Southern Railway Ps-4 class explained

The Southern Railway Ps-4 was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives built for the Southern Railway (SOU), as well as its subsidiaries, the Alabama Great Southern (AGS) and the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific (CNO&TP). They were designed to pull SOU's heavy mainline passenger trains between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, including the CNO&TP trains between Cincinnati, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida, as well as the AGS trains between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Meridian, Mississippi, via Birmingham, Alabama.

The first batch were built between 1923 and 1924 by American Locomotive Company's (ALCO) Schenectady Works in Schenectady, New York. These locomotives were originally painted black with gold linings and lettering until 1926, when they were all repainted in a brand-new Virginian green and gold paint scheme. This would include the next batch of Ps-4s, which were built at ALCO's Richmond Works in Richmond, Virginia, and signified as the First Ladies of the Pacifics around the SOU system. In 1928, the last batch of Ps-4s were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the 1940s, the Ps-4s were relegated to haul local mainline passenger trains and mail trains as their duties were taken over by SOU's new Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) E6 diesel locomotives. Despite this, the Ps-4s were used in motive power pool service, where they were called in to pull the mainline passenger trains again whenever one of the diesel locomotives was unavailable. By 1949, their retirement began and all but one were scrapped in 1953.

No. 1401 was spared from scrap and was donated to Smithsonian Institution, where it was put on permanent display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., around late 1961 as the sole survivor of the Southern Railway Ps-4 class, which have been regarded by Smithsonian curator John H. White Jr. as being "among the most celebrated passenger locomotives operated in the United States...."

History

Development and appearances

During the 1920s, the Southern Railway's (SOU) roster consisted of smaller Ps-2 class 4-6-2 Pacifics that could not handle the longer and heavier mainline passenger trains between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.^{[4] [5]} Although there were Ts and Ts-1 class 4-8-2 locomotives valid enough to that handle this work, they could not be relocated to some of SOU's routes over and over.^[4] The SOU decided to revise the 4-6-2 type and ordered the more powerful Ps-4 Heavy Pacific class with the first batches built in 1923 by American Locomotive Company's (ALCO) Schenectady Works in Schenectady, New York, with 12 of them, Nos. 1375-1386, delivered to SOU; and four of them, Nos. 6684-6687, for the Alabama Great Southern (AGS).^{[4] [6]} These locomotives were derived from the standard USRA Heavy Pacific design, but had notable differences based on the SOU's standards.^{[4] [7]} The Ps-4s had a more spacious cab, smaller 73 in (1,778 mm) driving wheels, a slightly shorter boiler, an additional firebox combustion chamber, and a Worthington 3-B feedwater heater mounted on the running board of the fireman's side.^{[3] [8]} These arrangements made the locomotives produce 475351NaN1 of tractive effort, allowing them to pull fourteen passenger cars at 80mph on the Piedmont terrains between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.^{[7] [8]} They were originally painted black with gold linings and lettering.^{[4] [9]}

The Ps-4 locomotives were designed to pull SOU's most famous passenger trains, including the Piedmont Limited, the Aiken-Augusta Special, the Peach Queen, and the Birmingham Special on flat terrains.^[10] The SOU officials, impressed with the Ps-4s' excellent performance, ordered 15 more locomotives from ALCO in 1924, while the other five were assigned to the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (CNO&TP).^[4] The first nine SOU locomotives were numbered 1366-1374, while the remaining six were numbered 1387-1392, filling in on either sides of the 1923 group.^[4] The CNO&TP Ps-4s were numbered 6471-6475 and were assigned to pull the Royal Palm, Ponce de Leon, Queen & Crescent Limited, and Florida Sunbeam trains, among others.^{[4] [10]}

