Great Northern P-2

The Great Northern P-2 Class was a class of 28 4-8-2 "Mountain" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923 and operated by the Great Northern Railway until the late 1950s.

Great Northern P-2 class
GN 2517 with the Empire Builder on the Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis, c. 1929.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number57000-57002, 57084-57085, 57182-57190, 57256-57258, 57339, 57012, 57253, 57341-57347
Build dateSeptember-October 1923
Total produced28
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-2
 • UIC2′D2′ h1
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.33 in (838 mm)
Driver dia.73 in (1,854 mm)
Trailing dia.45 in (1,143 mm)
Wheelbase83.04 ft (25,311 mm)
Adhesive weight238,000 lb (108,000 kilograms; 108 metric tons)
Loco weight357,000 lb (162,000 kilograms; 162 metric tons)
Tender weight235,000 lb (107,000 kilograms; 107 metric tons)
Total weight592,000 lb (269,000 kilograms; 269 metric tons)
Tender typeVanderbilt
Fuel typeFuel oil
Fuel capacity5,000 US gal (19,000 l; 4,200 imp gal) oil
Water cap12,000 US gal (45,000 l; 10,000 imp gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		88 sq ft (8.2 m2)
Boiler84 in (2,100 mm)
Boiler pressure210 lbf/in2 (1.45 MPa) (as built 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa))
Heating surface:
 • Firebox		400 sq ft (37 m2)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size29 in × 28 in (737 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures
Maximum speed50 mph (80 km/h) (limited)
Tractive effort57,580 lbf (256.13 kN) (as built 54,838 lbf (243.9 kN))
Factor of adh.4.13 (as built 4.34)
Career
OperatorsGreat Northern
ClassP-2
Numbers2500–2527
Retired1955-1958
PreservedTwo (Nos. 2507 and 2523)
DispositionGreat Northern 2507 on display in Wishram, Washington, Great Northern 2523 on display in Willmar, Minnesota, remainder scrapped

The locomotives were built as passenger locomotives and the class had the honer of pulling the first Empire Builder train.

Today, two P-2s survive, No. 2507 is on display in Wishram, WA and No. 2523 is on display in Willmar, MN.

History

Built as passenger locomotives in 1923, they were used to haul passenger trains throughout the Great Northern system, hauling trains such as the Empire Builder and Oriental Limited, of which the class was the first to pull the former. They were built to speed up passenger trains on the mainline and have replaced the earlier P-1 Class of "Mountains" of 1914, as they were deemed too slow for passenger service. While most Great Northern steam locomotives had a Belpaire firebox, the P-2s had a radial stay firebox. In service, they were limited to 50 mph, but managed up to 4,700 miles a month and were rated at 10-12 heavyweight passenger cars up the 1.8% Walton Hill at 18 mph. Later in their service life, their boiler pressure was increased from 200 psi to 210 psi, increasing their tractive effort from 54,838 to 57,580 lbs. The P-2s were deemed as excellent passenger locomotives, but despite that, they were replaced by the S-2 Class of Northerns in Empire Builder service, regulating them to other passenger trains and freight trains. As the Great Northern dieselized, retirement of the P-2s began in April 1955 and by April 1958, all have been retired.[1]

Preservation

Two P-2s survived into preservation.

  • Great Northern 2507 was retired in December 1957, eventually sold to the Spokane, Portland and Seattle for display at Maryhill, WA and dedicated on September 3, 1966. It was later moved to Pasco, WA for restoration, but it was unsuccessful. The locomotive was moved again in 2003 to the depot in Wishram, WA, where it still resides.[2]
  • Great Northern 2523 was retired in April 1958 and donated to the city of Willmar, MN on October 7, 1965. It is currently displayed at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Great Northern 4-8-2 "Mountain" Locomotives in the USA". steamlocomotive.com.
  2. "Great Northern Empire - Then and Now". www.greatnorthernempire.net.
  • Keyes, Norman C., Jr.; Middleton, Kenneth R. (Autumn 1980). "The Great Northern Railway Company: All-Time Locomotive Roster, 1861–1970". Railroad History. Boston, Mass.: Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. 143: 110. ISSN 0090-7847. JSTOR 43523930.
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