By Railfan & Railroad Staff
The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust is wrapping up work on perhaps the largest component of the new 4-4-4-4 locomotive it is constructing and it will be on display during an open house in Altoona, Pa., on May 11.
The non-profit dedicated to building the first new main line steam locomotive in North America since the steam era is currently putting the finishing touches on the locomotive’s frame at a machine shop in Dover, Ohio. The 64-foot-long, 70,000-pound frame will soon be moved to the Blair County Convention Center where it will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The PRR had 52 streamlined T1 locomotives; 25 by the PRR itself at the railroad’s Altoona shops and 27 built by Baldwin. The locomotives were built in the 1940s but only lasted a decade before diesels took over. None of the locomotives were saved. In 2014, inspired by the efforts to build new main line locomotives in England, the T1 Trust was formed to build the 53rd Pennsy 4-4-4-4, which will be numbered 5550.
The new T1 is nearly 50 percent complete and the group estimates that the locomotive will be under steam by 2030. For more information about the project and the May 11 open house, visit the group’s website.
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