Four modern atlantic type locomotives were purchased in 1935 to power a high
speed train named the "Hiawatha" between Chicago and St. Paul/Minneapolis.
These were the first steam locomotives to be built streamlined.
They were also the first steam locomotives intended to cruise at 100 mph
(they could reach 120 mph). Average speeds of these trains were 60 mph
with top speeds of about 100 mph. They regularly pulled nine car trains.
The impressive capabilities of these locomotives were mainly due to the large steaming capacity (large firebox) and their large 84 inch drivers.
The four locomotives were numbered simply one through four. Pictured is number three. They were extremely successful. Number 3 was retired in 1949, the other three in 1951. Unfortunately, all were later scrapped.
Six class Otto Kuhler-styled F7 hudsons numbered 100-105 were delivered
to the Milwaukee Road in 1938. The original A's and older consists
were released for service on other sections. The F7s were assigned
routes between Chicago and Minneapolis. They were scheduled to cover a
portion of this route at 81 mph -- the world's fastest regularly scheduled
steam-powered train. They often exceeded 100 mph on this route.
All six of these locomotives were scrapped between 1949 and 1951.
The Hudsons were typically used to pull 16-18 car Pullman trains at speeds up to 94 MPH. All had boosters on the rear axle of the trailing truck which added roughly 10,000 lbs. starting TE. Unfortunately, none survived. The last one to be scrapped was Number 5452.
In 1934, J1E Hudson 5344 was the world's first streamlined
locomotive. The "bathtub" shroud was designed by the Case School of
Science at Cleveland, OH. In 1935 it was assigned to the 20th
Century Limited between Toledo and Chicago and remained in this
service for some time. During July, 1939, this locomotive was re-
shrouded to look like the 20th Century J3s. After an October, 1945
grade crossing accident with a sand truck in East Chicago, all the
streamlining was removed. Another "claim to fame" of this
locomotive is that it was the prototype for the Lionel O-gauge
model.
On December 7, 1941, two of the J3A Hudsons (5426 & 5429) were streamlined
with a stainless steel cowling to match the Empire State Express train.
This cowling was removed in 1949 & 1950.
Ten of the J3 Hudsons (5445-5454) were built streamlined (in 1938). The design was developed by Henry Dreyfuss. Half of these locomotives had boxpok drivers. The other half had Scullin double-disc drivers. These locomotives were used primarily for New York - Chicago service. Shrouding over the main air reservoirs was removed in 1941. All streamlining was removed from these locomotives in 1945.
After WWII, the NYC made a final effort to obtain the combined advantages of
their Hudsons and Mohawks. The result was a highly advanced 4-8-4, No. 6000,
built in ALCO's Schenectady plant in 1945. Its 100 inch boiler was the largest
possible which would clear overhead structures, and its firebox had a grate
area of 100 sq. ft. All axles turned on roller bearings, and the propulsion
machinery was similarly equipped. The engine weighed 471,000 lbs. Its fully
loaded centipede tender weighed 420,000 lbs. In this photo, 6000 is leading
the Interstate Express out of LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, in
March 1952. Sadly, none escaped the torch.
In 1939 the PRR built their first duplex-drive locomotive. The shrouding
was designed by Raymond Loewy.
During the first two summers of its existence (1939-40), 6100 was displayed
under steam at the New York Worlds Fair. Its drivers were supported by
rollers which allowed the drivers to turn (under steam) so that the fair
goers could watch. During this period, the tender was lettered "AMERICAN
RAILROADS". If you look closely at the front of the locomotive, above the
frame and below the smoke box shroud, you will see an air horn.
To really appreciate how long this locomotive was, you must first have a frame of reference. Consider the Big Boy. The Big Boy was generally considered to be the "largest" steam locomotive ever. It was over 132 feet long. Unlike the Big Boy, the S-1 was not an articulated locomotive, yet, it was a whopping 140 feet long! I don't know what its designers were thinking, but the length of this locomotive was partly to blame for its failure.
Baldwin had been toying with the idea of a duplex-drive steam locomotive for some time. They were even considering building a demonstrator model. However, before they could, the PRR placed an order for two of them for delivery in 1942. These locomotive were built to lead the Fleet of Modernism -- The Broadway Limited, The General, The Admiral, The Manhattan Limited and the Pittsburgher. The locomotives were designed by Baldwin while the exterior was designed by Raymond Loewy.
In 1942 the duplex-drive 6130 was built for fast freight service on the
PRR. Notice the rear set of cylinders are facing backwards. The rear
cylinders were also smaller than the front cylinders as they only had to
power two axles instead of three.
In 1944 the 6131 was built. A re-arrangement of the drivers and cylinders
had solved the problems of the Q-1. In 1945, 25 more Q-2s were built
(6175-6199). The Q-2s were the most
powerful (in both HP and tractive effort) of all non-articulating steam
locomotives.
In 1945-46, two groups of T-1s were built. 5500-24 were built by the PRR in Altoona in 1945. 5525-49 were built by Baldwin in 1946. The appearance of these T-1s differed from that of the first two (6110 and 6111). The first two T-1s had sharp noses. These were more rounded. They were all painted Brunswick green. However, it was often hard to tell. Surprisingly, the shrouding made them dirty locomotives (smoke stayed close to the locomotive). Most of the T-1s were retired by 1949. Sadly, all were scrapped by 1953.
It should be noted that the retired enginemen who actually ran the T1s claim that they were not unduly slippery (even at speed), as most authors have claimed. Their secret to starting trains was to put down a little sand when stopping, a little when starting, and to use a light throttle up to 25 mph. Their secret to avoiding high-speed slipping was a longer cutoff coupled with partial throttle. The T-1s ran very well at speeds over 100 MPH.
After: 
Union Pacific's Omaha Shops shrouded two locomotives in 1937. The 7002 locomotive was built to pull heavy passenger trains over the Rocky Mountains, with massive 6-foot wheels driven by 4,000 horsepower. The 2906 was one of 10 P-13 Pacifics built for the UP by Baldwin in 1920. They were shrouded primarily to serve as relief power for the dieselized Cities streamliners between Omaha and Ogden or Denver. Pacific 2906 and Mountain 7002 served between 1939 and 1941 on the Forty-Niner, a heavyweight, all-Pullman streamliner departing five times a month from Chicago to San Francisco, site of the Golden Gate Exposition. The locos bore UP's prewar streamliner colors of Armour Yellow, Leaf Brown, and Scarlet. The 7002 ended its spectacular 32-year career as a rescure engine for stalled locomotives.
*Note: The "before" photo shows sister Pacific 2910.
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