PRR B1

B1 preserved in Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	Altoona Works In association with: Westinghouse Allis-Chalmers
Build date	1926-1935
Total produced	BB1: 2 (paired) BB2: 12 (paired) BB3: 14 (paired) B1: 14 Total: 42

Specifications
AAR wheel arr	C
UIC class	Co'
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.	62 in (1,575 mm)
Length	31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Height	15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
Loco weight	157,000 lb (71,000 kilograms; 71 metric tons)
Electric system(s)	11 kV 25 hz AC Catenary 650 V DC Third rail (BB2)
Current collection	Pantograph, Contact shoe (BB2)
Traction motors	3 × 233 hp (174 kW)
Transmission	Resistance controlled DC or tap changer controlled AC supplied to AC-DC universal motors directly geared to the axles

Performance figures
Maximum speed	25 mph (40 km/h)
Power output	700 hp (520 kW)
Tractive effort	39,250 lbf (174.6 kN)

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class B1 comprised 42 switcher-type electric locomotives built between 1926 and 1935. They were of 0-6-0 wheel arrangement in the Whyte notation with 700 horsepower. As built, the first 28 locomotives in the 1926 order formed semi-permanently coupled pairs grouped in three classes.

The first, class BB1, were AC powered and served as prototypes. The second, class BB2, were DC powered and served in the New York Terminal district, specifically between Sunnyside Yard and New York Penn Station. The third, class BB3, was AC powered and built for the Long Island Rail Road's electrified freight operation on the Bay Ridge Branch. In 1934 a follow-up order of 14 locomotives were built as single unit class B1 for the expanding main line AC electrification system. In addition to these new units all previous BB classes were split into single units and the BB2 class were re-powered for AC operation as that system replaced the old 650VDC system in the New York terminal. At this point all 42 units were re-classed as PRR B1.

Most of the B1 fleet spent its time shuttling trains around Sunnyside Yard or between there and Penn Station. Other B1s were also assigned to the Penn Coach Yard at Philadelphia 30th Street Station and a few units even made their way to the PRR Harrisburg Station. As passenger traffic decreased in the 1950s and 1960s the need for dedicated electric switchers diminished with only the Sunnyside B1s surviving into the Penn Central era. After retirement all B1s were scrapped except for a single example preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

References

Staufer, Alvin (1962). Pennsy Power. Staufer. pp. 260–263. LOC 62-20878.
Pennsylvania Railroad. "B1". PRR Locomotive Diagrams. Retrieved 2006-01-05. (simple drawing and specifications, for general reference by railroad staff).

Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives

A (0-4-0):	A1 A2 A3 A4 A5s

B (0-6-0):	B1 (s) B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B1 (e)

C (0-8-0):	C1 C29 C30 C31

D (4-4-0):	D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13 D14 D15 D16 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D37 D38 D39 D61 "Odd D" #10003

E (4-4-2):	E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E21 E22 E23 E28

F (2-6-0):	F1 F2 F3 F21 F22 F23 F24 F25 F26 F27 F30 F31 F61

G (4-6-0):	G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G53

H (2-8-0):	H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H8 H9 H10

I (2-10-0):	I1s

J (2-6-2 and 2-10-4):	J1 J28

K (4-6-2):	K1 K2 K3s K4s K5

L (2-8-2):	L1s L2s L5 L6

M (4-8-2):	M1

N (2-10-2):	N1s N2s

O (4-4-4):	O1

P (4-6-4):	P5

Q (4-6-4-4 and 4-4-6-4):	Q1 Q2

R (4-8-4):	R1

S (6-4-4-6 and 6-8-6):	S1 S2

T (4-4-4-4):	T1

Articulated steam locomotives:	CC1s CC2s HC1s HH1s HH2s

Articulated electric locomotives:	AA1 BB1 BB2 BB3 DD1 DD2 FF1 FF2 GG1

Non-standard:	E2b E2c E3b E44

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