Pennsylvania Railroad class H6

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class H6, H6a, and H6b steam locomotives were of the 2-8-0 "Consolidation" freight type, the most numerous class on the railroad with 1,707 units and the second most prolific 2-8-0 class in North America, with the USATC S160 class rostering 88 units more. The three subclasses differed as follows:[4]

Class	Firebox	Grate Area	Tractive Force	Driver Size	#Built	Years Built
H6	narrow	33.3 sq ft (3.09 m^2)	42,717 lbf (190.01 kN)	56 in (1,400 mm)	65	1899−01
H6a	wide	49.0 sq ft (4.55 m^2)	42,168 lbf (187.57 kN)	56 in (1,400 mm)	1,041	1901−05
H6b	wide	49.0 sq ft (4.55 m^2)	42,168 lbf (187.57 kN)	56 in (1,400 mm)	601	1905−13

Pennsylvania Railroad H6
Pennsy 2846 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder PRR Altoona Works, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Alco -P Build date H6: 1899-1901 H6a: 1901-1905 H6b: 1905–1913 Total produced H6: 65 H6a: 1,041 H6b: 601 Total: 1,707 Number rebuilt 699 to H6sa/H6sb
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0 Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 36 in (0.91 m) Driver dia. 56 in (1.42 m) Length 65 ft 11 in (20.09 m) (including 70F70 tender)[1] Adhesive weight 180,000 lb (81,650 kg)[1] Loco weight 204,800 lb (92,900 kg)[1] Total weight 343,600 lb (155,900 kg) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 29,200 lb (13,200 kg)[1] Water cap 7,200 US gal (27,000 l; 6,000 imp gal)[1] Firebox:  • Firegrate area H6: 33.3 sq ft (3.09 m^2) Others: 49.0 sq ft (4.55 m^2) Boiler pressure 195 psi (13.7 kgf/cm^2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size H6/H6a/H6b: 22 in × 28 in (560 mm × 710 mm) H6sa/H6sb: 23 in × 28 in (580 mm × 710 mm)
Performance figures Maximum speed 50-60 Mph Tractive effort H6: 42,717 lbf (190.01 kN) H6a/H6b: 42,168 lbf (187.57 kN) H6sa/H6sb43,841 lbf (195.01 kN)
Career Operators Pennsylvania Railroad Baltimore and Ohio Railroad South Manchuria Railway Manchukuo National Railway China Railway Class PRR: H6(a/b/sa/sb) B&O: E-24(a) SMR/MNR: ソリサ (Sorisa) CR: KD10 Nicknames ペンソリ Pensori Consolidation Freight Locomotive No. 2846 U.S. National Register of Historic Places Show map of Pennsylvania Show map of the United States Nearest city Strasburg, Pennsylvania Coordinates 39°58′56″N 76°9′40″W Area 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) Built 1905 Architect Baldwin Locomotive Works MPS Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock TR NRHP reference No. 79002263 [2] Added to NRHP December 17, 1979 Retired 1953-1958 Preserved PRR 2846[3]

In the 1920s, 699 H6a and H6b had superheaters added, and cylinder size increased from 22 in (560 mm) to 23 in (580 mm). These rebuilt units were reclassified to H6sa and H6sb.

Class H6 were used throughout the system as mainline freight haulers, on local freights, and as switchers in yards. They were frequently seen double- and tripleheading long freight trains up the steep grades on the Pennsy.[5]

During the period when the PRR was building the H-6 class, the railroad had effective stock control of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and installed a PRR vice-president Leonor F. Loree, as president of the B&O. Subsequently, the B&O bought a large group of identical locomotives from the American Locomotive Company; these were initially classified class I-4, later becoming class E-24. The E-24 class had many variations, some being converted to switchers, or receiving superheaters and new valve chests. The E-24a was equivalent to the PRR H-6sb. None of the B&O E-24 class survived to the diesel era.

China

Around 1938, thirty H6sb were sold second-hand to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu), which designated them Sorisa (ソリサ) class (Sori, from "Consolidation", and sa, from san, "three", to indicate the third class of Consolidation-type locomotives operated by Mantetsu). To distinguish these from the British-made Sorisa 1−7, the H6sb were nicknamed ペンソリ Pensori (Pennsylvania Consolidation). Of these, fifteen were taken up by Mantetsu, which numbered them ソリサ8 through ソリサ22, whilst the other fifteen were assigned to the Manchukuo National Railway, where they were numbered ソリサ547 through ソリサ561.

After the end of the Pacific War, both Mantetsu and the Manchukuo National were absorbed by the China Railway, which designated them class KD10.

Survivors

PRR #2846, an H6sb built in 1905 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, has been preserved by the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania with two other examples of the H class. #2846 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as Consolidation Freight Locomotive No. 2846.

References

1. Pennsylvania Railroad. "PRR H6b 2-8-0 Steam Loco". PRR.Railfan.net. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
3. "Motive Power Roster Steam Locomotives: 24" (PDF). Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
4. Staufer, Alvin F., Edson, D. William, and Harley, E. Thomas. Pennsy Power lll. Staufer. ISBN 0-944513-10-7
5. Westing, Fred. Pennsy Steam and Semaphores. Superior Publishing ISBN 0-517-36955-9