Pennsylvania Railroad 1361

The K4s is considered the Pennsylvania Railroad's most famous class of steam locomotives, with a total of 425 engines produced from 1917 to 1928, including the prototype that was built in 1914.[3] The last K4s stayed in service until they were replaced by diesel locomotives in the late 1950s.

1361 was completed on May 18, 1918, at the Altoona Works.[4] The engine ran an estimated 2.5 million miles (4.02 million kilometers) over its career.[5]

After 38 years of service, it was retired from revenue in 1956.[4]On June 8, 1957, the engine was placed on exhibit at the famed Horseshoe Curve outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania.[4]

No. 1361 at Horseshoe Curve before it was removed for restoration in 1985

On September 16, 1985, the engine was moved to the Altoona Works for restoration.[4] It was replaced at the curve with the EMD GP9 diesel locomotive 7048, painted in Pennsylvania Railroad colors.

On April 12, 1987, the locomotive was fired for the first time following the restoration.[4] On December 18, 1987, the Pennsylvania General Assembly designated 1361 and 3750 the official state steam locomotives; the same bill designated the GG1 4859 the state electric locomotive.[6]

In 1988, while the locomotive was hauling an excursion train, it suffered a main bearing and drive axle catastrophic failure. It was withdrawn from excursion service indefinitely and was once again retired indefinitely.[7][4]

The engine was dismantled in 1996 and moved to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was to be restored through a partnership between Steamtown, the University of Scranton, and the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona.[5] After an initial grant of $420,000, Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge released an additional $600,000 in March 2000.[5] The restoration progressed slowly, as "every broken pin and bolt had to be replaced with handmade duplicates."[5] Scheduled completion dates were repeatedly pushed back, and after 13 years, the restoration had cost $1.7 million.[1][8]

No. 1361 disassembled at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in 2015.

Most of the smaller components of 1361 were inventoried and returned to Altoona in 2007 when the museum stopped paying out funding until the rest of the locomotive, consisting mostly of the boiler, was returned to the museum.[9]

In April 2010, plans to restore 1361 were canceled.[8] Instead of rebuilding it and placing it back into excursion service, the museum decided to restore 1361 as a "semi-static display."[8] This would allow the locomotive to be fired and produce enough steam pressure to operate at low speeds around museum property and blow the whistle.[8] But even these plans for "semi-static" restoration were canceled, as the 1918 boiler would have needed significant reconstruction to meet specifications required by the Federal Railroad Administration.

By 2013, the engine had been entirely removed from Scranton. The frame, tender, and various small components were stored in Altoona, while the boiler was stored at the East Broad Top Railroad.[10] By early 2015, the museum had completed construction of its "quarter-roundhouse" and placed the 1361's tender, frame and other components inside.[11] In late July 2015, the 1361's boiler was moved to Altoona and placed in the roundhouse with the remainder of the engine.[12]

In May 2018, restoration hopes were renewed when Bennett Levin and Wick Moorman announced the creation of a private restoration fund. Restoration cost was estimated at $750,000. The locomotive requires boiler patches, firebox patches and a new crown sheet. Among other things, the locomotive will have PRR-style Timken rolling-element bearings built from designs from the 1940s. By 2018, new parts for the 1361 had been fabricated and were ready for installation. Levin and Moorman also announced that there are several ex-PRR P70 and B60 cars to be used for a statewide demonstration train.[13]

As of February 2019, the group was designing a new boiler that would meet FRA and mechanical engineering standards.[14]

In October 2019, the engine's tender neared complete restoration. Trucks were upgraded to roller bearings, and its water scoop was restored for demonstration purposes.[15]

On June 24, 2021, the museum announced that it had hired the contracting firm FMW Solutions to complete the restoration. Total costs of the restoration (both the second and third attempts) are estimated to be $2.6 million USD.[16] On November 23, 2021, the Museum announced that an entire, new boiler would be installed in #1361, as part of FMW Solutions' total renovation.[17]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania Railroad 1361.

• PRR 1361 on its first run after restoration (1987) on YouTube
• Railroad Pictures Archives: PRR 1361