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M O T I V E P O W E R D E V E
L O P M E N T |
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A Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Train of the Civil
War Period
The Locomotive was built by The
Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1855, and was originally named "Black Oak.
" It was a duplicate of the "Aughwick," illustrated on page 16. It was
subsequently rebuilt as shown, at Altoona, and was finally scrapped in
1878. |
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88 passengers, its capacity was large in proportion to total
freight; but the modern coach is far stronger and more completely equipped,
and when the increased comfort and convenience of the passengers are considered,
the additional weight per capita is fully justified.
The amount of traffic handled by the Pennsylvania in 1867 is indicated
by the fact that 3,347,486 passengers were carried during the year, this
being equivalent to 126,443,234 passengers carried one mile. A total of
4,000,538 tons of freight were hauled, the equivalent ton-mileage being
565,657,813.
John P. Laird, the value of whose work as
Master of Machinery has been mentioned, |
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resigned in May, 1866, and was succeeded by R. E. Ricker.
He in turn resigned in 1867, and was succeeded by Alexander J. Cassatt
on November 16th of that year. The need of standardizing locomotive details
in the interest of efficiency and operating economy, had by this time become
fully realized; and in 1868 complete drawings of a series of standard locomotives
were prepared at Altoona, and with very few exceptions the motive power
thereafter built, whether constructed in the Company's shops or by outside
builders, conformed to the Pennsylvania's standard designs. A discussion
of these new designs will be presented in the next chapter. |
The Westbound Fast Mail in 1869
The Locomotive, No. 85, was a Norris,
built in 1854 and rebuilt at Altoona in 1865. The picture was taken
on the Middle Division near McVeytown, Pa. |
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