For short, fast passenger trains, maybe. However, for longer services or heavy freight trains, they proved inadequate. A 2-8-4, 4-8-4, or 2-10-4 could outperform the K4s on any heavy freight job, and the 4-6-4s and 4-8-4s performed better on heavy passenger services.
Very impressive and enjoyable historic observation of the PRR K4 class engines, these locomotives were the main passenger service engines on the Pennsylvania rr during the steam era. Engine 1361 is currently being rebuilt/ restored back to operating condition and it would be nice to see the 1361 return back to working order in the future for a second chance at an excursion service career.
The Pennsylvania Railroad building their own Steam Locomotives. Had to save the Pennsylvania Railroad a lot of money. I’m a 5th generation railroader. Locomotive Engineer. Hiring on Penn Central then Conrail, Amtrak and retired on NJTRO as a Locomotive Engineer. My two sons 6th generation railroaders are Locomotive Engineers on NJTRO and my Grandson a 7th generation railroader. Recently passed the Conductors Program. I think the 1361 was built in 1923. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Constructive criticism: Better research on your future endeavors will help avoid errors. 33 seconds in you mention the class "ran into the '60's". Actually all K4s locomotives were retired by the end of 1957. Two were held for preservation: #1361 on display at Horseshoe Curve and the prototype #1737 at Northumberland with the Pennsy Historical Collection. Later #1737 was deemed to be too deteriorated and was scrapped to be replaced with #3750, although the 1737 number plate was transferred to #3750. Once the collection was moved to Strasburg, this switch was corrected. 00:58: The K29s was developed by the American Locomotive Co (ALCO) and delivered to the PRR in the hope that ALCO would get some of the orders to build this new class of passenger locomotive. The PRR's own shops at Juniata and Baldwin Locomotive Works built most all the K4s locomotives and ALCO did not get many orders. 01:16 At the time the K4s was developed, superheaters were not common. So any class of locomotive that received them was designated by a lower case "s" after the model number. This was discontinued with the M class Mountain types. 01:28 Besides testing, the cause of delay in production between prototype #1737 in 1914 and production K4s engines in 1917 was largely due to World War I (The Great War as it was known then) in Europe and the need for the construction of L1s class 2-8-2 Mikados for freight service. 01:29 to 01:35 The locomotive being shown is not a K4s but a T1 4-4-4-4 which was built to replace the K4s starting in 1944. It is unrelated to the narration at that point. 01:37 - 02:41 The locomotive shown in these pacing shots is a Class M 4-8-2 with a 1940's -'50's era "coast to coast" tender. At this point in the video, this class of locomotive is not related to your subject of K4s Pacific types. 01:44 Statement is incorrect. K4s locomotives were only suitable for passenger trains and fast mail/express trains due to their large 80" drivers. M class locomotives had 72" drivers and were built as "dual service" locomotives suitable for freight and passenger service. 02:40 List of improvements implied that these were widely applied. Compared to the first locomotive #1737, improved headlights, stokers and power reverse were the only modifications made to the entire class. 03:00 During your discussion of the K5 class, the locomotives being shown are still K4s. Only two K5 locomotives were built and not considered successful. 03:10 Discussions of the S1 class being displayed at the New York Worlds Fair are superfluous to your story. Try to avoid digressions like this in your future videos. 03:32 I would be skeptical of the claim of the PRR S1 steaming at 60 mph on the rollers at the New York Worlds Fair in 1939. Videos on youtube of this event don't show the #6100 running nearly that fast and the smoke and noise produced would be extremely annoying to surrounding exhibits. The volume of your video tended to rise and fall with different narrators. Good luck on your future videos
William Stanier, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, was so impressed with the performance of the K4s that he based his new Pacifics around the boiler of the K4, put onto a chassis from the GWR King Class 4-6-0s. All of his subsequent locomotives for the LMS have a Pennsylvania look about them.
The M1a, what a locomotive and the favorite of Pennsy engineers and pretty much a hybrid of the K4 and I1s 2-10-0 class. The I class was all business, not pretty but could dig in and slug it out on long coal drags and one of my favorite Pennsy steamers, when paired up with the "coast to coast" tenders it just had that no glam, just all business look, I love that look. I like to look at the M class that it had great parents. The K and the I1 class had a child and it was the M class. The all time favorite of Pennsy engineers.
The first group of people tried but failed to restore this K-4. Fortunately there is a group of people that actually have the Pennsylvania Railroads, original blueprints of the K-4. The original group that attempted to restore the 1361. I guess did their best . But made some serious mistakes. After the first time 1361 was restored. It couldn’t back up over a switch or crossover from one track to another. The rear truck would derail , and this group also didn’t use the proper grade of steel stay bolts and made a lot more mistakes. One in particular, the rear truck axle has to be bronze bearings with 3/4” end play . For some unknown reason this group welded the rear truck to the Locomotive Frame. Why this original group didn’t use the available original blueprints is not to smart. This new group of people. Restoring the K-4 # 1361. Are going to actually bring the 1361 back to like new working condition and correct any mistakes made by the original group .I never knew how extremely complicated and precision a Steam Locomotive actually is. They are like a finely tuned old school Swiss Watch. Something I don’t understand is when a Steam Locomotive is reconditioned to like new. It can cost Millions of Dollars to restore a Steam Locomotive. Then after the Steam Locomotive is used on excursions for a few years. Many end up. In a Museum to never run again.
They end up in museums because of the 15 year inspections by the FRA. It's very costly to tear down a whole locomotive to reinspect it and replace boiler tubes, etc.
