Last week, I made two posts going over my 8 TTTE OCs from the New York Central System. Now this post and the next will go over my 8 TTTE OCs from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Now, this post will go over the 4 steam locomotives of the PRR.
Bullet - Bullet is a PRR T1 duplex locomotive and his number is #6110. He’s named “Bullet” because he kinda resembles a bullet. Bullet is the engine that usually pulls the Liberty Limited.
Torpedo - Torpedo is a PRR streamlined K4 and his number is #3768. He’s named “Torpedo” because he kinda resembles a torpedo. Torpedo is the engines that usually pulls the Broadway Limited.
Moto-Moto - Moto-Moto is a PRR I1a decapod steam locomotive and his number #4483. I named him “Moto-Moto” as a reference a hippopotamus in the Dreamworks film: Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, and because the I1a decapods were nicknamed “hippos” because of their massive boilers. However, before that Dreamworks movie came out, Moto-Moto was usually called by his number; #4483… until late 2008, shortly after Madagascar Escape 2 Africa came out in theaters, to which he was renamed “Moto-Moto”.
Storm - Storm is a PRR S1 steam locomotive and his number is #6200. He’s named “Storm” because he lets out vibrations and minor shaking when he thunders down the rails and his whistle is loud and deep; like thunder. Not only that, but Storm is a secret second S1. Storm sometimes helps Bullet with the Liberty Limited. And at times, Storm pulls heavy freight trains, and he doesn’t mind freight work.
Now onto the story of these four…
When these four entered service, they were very eager to be really useful engines. And throughout their service, they proved to be very useful engines indeed. Especially during the busier and heavier wartime traffic during World War II, the four PRR steam engines were very good at it, along with the other PRR steam engines. However, when diesels came into the picture in the 1950s, the four PRR steam engines had a bad feeling. And things got worse when more and more people abandoned railroads in favor of highways and airlines. Luckily, the Pennsylvania Railroad chose these four steam engines to remain in service, which made them feel better by at least a bit. And they actually become good friends with four PRR diesels that cared for steam engines.
When the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central System and the New Haven Railroad in 1968; forming the Penn Central… the four PRR steam engines became the only steam locomotives in Penn Central’s entire roster. And because of this, the four PRR steam locomotives met the four New York Central diesels: Grey, Jason, Peter and Derek. And they remained in their PRR liveries and patterns; further making them pop out among Penn Central’s roster.
In 1977, a year after Penn Central went bankrupt and ceased to exist in 1976, the four PRR steam locomotives went to the (then new) Amtrak and they, along with the four PRR diesels, ran heritage trains across former Pennsylvania Railroad territory. Then in 1980, when the four New York Central steam locomotives: Mohawk, Niagara, Hudson, and Steele, were found, the four PRR steam engines were eager to meet them. When the four NYC steam engines came our of the works, freshly restored, they got to meet the four PRR steam engines… and they became great friends.
And since then, the four PRR steam engines, along with the four PRR diesels, run heritage trains across former Pennsylvania Railroad territory. Torpedo pulls the original Broadway Limited, Bullet pulls the original Liberty Limited; both originally from the Pennsylvania Railroad… while 4483 usually handles freight trains (which usually consisted of PRR boxcars with PRR cabooses at the rear of the train). And Storm sometimes helps Bullet with the (original PRR) Liberty Limited, while Storm sometimes handled freight work, which he doesn’t mind.
And that’s the story of the four PRR steam locomotives. I know it’s shorter than that of the four NYC steam locomotives, but don’t worry , when I think of more for the story , I’ll update it, so stay tuned. ^^