This page
provides an overview of some of my
favorite steam locomotives used in the
United States, the Class R-1 4-8-4's of
the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad.
The ACL
R-1's were built in 1938 by the Baldwin
Locomotive Works for the road's
lucrative passenger traffic between
Richmond, Virginia and Jacksonville,
Florida. While officially classified as
R-1 locomotives, trainmen and locals
along the ACL knew them as "eighteen
hundreds". The R-1's were the only
"modern" steam locomotives owned by the
ACL.
These
engines replaced double-headed USRA
light Pacifics on the road's passenger
trains and their performance initially
exceeded all expectations. During
testing, no. 1800 accelerated a 20
car, 1500 ton passenger train
(consisting of friction bearing heavy
weight cars) from a dead stop to 70
miles per hour in 11-1/2 minutes and
11 miles. In passenger service, the
R-1's initially made as high as 18,000
miles per month. The R-1's could hold
to the scheduled running times of the
fastest passenger trains with as many
as 21 heavy weight cars. Initially,
the maximum operating speed was
limited to 80 MPH, but after the
running gear balance was adjusted
their speed was later raised to 90
MPH. Although 90 MPH was the
"official" speed limit for these
engines, amateur observers (my father
for one) occasionally clocked them in
excess of 100 MPH on the ACL's mostly
level and straight mainline.
After
WWII, as the locomotives were shifted
to fast freight service, they were
known to consistently outperform
3-unit, 4000+ HP consists of EMD FT
diesels on perishable fruit trains.
ACL no. 1802 at Richmond,
VA
Otto Perry Photo
Cab Photo of R-1
from the 1941 Locomotive Cyclopedia
ACL R-1 No. 1809
at Jacksonville, Florida, April 14, 1948
photo by C.W. Jernstrom
Hostler Adding Sand to R-1 Sand Dome
Photographer, location and date unknown
As the ACL acquired
diesel-electric locomotives for their
passenger trains, the R-1's were gradually
shifted to fast-freight service and were
also very successful in this application.
In freight service, the R-1's were rated
at 6200 tons under normal conditions on
the road's mainline between Richmond,
Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. The
1800's operated into the early 1950's
until they were all retired and scrapped
between 1951 and 1952. Unfortunately, none
of these engines was preserved.
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