Class H / Ps-3 (Locobase 6090)

Data from the 1927 New Orleans & North-Eastern locomotive diagram book supplied in March 2004 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. See also DeGolyer, Vol 50, pp. 249+. Works numbers were 41580-41584 in August 1914.

Built in the same year as the Class I Mikados (Locobase 6095), these were identical locomotives except for the driver size. And like the 2-8-2s, they ran on 75 lb/yard (37.5 kg/metre) rail up 1% grades and around 6 degree curves. Indeed, the Pacific quintet were next in line to the first 3 Mikes on the builder's floor.

Renumbered by the Southern in 1916 and designated Ps-3, the five rendered satisfactory service for 30 more years. Four retired in June 1947 and the class leader was withdrawn in February 1948.

Class H-1 / Ps (Locobase 6096)

Data from the 1927 New Orleans & North-Eastern locomotive diagram book supplied in March 2004 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Richmond assigned them works #42915-42918.

This class was the first Pacific series on the NO & NE. Most were later converted to the Ps-2 standard.

Class H/H-2 (Locobase 13797)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 35, p. 80. Richmond works numbers were 42915-42918 in 1907, Baldwin works numbers were 36411-36415 in April 1911.

The P class was the standard Pacific in the Southern system in the first decade of the 20th Century and both Richmond and Baldwin were more than willing to add to the total.

In later years under the Southern numbering system, engines in the class used one of two power combinations. 6451-6452, 6455-6457, 6459 were fitted with 24" cylinders and had their boiler pressures reduced to 200 psi. The others retained their original setup. None was ever superheated.

Class H/H1 (Locobase 9345)

Data from the 1917 AGS MB locomotive diagram book supplied in March 2004 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. Alco works numbers included 42915-42918 (road 251-253), ; Baldwin's were 33802-33803, 33815-33816, 33846 in September 1909 (road 248-249, 254-256).

One of surprising number of Pacifics that were delivered with saturated boilers. This design had a tiny firebox area recorded as 167 sq ft in the AGS book. The figure did not include arch tubes that added 28 sq ft to the firebox heating surface.

These were later superheated and some received 24" diameter cylinders.

Class P (Locobase 5161)

Some data from Southern Railway diagrams hosted on southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/steam_loco_diagrams (viewed September 2002) and Prince (1965). Data verified by table in June 1906 AERJ, where the firebox heating surface is given as 195 sq ft..

Most built by Alco's Richmond Works (29819-29828 in 1904, 37610-37619 in 1905, some by Baldwin (works numbers were 23195, 23205, 23219, 23265, 23272 in November 1903; 24292-24294, 24301, 24319, 24324, 24357, 24368, 24378, 24421 in June 1904)

It's odd that saturated-steam, slide-valve engines were delivered as late as 1910. The design also has a small firebox for so large a boiler.

These early Pacifics were all converted to a Ps-2 standard (Locobase 166) when superheated using the Universal valve chest that adapted a piston valve to the slide-valve chest.

Class P (Locobase 13668)

Data fro m Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University,Volume 35, p. 80. Works numbers were 34650-34653, 34704-34705, 34719-34720, 34735 in May 1910; 34779 in June; 35392-35393, 35415-35420, 35451-35454 in October; 35507-35514, 35559-35561, 35626 in November; and 35668 in December.

When the Southern first bought this combination of wheel arrangement and cylinder volume in 1906 (Locobase 11704), they took the first 10 with 63" drivers and operated them as freight engines. The other 5 had 72 1/2" drivers. Four years later the Southern went back to Baldwin for another 10, this time outfitted with outside radial valve gear.

This class was mostly converted to the Ps-2 standard later; see Locobase 166.

Class P (Locobase 13669)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 35, p. 80. Works numbers were 34780-34838 in June 1910, 35388-35391 in October 1910.

Continuing the long line of standard Southern Pacifics, this order repeated the relatively conservative formula of small cylinder volume, saturated boiler, and drivers scaled for passenger service.

Class P-1 (Locobase 11074)

Data from "Pacific Type Passenger Locomotive", American Engineer and Railroad Journal (April 1906), pp. 144-145; 1910 List and Specification of Locomotives supplied in March 2004 and SRY 5 - 1929 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection; and Prince (1965). Works numbers were 27339-27344, 27402 in January 1906; 27422, 27447-27448, 27467, 27491-27492, 27530-27531 in February; 28310, 28360, 28379-28380, 28413-28414, 28457-28458, 28491-28492 in June.