In 1925, Southern Railway president Fairfax Harrison traveled to the United Kingdom, where he admired the country's London and North Eastern Railway's apple green passenger steam locomotives.^{[11] [12]} Harrison's trip had inspired the appearance of the second order of Ps-4s built in the summer of 1926 by ALCO's Richmond Works by having them painted in Virginian green with gold leaf trimming and lettering.^{[11] [12]} This would include the original first batches and the new Crescent Limited passenger train.^{[11] [12]} The second order consisted of twelve locomotives numbered 1393-1404 for SOU, seven numbered 6476-6482 for the CNO&TP, and four numbered 6688-6691 for the AGS.^[13] Aside from the paint scheme, which would soon be applied to all of Southern's passenger locomotives, the second order had other notable differences.^[13] They featured an Elesco feedwater heater mounted on top of the smokebox between the stack and bell instead of under the running boards.^[13] In comparison with the two-axle bogie, 10000gal standard USRA tender design used on the first order, the 1926 Ps-4s were equipped with a larger three-axle bogie tender with a water capacity of 14000gal designed for long-distance passenger runs and eliminating multiple water stops.^[7] These locomotives were affectionally nicknamed the Harrison Engines.^[14] Because of the Harrison Engines Virginian green and gold paint scheme, they were signified as the First Ladies of the Pacifics around the SOU system.^{[15] [16]}

The final Ps-4s were built in April 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, consisting of only five locomotives for SOU, Nos. 1405-1409.^[3] They were equipped with smaller tenders unlike the second order, but still larger than those of the first order, featuring two-axle bogies and a capacity of 12,000-gallon of water.^[3] They also built with Walschaerts valve gear as opposed to the previous orders which were equipped with Baker valve gear.^[3] The final locomotive of the series, No. 1409, featured an extended smokebox and a Coffin feedwater heater.^{[13] [17]} The SOU engineers, firemen, and workshop employees decorated the Ps-4s with two brass flag holders on their headlight, a brass eagle ornament mounted in front of their smokebox door, and brass stars on their cylinder head caps.^{[8] [18]}

Locomotives roster

During 1926, Nos. 1393, 1394, 1401, 1402, and 1403 were initially assigned to the Atlanta Division, while Nos. 1395-1400, and 1404 served the Charlotte Division.^[19] The formers were maintained at SOU's South (Pegram) Shops in Atlanta, while the latters were maintained at SOU's Spencer Shops in Spencer, North Carolina.^[19] No. 1401 was relocated to the Charlotte Division in 1945, while Nos. 1393, 1394, 1402, and 1403 followed on in mid-1947, where they were all maintained at the Spencer Shops until their end.^[19]

Road number!scope="col"

