![]() ![]() The history of the Pere Marquette can be traced back to 1900 through the merger of several smaller systems across Michigan. The Pere Marquette 1225 was delivered in 1941 as part of the railroad's Class N-1 Berkshires (all three types varied very little amongst one another), which included road numbers 1216-1227 that were capable of producing 69,350 pounds of tractive effort. The railroad's 2-8-4s came listed in three different classes Class N, Class N-1, and Class N-2. The new locomotive would get its name, Berkshire, because of where it was first tested, the Berkshire Hills on the Boston & Albany Railroad in 1925.Īfter very successful tests against a Class H-10 Mikado where the Class A-1 easily outperformed its counterpart (the Class A-1 left Selkirk Yard nearly 50 minutes after the Class H-10 and pulled a train that was over 600 tons heavier yet arrived at North Adams Junction ten minutes ahead of the Mikado), the B&A quickly ordered a fleet of 45 Berkshires. The addition of this axle gave the new design (listed as Class A-1) a 2-8-4 wheel arrangement. (2-8-2), which lacked sufficient speed and horsepower.įrom a New York Central's Class H-7 Mikado, what Lima ultimatelyĬame up with was a locomotive that included a larger, 100 square footįirebox which necessitated the need for an extra trailing axle. Manufacturer of steam power) to improve upon the USRA Mikado design ![]() The Berkshire locomotive came about because due to Lima's hope (an established and well-known Railway placed an order for 39 Berkshire-type steam locomotives from Its fastest and most prominent freight trains, in the latter 1930s the Pere Marquette Looking for more horsepower and a beefier mainline locomotive to haul SRI does not partner with Rail Events to host the actual trip instead, they run their own version behind the big locomotive. While she hosts excursions at various times throughout the year the locomotive stands out each Christmas as the real Polar Express locomotive. Today, the locomotive is owned by the Steam Railroading Institute and usually hosts annual excursion trips somewhere around the country (normally near its home in Owosso, Michigan).īeginning in 2010 the locomotive was out-of-service completing her FRA mandatory 15-year inspection/overhaul and returned to operational status in late 2013. The Berkshire managed to survive the scrappers torch and spent an incredible 14 years under restoration before returning to steam. Lasting just a few years with their original owner and only about 10 more with their new owner, the Chesapeake & Ohio. The graceful and powerful locomotives used by the PM had a very short career, One of more than three dozen 2-8-4 "Berkshire"-type steam locomotives They're a little too long in one dimension, and I didn't place as many of them as would be prototypical for how the bogies are articulated, but if someone is familiar with those long-distance coal tenders and they're looking for an analog represented on my LEGO build, at least they'll see something.Pere Marquette 1225, when built in the early 1940s was simply I'm not so familiar with the operations of the real thing, but there were some spigot-looking things among the sideframe greeblies that I approximated with LEGO pistol nozzles. Too tall maybe, but the geometry resolves neatly I studied photos of what is known as the PT-5 tender built for NYC steam locos. I recall deciding against wedge plates for that distinctive arrow-shaped clerestory part on top of the cab in favor of 1 x 2 x 3 sloped bricks. There are too few ribs for it to be a very accurate model compared to the proto, but I am content with how it looks as a LEGO System interpretation of the thing. ![]() Thanks all for the encouraging Glad you like the wagontop. ![]()
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