This was a class of freight Pacifics, an unusual application for a wheel arrangement predominantly adopted for passenger service. The AERJ's 1906 report states that of the 20 delivered thus far (i.e., those supplied in January and February), 15 had 63" drivers, 5 had 72.5" drivers. The latter 5 were probably grouped with the P class; included among them was the 1200 in "exhibition finish" for its appearance at the 1907 Jamestown Tricentennial Exposition.

Most of the 63" engines remained essentially unchanged - they were not superheated and less than half were given 67" drivers later on. Many were equipped with Southern or Walschaert radial valve gear.

Class Ps-2 - Southern vg (Locobase 9412)

Some data from Southern Railway diagrams hosted on southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/steam_loco_diagrams (viewed September 2002), Prince (1965), and SRY 5 - 1929 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive collection. See also DeGolyer, pp. 288+.

Locobase 166 shows the larger share of the Ps-2 class, those with Walschaert gear. But the last 5 of the 1913-14 Baldwin order (works# 41347-48, 41354-56, produced in April 1914) were fitted with Southern's own design of valve gear. Richmond added works #54692-54701 as 1350-1359.

Class Ps-2 - Walschaert vg (Locobase 166)

Some data from Southern Railway diagrams hosted on southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/steam_loco_diagrams (viewed September 2002) and Prince (1965). 1345 to 1359 used Southern valve gear; see Locobase 9412.

Most built by Richmond, some by Baldwin. Ps-2 boiler pressure later increased to 195 psi, 36,872 lb TE. Most earlier Ps engines (22 x 28" cyls, 220 psi, 35,000 lb TE) converted to Ps-2 standard.

Alco's works # for 1251-1265 were 50197-50211 and Baldwin's 1266-1270 were works # 37741-37745. In 1912, Alco's Richmond supplied 1325-1334 (works# 52314-52323). 1913-14 saw Baldwin's 1335-1344 (works 40765-770, 40788-40791, and 41347-48, 41354-56).

At the same time, the Cincinnati, New Orleans, Texas & Pacific subsidiary bought 809-820 in 1911 and 1913., which were renumbered 6459-6471. The five that arrived in 1911 were works # 50212-50216; seven more -- 53271-53277 -- were delivered in 1913.

Class Ps-4 (Locobase 167)

Data from tables in 1930 Locomotive Cyclopedia. Works #64852-63 from Alco-Schenectady went into service in 1923 as 1375-1386 followed in 1924 by Alco-Richmond's 66059-66064 -- numbered 1387-1392 and Schenectady's 66065-73, given the lower 1366-1374.

Firebox had combustion chamber, boiler had feedwater heater. Based on the USRA heavy Pacific but fitted with 73" drivers (vs 79") and a shorter boiler. Boiler pressure was later raised to 210 ps, but the railway's tractive effort value read 45,000 lb.

A later batch introduced the famous Virginia Green color in 1926; see Locobase 6085.

Class Ps-4 (Locobase 5076)

It was this batch of Ps-4s that introduced the Virginia Green paint scheme to the Southern passenger power. All the lettering and striping was limned in gold and the brass and other metals highly polished. The 4 Washington-Atlanta locomotives bore Crescent Limited on their tenders. 3 more served the Queen & Crescent Limited from Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati through to New Orleans.

Steam distribution came through 11" piston valves with an outside lap of 1 1/4", full-gear lead of 1/4", and a total travel covering 7 1/2". The fire box had a brick arch and 28 sq ft of arch tubes.

Westcott (1960) says they could pull 14-car trains at 80 mph even with the 73" drivers. The Smithsonian's "America on the Move" website (http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_15.html, viewed 22 Sept 2004) gives the tonnage rating of the above train as 700-1000 tons on the level. (It adds: "The 'hill and dale' profile of the Charlotte Division, however, kept average speeds to about 50-60 mph.") The 150-mile run on the Charlotte Division consumed virtually all of the 14,000 gallons of water in the tender (although the train usually watered up along the way for safety's sake) and all 16 tons of coal.