Feedwater heater type	Built date	Builder	Serial number	Disposal date	Notes
1366	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66065	July 29, 1953	This locomotive and No. 1406 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's final leg of the journey from Monroe, Virginia to Washington, D.C. in April 1945.[20] Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1367	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66066	January 16, 1953	This locomotive and No. 1400 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's third leg of the journey from Salisbury, North Carolina to Monroe in April 1945. It was later scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1368	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66067	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1369	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66068	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1370	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66069	January 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1371	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66070	October 17, 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1372	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66071	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1373	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66072	April 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1374	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66073	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1375	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64852	January 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1376	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64853	November 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1377	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64854	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1378	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64855	October 17, 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1379	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64856	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1380	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64857	July 29, 1953	Streamlined for the Tennessean and swapping its original tender with No. 1400 in 1941.[21] Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1381	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64858	January 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1382	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64859	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1383	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64860	February 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1384	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64861	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1385	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64862	July 29, 1953	This locomotive and No. 1401 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's second leg of the journey from Greenville, South Carolina to Salisbury in April 1945. Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1386	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64863	October 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1387	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66059	April 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1388	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66060	October 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1389	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66061	February 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1390	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66062	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1391	Worthington	1924	ALCO Schenectady Works	66063	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1392	Worthington	1924	ALCO Richmond Works	66064	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1393	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Schenectady Works	66880	July 29, 1953	During December 1952, this locomotive was originally offered to be donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., who turned it down in favor of No. 1401.[22] In April 1953, it was refurbished as a static display at the Spencer Shops for the Rowan County's bicentennial anniversary and was later sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland, two months later.[23]
1394	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66881	April 1952	This locomotive and No. 1409 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's first leg of the journey from Atlanta to Greenville in April 1945. Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1395	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66882	October 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1396	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Schenectady Works	66883	February 1952	During the 1940s, its feedwater heater was modified deeper into the smokebox, similar to the unstreamlined New York Central J3a Hudsons, while the pipes connecting to the feedwater heater were concealed into the smokebox.[24]
1397	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66884	February 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1398	Elesco	June 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66885	January 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1399	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66886	November 1949	This was the first Ps-4 locomotive to be scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops. Its tender was salvaged and connected to No. 6690.
1400	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66887	January 1952	This locomotive swapped its original tender with No. 1380 in 1941. It and No. 1367 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's third leg of the journey from Salisbury to Monroe in April 1945.
1401	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66888	January 1962	This locomotive and No. 1385 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's second leg of the journey from Greenville to Salisbury in April 1945. It was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and preserved as a static display exhibit at the National Museum of American History.
1402	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66889	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1403	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66890	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1404	Elesco	July 1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66891	February 1952	Scrapped at SOU's Hayne Shops.
1405	Elesco	April 1928	Baldwin Locomotive Works	60461	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1406	Elesco	April 1928	Baldwin Locomotive Works	60462	November 1952	This locomotive and No. 1366 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt funeral train's final leg of the journey from Monroe, Virginia to Washington, D.C. in April 1945. It hauled the streamlined Southerner passenger train No. 47 on May 23, 1950.[25] It was later sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1407	Elesco	April 1928	Baldwin Locomotive Works	60463	November 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1408	Elesco	April 1928	Baldwin Locomotive Works	60464	October 1952	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
1409	Coffin (later Worthington)	April 1928	Baldwin Locomotive Works	60465	January 1952	The locomotive's original Coffin feedwater heater was removed in the 1940s in favor of the Worthington SA type.[26] It and No. 1394 pulled the Franklin Roosevelt Funeral train's first leg of the journey from Atlanta to Greensville in April 1945.

The AGS Ps-4s pulled the Queen & Crescent Limited on the Queen and Crescent Route between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Meridian, Mississippi. These locomotives were maintained at AGS' Finley Shops in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1949, all of the AGS Ps-4s were transferred over to SOU's Charlotte Division, where they were maintained at the Spencer Shops.^[27]

Road number!scope="col"

Feedwater heater type	Built date	Builder	Serial number	Disposal date	Notes
6684	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64864	December 1949
6685	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64865	December 1949
6686	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64866	December 1949
6687	Worthington	1923	ALCO Schenectady Works	64867	July 29, 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
6688	Elsco	1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66899	December 1950
6689	Elsco	1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66900	November 1952
6690	Elsco	1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66901	August 1953	During 1949, this locomotive was given another tender, which came from No. 1399 that was recently scrapped. No. 6690 was sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
6691	Elsco	1926	ALCO Richmond Works	66902	August 1953	Sold for scrap to the Baltimore Steel Company in Baltimore, Maryland.

Modernizing and retirement

In the mid-late 1930s, the 1923-1926 Ps-4s were re-equipped with Walschaerts valve gear as the SOU mechanical officers were concerned about the Baker type intended to reverse itself at high-speed, damaging the locomotives' running gear and the rails.^[28] In 1941, SOU began to modernize their premier passenger trains with their new EMD E6 diesel locomotives to pull, while the SOU Ps-4s were relegated to haul local passenger trains and mail trains on the Washington, D.C. to Atlanta mainline.^{[28] [29]} Additionally, the Ps-4s were in motive power pool service, where they were called in to pull mainline passenger trains again whenever one of the diesel locomotives was unavailable.^{[25] [30]} Due to the outbreak of World War II and wartime restrictions placed on all of the railroads, SOU was unable to purchase more diesel locomotives, and opted to modernize their steam locomotives, including the Ps-4s.^{[28] [20]} As such, all of the Ps-4s were re-equipped with multiple-bearing crossheads to replace their original alligator crossheads.^{[24] [31]} Some of the Ps-4s also have their tender coal bunkers expanded to hold up more coal.^[21] Nos. 1366-1409 were all rebuilt with the higher and straighter front running board to allow more room around their cylinders and running gear for the crew to maintain the mechanical lubricating system.^[24]

