St. Louis — San Francisco Railway 2-10-0 Decapod type steam locomotive No. 1630 hauls an excursion train at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.
Jim Wrinn
2-10-0
•YEARS BUILT: 1924-1933
•MANUFACTURERS: Baldwin, Canadian
•OPERATED ON: Alabama, Tennessee & Northern, Durham & Southern, Georgia, Florida & Alabama, Seaboard Air Line, Great Western, Gainesville Midland, Woodward Iron Co.
•NAMES: Decapod, Russian Decapod
•QUANTITY: 22 light Decapods for American railroads; 1,057 for the Russian government; 857 were shipped before the Russian revolution in 1917 resulted in cancellation of the order, which left 200 engines stranded in the U.S.
•BOILER PRESSURE: 190 psi
•KNOWN FOR: High tractive effort on light rails
•STATUS: Several preserved; Strasburg 90 and Frisco 1630 run
PRR Ilsa #4483 was moved from Wilmerding, PA to Western New York. It’s owned by the Western New York Railroad Historical Society.
Ditto to David Mumma’s mention of PRRs largest fleet of Hippos – made 1916-1923 [ Baldwin 475, Hometown Altoona 123]. The last one standing was retired 1975 & stands at Wilmerding, PA at Wabco shops. These Decapods were coal & ore drag freight engines with a shrill “Banshee” steam whistle that ecooed thru the PA,OH, & NY multi-tracked lines from the lakes to Steel-towns. I remember awakened by their thunderous passing, lying still & counting trucks making clanks over the switches to yield 90-100 hoppers being hauled. I’m one of a dying breed of Pennsy family kids born in the steam era.
Hmmm – No Mention or pictures of the 598 I-1 class “Hippos” on the Pennsy? They were ubiquitous on coal drags and heavy freight for decades. How can the Decapod be mentioned without those?
“YEARS BUILT: 1924-1933” – how come when 857 were shipped before 1917??
I do not believe that the Strasburg engine is a Russian decapod. It looks much bigger then the one in operation at the Illinois Railway Museum.
Having ridden behind the GW engine at Strasburg and the British 2-10-0 9F “Black Prince” those five drivers are quite a sight!