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Pennsylvania Railroad class H6 facts for kids

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Pennsylvania Railroad H6
Pennsy 2846 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Power type Steam
Builder PRR Altoona Works, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Alco -P
Build date H6: 1899-1901
H6a: 1901-1905
H6b: 1905–1913
Total production H6: 65 H6a: 1,041 H6b: 601 Total: 1,707
Number rebuilt 699 to H6sa/H6sb
Configuration 2-8-0
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter 36 in (0.91 m)
Driver diameter 56 in (1.42 m)
Length 65 ft 11 in (20.09 m)
(including 70F70 tender)
Weight on drivers 180,000 lb (81,650 kg)
Locomotive weight 204,800 lb (92,900 kg)
Locomotive and tender combined weight 343,600 lb (155,900 kg)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity 29,200 lb (13,200 kg)
Water capacity 7,200 US gal
(27,000 L; 6,000 imp gal)
Boiler pressure 195 psi (13.7 kgf/cm2)
Fire grate area H6: 33.3 sq ft (3.09 m2)
Others: 49.0 sq ft (4.55 m2)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size H6/H6a/H6b: 22 in × 28 in
(560 mm × 710 mm)
H6sa/H6sb: 23 in × 28 in
(580 mm × 710 mm)
Tractive effort H6: 42,717 lbf (190.01 kN)
H6a/H6b: 42,168 lbf (187.57 kN)
H6sa/H6sb43,841 lbf (195.01 kN)
Nicknames ペンソリ Pensori
Consolidation Freight Locomotive No. 2846
Pennsylvania Railroad class H6 is located in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Railroad class H6
Location in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Railroad class H6 is located in the United States
Pennsylvania Railroad class H6
Location in the United States
Nearest city Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Area 0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built 1905
Architect Baldwin Locomotive Works
MPS Pennsylvania Railroad Rolling Stock TR
NRHP reference No. 79002263
Added to NRHP December 17, 1979
Retired 1953-1958
Preserved PRR 2846

The Pennsylvania Railroad's class H6, H6a, and H6b steam locomotives were very important engines. They were a type called "2-8-0 Consolidation" because of their wheel arrangement. These locomotives were designed to pull heavy freight trains.

The H6 series was the most common type of locomotive on the Pennsylvania Railroad. There were 1,707 of them built! This made them the second most common 2-8-0 type in North America.

Meet the H6 Locomotives

The H6 locomotives came in a few different versions. These versions were called subclasses. They had small differences, mostly in their fireboxes and how much power they could make.

Class Firebox Type Grate Area (how big the fire is) Tractive Force (pulling power) Driver Size (wheel size) Number Built Years Built
H6 narrow 33.3 sq ft (3.09 m2) 42,717 lbf (190.01 kN) 56 in (1,400 mm) 65 1899−01
H6a wide 49.0 sq ft (4.55 m2) 42,168 lbf (187.57 kN) 56 in (1,400 mm) 1,041 1901−05
H6b wide 49.0 sq ft (4.55 m2) 42,168 lbf (187.57 kN) 56 in (1,400 mm) 601 1905−13

Upgrades and Changes

In the 1920s, many H6a and H6b locomotives got an upgrade. They had special parts called superheaters added. These parts made the steam hotter, which gave the engines more power. Their cylinder size also got a bit bigger. These improved engines were then called H6sa and H6sb.

What They Did

The H6 locomotives were workhorses for the Pennsylvania Railroad. They pulled long freight trains across the country. They also worked on local routes and helped move cars around in train yards. Sometimes, on really steep hills, two or even three H6 engines would be hooked together to pull a single train!

Other Railroads Using H6 Locomotives

The Pennsylvania Railroad was very influential. For a time, they even had some control over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). Because of this, the B&O bought many locomotives that were almost exactly like the H6. These B&O engines were known as the E-24 class.

The B&O's E-24 engines also had different versions. Some were changed to be better at switching cars. Others got superheaters, just like the PRR's H6sa and H6sb. Sadly, none of the B&O E-24 locomotives are still around today.

H6 Locomotives in China

Around 1938, thirty H6sb locomotives were sold to the South Manchuria Railway (SMR). This railway was in a region called Manchuria. The SMR called these engines the Sorisa class. The name "Sorisa" came from "Consolidation" (the type of engine) and "san" (meaning "three" in Japanese), because they were the third type of Consolidation engine the SMR had.

To tell them apart from other engines, the H6sb locomotives were nicknamed Pensori. This name combined "Penn" from Pennsylvania and "soli" from Consolidation.

Fifteen of these engines were used by the SMR. The other fifteen went to the Manchukuo National Railway. After World War II, both of these railways became part of the China Railway. The H6 locomotives were then renamed the KD10 class in China.

Preserved Locomotives

One special H6sb locomotive, PRR #2846, is still around today! It was built in 1905. You can see it at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. This museum has a few examples of the H class locomotives.

In 1979, PRR #2846 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical item that should be protected.

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