Great Western 90

Strasburg Rail Road (Great Western) No. 90 is a 2-10-0 "Decapod" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Rail Road outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924, 90 originally pulled sugar beet trains for the Great Western Railway of Colorado. In 1967, 90 was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road where it now resides and operates today for use on excursion trains.

Great Western Railroad 90
Strasburg Railroad No. 90 at Leaman Place, Pennsylvania in 1989
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number57812
Model12-42 F
Build dateJune 1924
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-10-0
 • UIC1′E h
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.56 in (1,422 mm)[1]
Axle load38,000 lb (17,000 kg)[1]
Adhesive weight190,000 lb (86,000 kg)
Loco weight212,000 lb (96,000 kg)[1]
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		54.3 sq ft (5.04 m2)[1]
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,400 kPa)[1]
Cylinder size24 in × 28 in (610 mm × 710 mm)[1]
Performance figures
Maximum speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Tractive effort48,960 lbf (217.8 kN)[1]
Factor of adh.3.88
Career
OperatorsGreat Western
Strasburg Rail Road
Numbers
  • GW 90
  • SRC 90
RetiredApril 5, 1967
RestoredDecember 1968
Current ownerStrasburg Rail Road
DispositionOperational, based in Strasburg, Pennsylvania

History

The locomotive was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1924, in Philadelphia. it originally pulled sugar beet trains of about 40 to 50 cars length for the Great Western Railway of Colorado to the company's towering mill in Loveland, Colorado. It's a 2-8-0 it has no Class.It was the Great Western's largest and most powerful road locomotive, and saw extensive use on trains too large for the company's fleet of 2-8-0s. On November 7, 1944, the engine was hit by a truck at a grade crossing east of Loveland and knocked onto its fireman's side, killing both the fireman and the truck driver. The Great Western sent 90 to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad's shops in Denver for repairs.[2] Following WWII, the locomotive was used primarily in the Autumn during the harvest season.[2]

By the late 1950s, the engine was occasionally used in excursion service on the Great Western. On one such excursion in 1963, Strasburg Rail Road's Chief Mechanical Officer, Huber Leath, met the Great Western's superintendent, a man who grew up in the vicinity of the Strasburg Rail Road, and struck a deal in which the Great Western would contact the Strasburg Rail Road as soon as the engine was available for purchase.[2] The Strasburg Rail Road purchased No. 90 on April 5, 1967 for a price of $23,000.00(~$175,000 in 2019), and the locomotive arrived on Strasburg's property a month later on 5 May.[2][3]

In the winter of 1968, Ross Rowland's High Iron Company planned to operate a series of mainline steam excursions between Jersey City, New Jersey and Ardsley, Pennsylvania on the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Rowland had originally planned to lease two ex Canadian Pacific G5-class 4-6-2s, numbers 1236 and 1283, both owned by George Hart, however those two locomotives were on emergency lease to the city of Reading, Pennsylvania to provide steam for the city after the boiler at the Reading Steam Heat and Power Co. became disabled.[4] Since tickets for the excursion had already been sold, and Rowland was unwilling to pull the trip with a diesel, he leased Steamtown's ex Canadian Pacific 127 (formerly the 1278), a sister to the two locomotives he intended to use to pull the train. However, the 127 did not have enough power to pull the train over the grades on the CNJ near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania on her own, and Rowland leased the engine to act as a helper engine for the trips, double heading with the 127 between Bethlehem and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. After the trips concluded, 90 was returned to the Strasburg.

As it was on the Great Western, the engine is also the most powerful of the four steam locomotives in operation at the Strasburg Rail Road in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, rated for 1,211 tons on the line. She is currently one of the only two operating Decapods in the United States, the other one being former Frisco #1630, who operates at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Modifications

90 has undergone a number of modifications by the Strasburg in order to better suit their needs.

  • In 1992, the sand dome between the steam dome and cab was removed along with all of its associated piping.
  • In 1993, the smokebox extension added in the 1940s by the Great Western to allow the locomotive to burn poorer grades of coal was removed in order to improve drafting. The coal board extensions were also removed at this time presumably to improve rearward visibility.
  • In 2006, 90's tender tank was replaced with a brand new identical tank made from stainless steel welded with cosmetic rivet heads spot welded to make it appear authentic. 90 was also given its 1920s scheme. Its visored Pyle National headlight was replaced with a Pennsylvania Railroad style headlight that had previously been mounted on 475. 90 also had the Great Western lettering applied above the numbers on the sides of the cab along with the Great Western lettering being applied to the tender.
  • In August 2008, 90's tender had the Strasburg letters applied on it still keeping the complete 1920's scheme described above.
  • In 2011, 90 was fitted with a continuous blowdown mounted between its whistle and dynamo. 90 also had its original Pyle National headlight returned.
  • In February 2013, as part of a photo freight charter by Lerro Productions, 90 was given her 1950's Great Western paint scheme and had her smokebox painted a white silver, her cab numbers were painted inside a Great Western trademark white diamond, her tender was fitted with stripes and had Great Western applied, her wheels were striped with white as well as her running boards, and her number and builders plate were painted black and gold.
  • In May 2013, 90 had a paint scheme similar to the 1990s, minus the tender being redone with white Strasburg lettering, all of the striping was painted black, the diamond numbers on the sides of the cab were taken off and plain white numbers were applied. The silver smokebox was left as well as the black and gold number and builders plate
  • In December 2013, 90 had her Reading Six Chime whistle replaced with a Hooter whistle but it was replaced back with the Reading Six Chime very shortly after.
  • In 2016, 90 had her smokebox repainted from her Great Western silver to a dark grey.

Other changes made include the addition of radio and the removal of a sheet metal cover on the pilot.

  • In October 2020, 90 was repainted into one of the original paint schemes she wore in the early days of the Strasburg. She was then subsequently painted back to her prior scheme in November.

See also

References
  1. King, E. W., Jr. in Drury p.351
  2. Bell, Kurt; Plant, Jeremy (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road In Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books. p. 49. ISBN 1-58248-479-1.
  3. https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/dig-deeper/equipment-roster/90-2/
  4. "History Book: For a second time, Reading ran out of steam". Reading Eagle. February 25, 2015.(subscription required)
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