B-1; A great Electric Shifter

Hi All,

While most PRR electric engines enjoyed some fame, the B-1 switcher pretty much took a back seat. It was the world's first electric switcher, of 0-6-0 or 0-C-0 configuration, and was usually seen wandering about in the NYC Sunnyside yards, making up and breaking up passenger trains.

One of the sadest stories is the day I was wandering around the Sunnyside yards and a lone B-1 was on a spur, awaiting transportation to the scrapper's torch. She was abandoned, smashed windows, and in disrepair. I climbed aboard her and took the five dollar tour. No one around to even show interest in what I was doing. Had a good time looking around, and realized that this engine was soon to be history.

This was the engine that was replaced by GG-1's that were slated for the same fate. At their heyday the B-1's roamed the tracks doing all the good things that road switchers/ shifters did. I remember seeing one at the Canarsie freight yards, at the Farmer's market, coming down a steep hill with full reefers for the Farmer's market, and slowly climbing back up the hill with the empties. A really great little engine.

They also worked at 30th Street and at Harrisburg. I've seen pictures at both.

It might be BS, but someone told me a story of a move of a B-1 from HBG to NYC. The engineers took the locomotive over the Trenton Cutoff. For some reason they couldn't put it on a train and "put in neutral" for the ride, but actually had to drive it.

How fast could they have gone? 15 mph?

Hi Alex,

Negative on that one. The B-1's were capable of speeds considerably in excess of 15 mph. You could see them roaming around Sunnyside Yards, train of passenger cars in tow, easily doing between 30 and 50 mph. While they were rated at around 600 hp, they certainly had short term overvoltage capability. So for five minutes, possibly more, depending on the outside air temperature, the engine could deliver twice that to the rails. That would be more than enough to start a 20 car passenger train and get it through the wash rack. I have, on occasion seen two B-1's coupled with the "porches" facing out, hauling trains on the mainline acting as shifters, delivering full goods and picking up empties.

pennsy wrote:I have, on occasion seen two B-1's coupled with the "porches" facing out.

Could that have been a single BB-1 locomotive? The single units were asymetrical because the "mold" was designed to produce half of a 2 unit engine! By the way, the Long Island Rail Road also had these critters, in both Direct Curret 3rd rail and Alternating Current pantagraph versions.

Pennsy -

Having operated the B1 at Sunnyside Yard for the PRR in the sixties, I can assure you that running at 30-50 MPH (if that was even possible) would result in the engine bouncing right off the track! The maximum authorized speed for these engines was 25 MPH. This is probably why these engines were moved light from point to point instead of being hauled dead in a train.

137B motors, 62” drivers and 16:87 gears, 1958 ETT says 20 mph. At that speed the drivers are doing 108.5 rpm and the motors 590 rpm. Conservative even for 1925 friction bearing design but 30 mph is 900 rpm, getting to motor hot box territory for heavy bearing loads to say nothing of large armatures unwinding themselves. Also the control system probably choked up on voltage supply by 22-24 mph.

PRR’s original need was to get smoke off the LIRR’s portion of the Bay Ridge freight trains which was finally done in 1927. Wemco’s 1935 brochure says the C plus C idea used on the Grand Trunk’s St Clair tunnel engines of 1908 was suitable and so was adopted for PRR. The GT motor was W-137, 62” drivers and 30 mph. They were based on Wemco factory experimental #9 of 1905. NH’s 1911-12 steeple cab switchers also demonstrated the suitability of the resistance lead type of motor. There the W-410 motors used steeper 17:101 gears on 63” drivers with a max safe speed of 25 mph at 800 rpm.

For comparison, in 1947 GE/Alco’s ubiquitous 752 motor had a maximum of about 2200 rpm but it was a lot smaller armature diameter and had roller bearings.

TSP5, I think you've answered AlexC's query about "put it in neutral", the motor can only be dismounted not disconnected so transit speeds are limited by motor rpm.

Bill

Bill West -

I think the fact that a B1 was never hauled dead in any train was ride quality which was non-existent on the B1 in addition to its maximum authorized speed. A train with a B1 would be restricted to 25 MPH. Perhaps Penn Central, with its tracks loaded with speed restrictions, might have thought about making such a move without making any difference in train performance, but I'm sure the Pennsylvania Railroad would not.

TSP-5 -good point about ride quality. Would the short wheelbase and coupled length also make it troublesome whenever the slack ran in? Probably had a wide coupler swing too.

Bill

Bill West -

At 5-10 MPH shifting passenger equipment in Sunnyside, train handling issues are practically of no consequence. I recall when a GG1 with one of our longer trains from the south died at the car washer and all they had available was a B1 working the west end of the yard. That little B1 brought the train (one GG1 and about 16 to 18 cars) into the yard with no problem at all! (Mighty Mouse)

Hi All,

Mighty Mouse, indeed. That must have been quite a sight. Sounds like the wash rack got the GG-1's traction motors good and wet. Last time I saw a GG-1 hauling a passenger train through the wash rack it had no problems at all. Part that amazed me was that the engineman, the hostler, was a kid and that engine had to be twice his age. By that time the B-1's were history. To the best of my knowledge, the B-1 was the only American Electric switcher/ Shifter that was designed for that job.

TSP5 -oops, my question's context was to do with the dead in train situation.

Bill

Hi Bill,

The practice of returning engines to places where they belonged or were needed, usually referred to as "balancing power". could also apply to B-1's. They could be hauled, in neutral, essentially power off, behind the lead engine or engines, or if their power were needed, they could be MU'd with the lead engine. In any event, they would still have their normal speed restrictions, and so, therefore, would that train.

Pennsy -

Because of their low operating speed, a B1 would not be hauled dead in a revenue freight train. The move would be made light. These engines would MU with themselves only, and then only until between 1933 to 1935, when they were rebuilt to operate as single units. All this talk about 30-50MPH, being replaced by GG1 locomotives, etc. indicates to me that perhaps you may have seen a P5, O1 or an L6, all of which did operate in the New York-Sunnyside area.

Hi,

After the B-1's were retired, the GG-1's were used in the Sunnyside Yards instead. By this time, the E-60's were around, and to a lesser degree, the AEM-7's. Different time frame.

You did remind me of an interesting sidelight, however. In the Canarsie Farmer's Market, that small yard was originally serviced by a steamer, a slope back tender shifter, probably an 0-6-0, possibly 0-4-0. That little guy really huffed and puffed to get those cars, mostly reefers, up and down that hill. When the B-1 took over, NO problems at all. She just leaned into the job and that was it.

Pennsy -

When Amtrak took over the work in Sunnyside, the mail work at Gosman Avenue was gone - the PXT Railway Express facility was gone - and the number of passenger trains operating was reduced. This resulted in the number of yard assignments going from 10 to 12 (PRR) to 2 or 3 (Amtrak). As far as pulling power, see my last post made on May 7. No doubt - a tough little engine indeed!!