| While waiting for the day passenger train for a return inspection trip back to his home base in Anderson, IN, my father, who was track supervisor on the PRR's Richmond Branch snapped this slide of a Pennsy Class J-1 behemoth. The J-1 class was Juniata built, but copied from a C&O design. It lacks the belpaire firebox / boiler commonly found on other PRR steam locomotives, and sports a keystone smokebox number plate instead of the round number plates found on most other classes of PRR freight locomotives. According to Dad, the J-1 was a water hog; even with that big tender, it had to be watered frequently. Dad also said the J-1 class tended to stay on PRR Lines West in the twilight years of Pennsy steam. All Pennsy J-1's were scrapped; none survive. |