LIRR and The World's Largest Locomotive ???

I read a piece in Newsday this morning that referred to the LIRR's exhibit at the 1939-1941 World's Fair. It mentioned that the LIRR built and displayed "The World's Largest Locomotive", number 6100. Does anyone have any knowledge of this, or information to share about it ? I would not have thought that LIRR would have had the world's largest locomotive, unless they constructed a "one-of-a-kind" just for the World's Fair. Surely PRR, UP, C&O or others would have had the large articulateds that were just being built in the 1941 time period (Big Boy, Allegheny and N&W Class A come to mind, although the UP 4-6-6-4 Challengers were introduced in 1936 or so, if my facts are correct). The Long Island ran it's PRR-built 4-6-0's at that time in passenger service, and 2-8-0's for freight service, as far as I knew.

Thank you,

Mark F.

Don't believe anything that Newsday says.

C

You can't trust Newsday to get anything right. The locomotive in question was PRR S-1 #6100. It was an experimental design with a 6-4-4-6 wheel arrangement. It was the largest RIGID FRAME LOCOMOTIVE ever built. It was the highlight of Pennsy's Parade of Railroads exhibit and it sat on rollers which moved the wheels. Now maybe because the LIRR was owned by Pennsy at the time Newsday made that statement, but it's still wrong. You would think they would be smart enough to contact RMLI or some other authority to verify the story. I have seen pictures of LIRR engines being used to bring in the equipment that were part of the exhibit for the fair. But the exhibt was build by PRR and not LIRR.

The #6100 was streamlined as well!

And . . . . I know where you can get a hard-copy photo of it being placed on those rollers if you're interested . . . . . . .

Dave Keller

Depending how you define "largest", Newsday may not be so far off. Offhand I don't know of any reciprocating steam locomotive that exceeded the S-1's over-couplers engine-and-tender length.

The #6100 was built at the Pennsy's Juniata Shops in January, 1939.

She had 84" drivers.

She was scrapped in January, 1949

Dave Keller

she dont look that big?

My Dad was on the crew that installed the big engine. He was amazed that they got it there in the first place. There is an excellent Pennsy steam movie, both in color and b&w that I just reviewed this week, featuring the S-1, K4's and many, many, T1's, rolling in and out of Chicago. I forgot the name of the film, but it's put out by Green Frog Productions. It is probably priceless for it's content. Ever see an E6 hauling freight?

Dick:

Then perhaps your dad is one of the men in my photo working around the S1.

Dave Keller

I just went through the entire Sunday Newsday and I can't find the article that started this thread. What page etc. is it on?

Below is a link to a very interesting site. I found this one sometime ago and it has some great pictures and info. It is a site dedicated to the PRR roundhouse at Crestline Ohio w2hich was the home to the S-1 and other experimental engines.
http://crestlineprr.com

Keeping on-topic, was the world's largest electric locomotive the GG1, which was also built by PRR?

You mean to tell me they drug that thing out on the Island? I wonder how many times the thing derailed on the way there. 20 to 30 times no doubt.

That thing loved to derail, and not in the usuall manner a locomotive derails.

The full details
PRR Class S1 6-4-4-6 "Duplex" 6100 blt at Altoona 1939. Duplex drive, 84" drivers, Walschaerts valve gear.

Simply put, it was too long. Too long for any of the turntables on the PRR system. Too long for for most turnouts. The thing was soo long that it was banished to "Lines West" and used especially for the Chicago IL to Crestline OH The locomotive would bind badly in any sort of curve. Back then the rails was anchored down nice and good, so it would sort of "spring" off the track. The front and rear boggies would stay on the rail. but the drivers would "spring off" the rail and hang there in the air.

It was a rare day it didnt derail on the wye built especially for it at Crestline OH. There was an unwritten rule that the thing would be brought in and out of Chicago Union station by the tower ops on a straight rail. It would wreck the slip switches in the terminal if put thru one of them. So they would spot the train on a track that could be accessed from the main tracks with out going thru any diverging turnouts.

I will say however. The thing could absolutely flat out FLY. 120MPH wasnt even breaking a sweat for this thing. If you could ever get the thing hooked up to start the train. It was slippery. Its a shame PRR didnt try a run at the world steam speed record. This engine could easily have obtained it.

A trivia note: It had a diesel style air horn!

Knowing this. I cannot belive the thing was drug all the way out on the Island. It had to have derailed about 20 to 30 times on the way there, and as many times on the way back

The result was the toned down T1. Basically a 4 cylinder 4-8-4.

PRR did atmept one more S series design. The S2 6-8-6 6200, blt by Baldwin 1944. Direct drive Steam turbine, 68" drivers. A much more sucessfull design. And an engineers favorite. The lack of reciprocating gear made her ride like she was on a cloud.

More info on the S1
http://crestlineprr.com/duplexexperimentals.html#s1

The NEWSDAY piece about the biggest engine was not a story about the engine itself.

It was a one-liner in a piece about a retired machinist (46 years) named DiMasi and his wife and their marriage story.

It's in the lfestyle section towards the back of that part along with the wedding pictures.

7 Train wrote:Keeping on-topic, was the world's largest electric locomotive the GG1, which was also built by PRR?

Sorry, but no. The largest single unit electric locomotives were the two Great Northern Class W-1. They were motor-generator units built by GE in 1947. They were a B-D-D-B wheel arrangment, with all axles powered, and measured about 101' over the couplers. They had two cabs.

Big monsters!

Stuart

The S-1 was BIG to say the least, 140'-7.5" over all, engine length (w/o) tender was 80' -6"length, compared to Big Boy's 84'. And (unlike Big Boy) all this on a one piece integral cylinder engine bed casting. And I do believe she still holds the record for that. Look at the photo from PensyPower2. Notice the B6sb suspended over the fire box of the S-1. That is big. I have read some accounts of the S-1's movement and have not heard anything about derailments. I do know it came across and down the New Haven. Proper attention to routing should have prevented or minimalized any derailments.