Pennsylvania class L1s
The PRR's class L1s was a Mikado that received the same boiler as the K4s class Pacific. Despite the great performance of this boiler with the Belpaire firebox, these locomotives were not equipped with a stoker ex works and many of them were not retrofitted later. They were considered very successful all-rounders and, apart from the USRA designs and after the PRR class I1s, achieved the second largest number of any class of steam locomotives built for an American railway company.
A total of 344 were built in the PRR's Juniata shops at Altoona, 205 by Baldwin and 25 by Lima. However, it was not long before they were replaced in some roles by 2-10-0 and 4-8-2 locomotives. In the 1930s, many were also put into storage due to the economic crisis and the electrification of an important line. These came back into the picture during World War II when their services were urgently needed. Number 520 still exists today and is on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg.
Technical data
General
- Built
- 1914-1919
- Manufacturers
- Altoona, Baldwin, Lima
- Wheel arrangement
- 2-8-2 (Mikado)
- Gauge
- 1,435 mm (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and weights
- Wheelbase
- 11.09 m
- Total wheelbase
- 22.02 m
- Service mass
- 142.9 t
- Adhesion mass
- 108 t
- Total mass
- 214.5 t
- Rigid wheelbase
- 5.19 m
- Axle load
- 26.8 t
- Water capacity
- 26,498 l
- Fuel capacity
- 11.3 t (coal)
Boiler
- Grate area
- 6.503 m²
- Firebox surface
- 28.01 m²
- Tube heating surface
- 346.854 m²
- Evaporative heating surface
- 374.864 m²
- Superheater surface
- 107.21 m²
- Total heating surface
- 482.1 m²
Power plant
- Driver diameter
- 1,575 mm
- Boiler pressure
- 14.1 bar
- Expansion type
- simple expansion
- Cylinders
- two, 686 x 762 mm
Power
- Power source
- steam
- Estimated power
- 2,312 kW (3,143 PS)
- Starting effort
- 273.4 kN
Calculated values
- Factor of adhesion
- 1 : 3.87
- Optimal speed
- 51 km/h
- Power-to-weight ratio
- 16.2 kW/t
- Heating Surface Equivalent
- 729.3 m²
- Cylinder volume/HSE
- 1 : 771.87
- Adhesive weight/Total
- 1 : 1.32
- Tractive force/Heating surface
- 1 : 11.85
- Grate area/Heating surface
- 1 : 74.13
- Firebox/Tube surface
- 1 : 12.38
- Total/Superheater
- 1 : 3.50