Alexander PRR S1

[Carey Williams]

Hello all

Running the longest steam engine on the shortest day .

PRR #6100 made its first test run eighty-five years ago today. The class S1 6-4-4-6 duplex had to run in reverse all the way to Huntingdon , PA (35 miles), because Altoona had no turntable large enough to turn her. She then ran forward to Altoona, attaining speeds up to 50 MPH.
Courtesy of Joseph Lechner

The S1 designed for straights in a curved world . 8' longer than Big Boy ...made turning the speedy S1 near impossible .
Fixed frame duplex engine relegated the S1 on the Chicago to Crestline, Ohio run of the PRR ...when it was not racing north of 100mph it was on the ground in Crestline failing to negotiate the wye.
This O scale model of the S1 was built from plans submitted to Ed Alexander whilst the 12" to the foot model was being built . Both model and real engine were on display at the 1939 NYC World Fair lettered " American Railroads" . Alexander would make 2 additional S1's for the PRR one being displayed at the 1939 Treasure Island fair in San Francisco.
Model like prototype likes straights and will have nothing to do with my 48" radius ....running with outside third rail sweeps.

Please see link for video of S1 in action

https://youtu.be/F8E5LEK6cxA?si=yZ5GjgJeX0So3N3H

Cheers Carey

[R.K. Maroon]

Great find, Carey. It's in remarkably good condition. Any idea what radius curves this would require?

[Carey Williams]

Guessing in the 72" radius range it would be happy .

Need a much bigger home .....
Cheers Carey

[bob turner]

Doubt it. My 80” Northerns struggleon 74” radius.
Want me to move some of your excellent photos from OGR to here? Easy to do, and I love the thought of using them as a host.

Not a big fan of the S1 (I do like the S2) but I met Ed Alexander in Yardley in the very early 1980s. He was a congenial host.

If I ever add another PRR, it will be a J1 or Q2. The Sunset versions seem to be the most accurate by a bunch. I am slowly working on an E3, but have other projects that have overwhelmed it.

[Carey Williams]

Hello Bob
Sure you can move whatever photos you wish.

Foundation of the house does limit my radi possibilities....

PRR certainly did a wide variety of engine oddities to choose from .

Merry Christmas everyone.

Cheers Carey

[bob turner]

Easy. Right click on the image, click on the list where it says "copy image address", then come here, click on "Img" button above, and immediately do a control V, or whatever your computer needs for "paste."

[Carey Williams]

Thank you Bob for transferring images ...for those curious ..it is 35 3/4" long...

Cheers Carey