PRR GG1

The Pennsylvania Railroad's GG1 class of electric locomotives were built between 1934 to 1943, with a total of 139 units constructed. They remained in service with the PRR's successors until the early 1980s. The GG1 became one of the most recognised and famous classes of locomotive worldwide.

Technical information

The GG1s were large locomotives, 79 ft 6 in (24.2 m) long and weighing 477,000 lb (216,000 kg). The main body was a single unit formed as a bridge-truss framework and clad in welded steel plate. The driving cabs were set up high about a third of the way along the locomotive from each end for greater crew safety in an accident. A narrower section of nose in front of the cab windows enabled view forward, although the nose remained full height to carry the current-collection pantographs. The bodywork as a whole was smoothly rounded.

This was mounted upon two great cast steel locomotive frames linked by a hinge at the locomotive's middle which allowed side-to-side movement. Six driving wheels (three axles) were fitted towards the center of the locomotive on each truck (twelve in total) and a four-wheeled, unpowered guiding truck was mounted toward each end. In the Whyte notation for steam locomotives, each frame comprised a 4–6–0 locomotive; in the PRR's classification system, 4–6–0s were class "G". The GG-1 consisted of two such locomotive frames mounted back to back, so it was classified GG—4–6–0+0–6–4. This arrangement is called 2-C+C-2 in AAR wheel arrangement notation.

Each driven axle was powered by two 385 hp (288 kW) GEA-627-A1 traction motors mounted above and to either side of the axle. Drive was through a reduction gear and a quill drive assembly.

The GG1 was designed to run on the standard Pennsylvania Railroad catenary power of 11,000 V AC, 25 Hz. This high voltage was stepped down by a large transformer mounted in the center of the locomotive body for the traction motors, cooling blowers and all other onboard equipment. The locomotive's power was controlled via a tap-switching arrangement; the number of secondary windings in use could be varied, thus adjusting the output voltage.

The units were rated at 4,620 hp (385 per motor) continuous rating and a maximum of 9,500 hp at 49 mph (intermittent duty). For passenger service, the GG1 was geared to run at 100 mph maximum although it achieved 110 mph in testing. For freight service, the locomotive was geared to run at 90 mph maximum.

A GG1 Crash

One of the more interesting moments in the history of the GG1 locomotive took place on the morning of January 15 1953 at Washington's Union Station. Due to a mis-set brake line cock (valve), the Federal Express from Boston was unable to apply the brakes on part of the train. Pushed by the unbraked cars, the GG1 engine and two passenger cars ran off the end of Track 16 and crashed through the floor of Union Station and into the baggage room. In a remarkable demonstration of the durability of the GG1 engines, Engine #4876 was later cut into three pieces, removed from the baggage room, and reassembled at the Altoona (PA) shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It then re-entered commercial service and went on to be one of the last-serving GG1 engines.

Disposition

These locomotives have now all been retired with many units scrapped and only a few surviving to sit, unused. They have been supplanted primarily by the AEM7 "toaster" locomotives.

The GG1 in the movies

In the original Manchurian Candidate, the train that Marco (Frank Sinatra) takes north from Washington, D.C. is being pulled by a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 dressed in the standard PRR pinstripes.

A GG1 can be seen briefly during the first robot attack sequence in Sky_Captain.