Pennsylvania Railroad 3750

PRR 3750 is a Pennsylvania Railroad K4s 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive located in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. For over a decade, 3750 stood in for the prototype K4s, 1737, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is one of the two remaining K4s locomotives and, along with PRR 1361, was designated the official state steam locomotive in 1987 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

PRR 3750
PRR No. 3750 on static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Altoona Works Build date 1918
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2 Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 36 in (914 mm) Driver dia. 80 in (2,032 mm) Trailing dia. 50 in (1,270 mm) Wheelbase 13 ft 10 in (4.2 m) between driving axles Length 83 ft 6 in (25.5 m) Loco weight 274,500 lb (124,511 kg) Fuel type Coal Firebox:  • Firegrate area 70 sq ft (7 m^2) Boiler pressure 205 psi (1,413 kPa) Cylinder size 27 in × 28 in (686 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 44,460 lbf (197,767.9 N) Factor of adh. 4.54
Career Operators Pennsylvania Railroad Class K4s Numbers PRR 3750 Retired 1956 Current owner Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Disposition On outdoor static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania U.S. National Register of Historic Places Official name Passenger Locomotive No. 1737 Designated December 17, 1979 Part of Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock Thematic Resource Reference no. 79002273[1]

History

PRR 3750 was used to haul the Pennsylvania Railroad's mainline passenger trains such as the Broadway Limited. Despite the attempt by railroad management to replace the K4s with the K5 and T1, the K4s would remain in action until dieselization in 1957. The 3750 was spared from being scrapped because, when the Pennsylvania Railroad was considering steam engines for preservation, the first K4s, 1737, had deteriorated to the point that it was not worth preserving. The Pennsylvania decided to scrap 1737 and use 3750 as a stand-in; 3750 received the original number plates and tender from 1737.[2]

3750 ready to pull Warren Harding's funeral train.

In 1921, 3750 headed up soon-to-be President Warren G. Harding's campaign train.[3] Three years later, it also was one of the locomotives that pulled Harding's funeral train.

When the steam power era ended most railroads scrapped their locomotives. The PRR however took pride in their engineering and mechanical legacy. PRR historian Dan Cupper gives much credit to a former Chief of Motive Power for the initiative to preserve examples of their most successful engines at their Northumberland, Pennsylvania roundhouse. In 1975, PRR 3750 was moved to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The entire PRR collection came under threat in the 1980s when the PRR's successor, the Penn Central estate, sought to raise cash by selling them for scrap. The Pennsylvania Legislature intervened and forgave some back taxes in exchange for deeding the collection to the state.[4]

The Pennsylvania General Assembly designated 3750 and 1361 the official state steam locomotives on December 18, 1987, while also designating the GG1 4859 the state electric locomotive in the same bill.[5]

Preservation

As of 2019, the 3750 sits on outdoor static display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania.[6] The museum's volunteer group plans to have 3750 cosmetically restored prior to it being placed in a planned roundhouse.[4]

See also

• List of Pennsylvania state symbols
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

References

1. "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
2. Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock 1978, sec. 7, p. 9.
3. Alexander, Larry (February 29, 2000). "Full steam ahead; Railroad Museum explores presidential ties". Intelligencer Journal. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. p. B1.
4. Keefe, Kevin (May 1, 2018). "PRR steam: still haughty after all these years". Classic Trains. Retrieved February 18, 2019..
5. Act of Dec. 18, 1987, P.L. 421, No. 89.
6. "Collections Roster". Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Retrieved February 18, 2019.

Sources

• "Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock Thematic Resource". National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form. National Park Service. March 1978. Retrieved July 27, 2013.