Great Northern S-2

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Great Northern S-2 class
SP&S 700
, remainder scrapped

The Great Northern S-2 was a class of 14 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 and operated by the Great Northern Railway until the late 1950s.

The locomotives were built to haul passengers on the GN mainline, pulling the Empire Builder and the Oriental Limited and were assigned to the Montana division for service between Williston, North Dakota and Havre, Montana and the Spokane division for service between Spokane, Washington and Wenatchee, Washington, then assigned to the Divide between Havre and Whitefish, Montana, of which mostly runs through the famed Marias Pass, though they were also used on GN tracks outside of their assigned areas.

Today, only one S-2 survives, No. 2584. It was retired in December 1957 and moved to the Havre depot in Havre, Montana in May 1964 where it still resides today.

History

Design

Intended for fast passenger service, the S-2s were built lighter and with larger driving wheels than the earlier

steam injector, which can process 4,500 US gal (17,000 L; 3,700 imp gal) to 7,350 US gal (27,800 L; 6,120 imp gal) gallons of water per hour. The S-2 came with a Vanderbilt type tender, which provided a capacity of 17,250 gallons of water and 5,800 gallons of oil. It was unique in being the only all-welded tender on the GN. This water-bottom tender had a Commonwealth cast-steel frame and rode on two 6-wheel cast steel trucks. The locomotives were fast but slippery when starting heavier trains. They were also the first class of 4-8-4 Northerns to be built with 80 inch driving wheels.[3][4] They also proved to be reliable, as a single S-2 can haul up to 18 conventional steel passenger cars on westbound passenger runs, with helper service only necessary between Walton and Summit on eastbound runs should trains exceed 11 cars. It is a distance of 18 miles where the grade is 1.8%. In addition to being fast, they were also economical in fuel consumption and maintenance expenses and had an exceptionally high availability for service. Such positives had led the class to being excellent performers. An S-2 can make the 512 mile round trip from Whitefish to Havre and back with only minor work at Havre, such as refueling and greasing. However, it was not unusual for an S-2 to run the 566 mile distance from Whitefish to Williston, North Dakota and have the locomotive detach from its train at Havre only for refueling.[5] On flat, straight track, an S-2 is capable of hauling 18 heavy steel Pullmans at 80 mph (130 km/h). Their power and speed allowed them to make up nearly an hour with an all-steel passenger train on the Montana division and Spokane division.[1]

All S-2s were delivered in the "Glacier Park" paint scheme except for No. 2577, which carried a coat of light grey or aluminum paint on the boiler and cylinder jackets at delivery, most likely for photographic purposes. It was eventually repainted to Glacier Park, matching the rest of the class. All engines came with chrome plated cylinder covers and steam chest heads and by the 1950s, all engines had received the more economical all-black paint scheme. The only major rebuilding of the class was the replacement of the original bearings with

roller bearings on every axle in 1945. Some engines were temporarily converted to burn coal for a period in the late 1930s, with the tender having a capacity of 24 tons of coal. Vestibule cabs were added to engine 2577 in the early 1930s and engines 2582, 2586, 2587 and 2588 by the late 1940s.[3]

Revenue service

The S-2s spent most of their career pulling the Great Northern's passenger trains, such as the Empire Builder and the Oriental Limited between

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's mainline), but have also pulled fast mail trains. They have also traversed over the famed Marias Pass. As a result of their speed and high availability for service, they proved to be reliable locomotives, running up to approximately 20,000 miles (32,000 km) a month.[5] Initially, nine were assigned to the Montana division for service between Williston, North Dakota and Havre, Montana, and five were assigned to the Spokane division for service between Spokane, Washington and Wenatchee, Washington due to both divisions having long tangents, easy curves and light grades,[6][1] then in 1931, they were tested in pulling the Empire Builder over the Divide between Havre and Whitefish, Montana. The test was a success and all of the S-2s were also assigned to pull the Empire Builder over the Divide, replacing the S-1s in passenger service over the Divide and putting them in freight service.[5]

