The most perfect locomotive

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Class J No. 610 was loaned to the Pennsylvania Railroad for testing 
from December 5, 1944 to January 3, 1945 operating approximately 7100 
miles on the Fort Wayne Division. It made 2 trips in freight service 
and 12 round trips in passenger service over that time. The Pennsy 
generally found that the locomotive was more powerful than any other 
passenger locomotive on the Fort Wayne Division at slow and medium 
speeds and not slippery. They were surprised it made so many trips at 
high speed before a failure occurred, generally attributed to 
lubrication failure and high speed as a contributing factor.

The Pennsy also noted that it steamed well, better (by their own 
admission) than the T1, and steamed better with a rather poor grade of 
coal.

They also noted that the speedometer did not calibrate over 100 mph, 
but on one trip, an average speed of 94 mph was maintained for 45 
miles. Average train consists ranged between 9 cars (2 times) to 16 
cars (5 times). On the 24 trips that I have data on, the average was 
13.83 cars per train. The quote largely mentioned is a 16 car, 1025 ton 
train which comes to a just over 128,000 pounds per car.

Rather consistently, the 610 ran actual times less than scheduled 
times, generally delays were due to outside factors (other trains, 
dragging equipment.

There does exist a photo of 610 at Chicago Union Station with a T1 (if 
I recall correctly) on an adjacent track.

Ken Miller

On Sep 7, 2006, at 11:42 PM, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org wrote:

>

> I have heard records of the loco doing 118 mph with a few cars and 

> steady 110 mph with 15 pasenger cars.  This in unbeliaveble 

> considering the tiny 70" driving wheel diameter.  Is there anyone 

> alive who can confirm these feats?

>

> Markku Kastinen,

> Steam Enthusiast, Finland