Avalon (1990) is a film directed by Barry Levinson. ...

References

• Hollingsworth, Brian and Arthur F. Cook (1987). The Great Book of Trains. Portland House, New York, NY. ISBN 0-517-64515-7.
• Middleton, William D. (2002). The Pennsylvania Railroad Under Wire. Kalmbach Publishing, Waukesha WI. ISBN 0-89024-617-3.

External links

• The Pennsylvania Railroad GG1: The "Congressionals" and "The Senator"
• NIHS Wreck of the Federal Express
• The Crash of Runaway Train #173
• "The GG1 homepage"
• GG1 Photos: Conrail Cyclopedia
• " I.C.C Report 3497-A Ex-Parte No. 184 "ACCIDENT AT UNION STATION, WASHINGTON, D. C."
• "Stan's Railpix ; Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 Photo Galleries."