Ps-4 steam engine specifications

UP5521

Tidewater Western owner
I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with this steam engine,because I was reading a book called 'the great book of trains and most recently,I was looking up some information on the internet and I noticed some inconsistant information behind it including the pulling power and speed,now the year it was built was correct,which was 1926,the same year the first union pacific 4-12-2 number 9000 rolled out of the shops,and so far that is the only thing these two have in common,but these are two different engines which one was built for freight service and the other,passenger,any help here and thanks!:confused:
 
Last edited:
Model RR Cyclopedia (which is sometimes a bit off) lists it as:

Built by Alco between 1926 to 1926. Last ones built by Baldwin in 1928.
27 by 28 inch cylinders
boiler pressure 200 psi
weight 304,000 lb
tractive effort 47,500 lbs
Could occasionally handle 14 cars at 80 mph despite the 73 in drivers.

Ben
 
Don't just use Ps-4 that is the railroads classification and without the railroad name useless as deferent railroads used the same class name for deferent locos as an example the Reading and the Pennsylvania bouth had T-1's.
 
oh sorry,let me clear that up,Southern Railroad ps-4 class pacifics that were made by the ALCO/Richmond Locomotive works,although it is too bad that only one escaped the torch,you just can't help but look at these powerful looking locomotives epscecially the 1401,but still,if this engine is designed for moderate passenger trains,what about the fuel and water,I'm sure there has to be a explaination there!:eek:
 
Last edited:
The loco was quite similar to the USRA heavy pacific except for the smaller drivers and (at least originally) used tenders very similar to the USRA loco so capacities for coal and water should be pretty close to whatever the USRA tender held (10,000gal I think). Don't have a number for coal.

Ben
 
3 orders of them (click for spec sheets)
1923 - Worthington Feedwater heaters, small tender
sou1370washingtondcon121336.jpg


1926 - Elesco FWH, long haul tenders
sou1396d.jpg


1928 - Elesco FWH, medium tenders (except 1409 as built which had a Coffin FWH, later converted to have Elesco)
sou1409.jpg


First two orders included locomotives for SOU and subsidiaries, CNO&TP and AGS. The last one for Southern only. The CNO&TP locomotives were equipped with Wimble smoke ducts.

6471.jpg


I've got a complete set of erecting cards and details for every little thing on the Ps-4's.

The 1928 orders came with Walschaerts Valve gear, the previous orders had Baker and most were rebuild to have Walschaerts.

All divisions were given freedom for modifications, practical and cosmetic. Bunker extensions, cab rebuilds, and tender swaps all were very common. CNO&TP locomotives, as well as 1401, were given the unique number plates. Many locomotives were decorated with brass eagles and candlesticks and adorned their assigned engineers' names. CNO&TP 6482 "Queen Bee" had nearly all this added. Engineers were also given freedom to use the whistle of their choice, be it the standard 3 chime step top, or the famed 3 chime long bell, or even a personal whistle.
sou1395.jpg


Famed rail designer Otto Kuhler, in 1941, streamlined the 1380 for use on the Tennessean between Washington DC and Monroe, VA, the handover point for the N&W section of the route. N&W had a no diesel policy, and Southern did not want to tie up its new diesels on such a short section. It was said to be his favorite locomotive that he streamlined, and it is rumored that he was never paid for the work.

sou1380.jpg
 
thanks for the response,SR6900,I never knew that there was more to these locomotives that meets the eye,especially the types of valve gears and feedwater heaters used and not to mention the streamlining!;)
 
So basically, being a Ps4 engineer is like being an Owner-Operator truck driver, in a sense.

Great piece of info, SR6900. Thanks for sharing it with us!
 
Well actually Southern assigned engineers to nearly every locomotive, a lot of railroads did this.
 
some locomotives had devices underneath the tenders so they could pick up water from troughs between the rails without stopping!:udrool:
:mop:
 
yeah,the water scoop which comes down and picks up water from the track then,goes into the engine's big 6-axle tender on the fly,it was not just the southern that used it,there was the New york Central,maybe the pennsylvania used it as well (need confirmation here),in England,the LNER,LNWR,LMS,the inventor by the name of John Ramsbottom.
 
Last edited:
yeah,the water scoop which comes down and picks up water from the track then,goes into the engine's big 6-axle tender on the fly,it was not just the southern that used it,there was the New york Central,maybe the pennsylvania used it as well (need confirmation here),in England,the LNER,LNWR,LMS,the inventor by the name of John Ramsbottom.

The Norfolk & Western Railway used them to.

Fred
 
Watering on the fly was a great idea but if you have no method of getting rid of the air in the tender when the water scoop starts moving (a heck of a lot of water) into the tender it explodes, lol. Many tenders set up for this had a series of short pipes close to the bottom (even tho the other end was high up) to do this. For those of you with the MR Cyclopedia vol 1 plan 110 shows this via 4 (2 per side) short pipes angled backwards at either end of the centipede tender.

On the other hand if the gent controlling the scoop is a tad late in raising it when the trough ends its history (which has to have happened now and then). Not good for ones resume, lol.

Ben
 
America's greatest streamlined steamer? I'd say the Reading Crusader.

And that small streamliner looks like the child of the PRR S1. Except with 6 drivers.
 
Back
Top