At the same time, No. 1380 was given a bullet-nose streamlining design by Otto Kuhler for use on SOU's new Tennessean service, which operated between Washington, D.C., and Monroe, Virginia, connecting in the latter to the Norfolk and Western Railway, who had assigned its streamlined J class engines to its connecting lines.^{[32] [33]} After the war ended, SOU resumed dieselization and by 1953, all of the Ps-4s were retired and scrapped with the exception of one.^[24]

Preservation

No. 1401 of the 1926 batch was salvaged from the scrap line in 1953, per advice from railfan Walter H. Thrall and SOU board member W. Graham Claytor Jr., who requested that the locomotive should be donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., since it was recognized to be one of the eight Ps-4 locomotives hauling the funeral train of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in April 1945.^{[20] [34] [35]} In 1961, the No. 1401 locomotive was cosmetically restored and transported via flatbed truck to the Smithsonian's under construction National Museum of American History, which opened in early 1964.^{[34] [36]} No. 1401 currently remains on static display at the museum as the sole survivor of the Southern Railway Ps-4.^[37]

See also

• Atlanta and West Point 290

Bibliography

• Bryant Jr.. H. Stafford. October 1950. Ps-4. Trains. 10. 12. Kalmbach Publishing. 20–26. limited.
• Book: Bryant Jr., H. Stafford. 1962. The Georgian Locomotive. 1st. Weathervane. 0-517-172666. registration.
• Book: Davis, Burke. 1985. The Southern Railway: Roads of the Innovators. 1st. The University of North Carolina Press. 0-8078-1636-1. registration.
• Book: Drury, George. 2015. Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, Revised Edition. 2nd. Kalmbach Media. 978-1-62700-259-2.
• Book: Fitt, William C.. 1973. Southern Ps-4 Class Pacific Locomotive Drawings. 1st. Wildwood Publications. 0-914104-00-4.
• Flanary. Ron. May 2007. The Green Goddesses. Railfan & Railroad. 26. 5. Carstens Publications. 46–53.
• Book: Prince, Richard E.. 1970. Steam Locomotives and Boats: Southern Railway System. 2nd. Wheelwright Lithographing Company. 0-9600088-4-5.
• Book: Ranks. Harold. Lowe. Shelby. 1966. Southern Steam Power. 1st. Barnhart Press.
• Roberts. Dale. March–April 1994. Fairfax Harrison's Aristocrats: A Photo Study of the Most Elegant Group of Ps-4 Pacifics. TIES Magazine. 8. 2. Southern Railway Historical Association. 4–17.
• Book: Tillotson Jr., Curt. 2004. Southern Railway Steam Trains Volume 1 – Passenger. 1st. TLC Publishing. 1-883089-94-8. registration.
• Withuhn. Bill. Winter 2009. Our National Locomotive. Classic Trains. 10. 4. Kalmbach Publishing. 37–39. limited.
• Book: Wrinn, Jim. 2000. Steam's Camelot: Southern and Norfolk Southern Excursions in Color. 1st. TLC Publishing. 1-883089-56-5.

Further reading

• Morgan. David P.. A paean to the Ps-4. December 1978. Trains. 39. 2. Kalmbach Publishing. 28–34.

External links

• Steam Locomotive, Southern Railway 1401

Notes and References

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36. Web site: Moving the 1401 into the Museum. National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution. October 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220515045517/https://americanhistory.si.edu/america-on-the-move/essays/moving-1401. May 15, 2022.
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