By 1949, the Great Northern had dieselised its premier passenger trains and the S-2s were then reassigned to secondary passenger runs and freight service, of which the latter service proved to be rather unsuitable for them due to their passenger locomotive design.[3] Retirement started on August 25, 1955 and engines 2577 and 2584 made their last revenue runs in 1956 before being retired a year later.[7] By April 1958, all of the S-2s have been retired.[8]

Accidents and incidents

Preservation

Only one S-2 survived into preservation today, No. 2584. It made its final run in late 1956 and it was stored in a roundhouse in Superior, Wisconsin. It was then retired in December 1957 and on March 21, 1958, the Great Northern had decided to hold it for historical purposes and it was eventually repainted to its original Glacier Park paint scheme. On May 15, 1964, it was put on display at the Havre depot in Havre, Montana and was dedicated there.[9] Today, it is still on display there.[3] It also has a marker describing the locomotive and the S-2 class in general on the engineer's side of the locomotive's tender.[10] It is the sole surviving Great Northern "Northern" type and the largest surviving Great Northern steam locomotive.

The tender from S-2 No. 2575 also survives, it is currently used as an auxiliary tender for Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700.[11]

Roster

Number Baldwin serial number Date built Disposition Notes
2575 61211 February 1930 Sold for scrap August 25, 1955 but the tender survives and is used as an auxiliary tender for Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700. First 4-8-4 "Northern" to be built with 80" driving wheels.[4]
2576 61212 February 1930 Sold for scrap April 19, 1956.
2577 61213 February 1930 Retired December 1957, scrapped 1963. Painted light grey on the boiler and cylinder jackets at delivery upon delivery, eventually repainted to Glacier Park. Received Vestibule cab in the early 1930s.[3]
2578 61214 February 1930 Sold for scrap April 19, 1956.
2579 61215 February 1930 Retired December 1957, scrapped 1963.
2580 61216 February 1930 Retired April 1958, scrapped 1963.
2581 61224 February 1930 Boiler exploded January 9, 1947; not repaired, scrapped February 4, 1947.[3]
2582 61225 February 1930 Sold for scrap August 25, 1955. Received Vestibule cab by the late 1940s.[3]
2583 61237 March 1930 Retired December 1957, scrapped 1963.
2584 61238 March 1930 Retired December 1957, held for historical purposes March 21, 1958, moved to the Havre depot May 15, 1964 for display and currently resides there.[3] Repainted Glacier Park scheme before display. Sole surviving GN S-2, sole surviving GN "Northern" and largest surviving GN steam locomotive.
2585 61239 March 1930 Sold for scrap October 7, 1955.
2586 61240 March 1930 Retired April 1958, scrapped 1963. Received Vestibule cab in the 1930s.[3]
2587 61241 March 1930 Sold for scrap October 7, 1955. Received Vestibule cab by the late 1940s.[3]
2588 61242 March 1930 Sold for scrap April 19, 1956. Received Vestibule cab in the 1930s.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Its Drive Wheels Deliver Mile a Minute for Every Inch Diameter". The Havre Daily News. 2 May 1930. p. 2.
  2. ^ https://ctr.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf/4-8-4-locomotives/2-early-oil-4-8-4-dbhp.pdf [dead link]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m http://www.greatnorthernempire.net/index2.htm?GNEGN_S2_Class.htm GN S-2 Class
  4. ^ a b "Great Northern 4-8-4 "Northern" Locomotives in the USA".
  5. ^ a b c "Baldwins on GN".
  6. ^ "1924 Oriental Limited".
  7. ^ "Great Northern Railway S-2 4-8-4 2584 in the Mallet House at Superior, Wisconsin on June 17, 1958". 28 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Great Northern Empire - then and Now".
  9. ^ "GN Steam Locos".
  10. ^ "Great Northern #2584". 2 October 2009.
  11. ^ "Auxiliary Tender - Pacific Railroad Preservation Association".

General references

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Northern S-2 class.
  • Keyes, Norman C. Jr.; Middleton, Kenneth R. (Autumn 1980). "The Great Northern Railway Company: All-Time Locomotive Roster, 1861–1970".
    JSTOR 43523930
    .
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