PAGE INDEX:

Pennsy Boxcabs page- an unindexed browsing page, except for these -
  PRR Boxcabs.
    Class A6/A6B (first PRR I.C. Boxcab Loco).
  Pennsy Shovelnose.

Surviving Pennsy Boxcabs on their own pages:

  PRR Class P5 #4700 (1931, Altoona).
  PRR Class DD1 #3936-3937 (Juniata, 1911).
  Class B1 #5690 (Altoona, 1934).

I have extracted much of the PRR boxcab info. from other boxcab pages and collected it on the PRR Boxcabs page; more will follow.

There were (and even are) jillions and zillions of other boxcab electrics; so much boxcab info was added that I had to move them to a new page just for electrics (et seq.)!

PRR BOXCABS EARLY DIESEL CONCEPTS

What follows is the text and drawings of a collection of "what-ifs", Pennsylvania Railroad conjectural drawings for boxcab gas- and oil-electric locomotives [with a few road switcher (hood) and center cab units thrown in] that escaped the scrap bin when the Pennsy collapsed into the PennCentral merger.  The collection was published privately by Robert B. Watson under the title "PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD EARLY DIESEL CONCEPTS" and consists of Bob Watson's introduction, a summary tablulation of all the data, and 23 "D" size (22" x 34") drawings (tracings) reduced to "B"-size (11" x 17").  My copy is signed "R B Watson" and dated "4/2/94".  With Bob's specific kind permission, I have reproduced the text and drawings here in reduced size; if you wish to see them in larger size, you will need to buy Bob's book.

Errata:

1. - Winton V-12 engines tabulated for tracings 402589 and 402625 should read V-16; if you have an uncorrected copy, you should so note it.

2. - "Ingersol-Rand" should be spelled "Ingersoll-Rand".

3. - "McIntosh & Seymore" or "McIntosh-Seymore" are wrong; the firm is "McIntosh & Seymour"; see the explanation (*), below.

    The concepts depicted in these drawings never got past the drawing board, but the Mechanical Engineer's office in Altoona was beginning to get serious about this new technology.  Note the speed vs. drawbar pull curves comparing the predicted performance of these new ideas with that of known steam locomotives of similar power.  All but one of these concepts were switchers with performance close to (but seldom exceeding) that of the ubiquitous B6Sb.  The one exception is a 2000 H.P., 2-8-2 passenger unit (could this have been the phantom L7?) that was apparently meant to challenge the K4.  It didn't come close!

    A number of features of these conceptual locomotives bear special mention.  There are two dominant traction motor models; both by Westinghouse -- the "360" with 45" wheels and the "588" with 36" wheels.  Both were considered for both force-ventilated and self-ventilated applications.  Carbody configurations were basically of three types -- box, center cab, and a prehistoric road switcher.  The passenger unit shows some vestiges of primitive streamlining.  The most unusual carbody is the "open-air" box cab with neither sides nor roof except for a short section at each end which included the cabs^@.  This configuration was probably intended to facilitate engine maintenance.  All of the concepts featured an "Arcola Heater"** -- a mysterious device of unknown purpose.  If it was a cab heater, why was it located only at one end of two-cab units?

    The main engines, however, exhibited the greatest diversity.  Cooper-Bessemer (which built the forerunner of the engine used by the 1950-60 vintage General Electric "U" series locomotives), was prominent with 1000 horsepower, in-line, six cylinder models (including one marked as a 2-stroke cycle engine) and a small 450 HP model.  An 800 HP Westinghouse engine was also considered for several applications.  It is conjectured that this was a V12.  The in-line six by Ingersol{l}-Rand was rated at 900 HP for one unit.  Another 400 HP Ingersol{l}-Rand engine is also noted.

    Two-stroke cycle V12 {and V16} Winton engines rated at 900 & 1200 HP also found a place.  In fact the 900 HP model was to have been used on two of the four units which appear to have passed muster by W. F. Kiesel{, Jr.}.  These engines, of course, were the ancestors of the 567 EMD series.  The greatest output (1600 HP) was obtained from a Busch-Sulzer in-line engine of an unknown number of cylinders.

    Two small gasoline engines, one by Winton and one by Brill, rated at 400 and 536 HP respectively, might also have found a place in this roster.  But the most curious engine is the 900 HP Sterling found on two of the concepts^#.  It was of very low profile and may have been a "flat" engine.  The number of cylinders could not be determined but its output per unit volume seems to be about twice that of engines of comparable horsepower.

    Finally, McIntosh-Seymore* engines rated at 900 HP in a 6 cylinder in-line arrangement were to have been used on the other two of the four most promising arrangements.  A 1200 HP {V16} model was also offered.  The McIntosh-Seymore* 6 cylinder in-line design became the 539 engine used by Alco on all of its early units.

    The small (35 and 60 HP) engine-generator sets found on several of the concepts were probably meant to provide cranking power to start the main engine, after first being started themselves by manual cranking or from the batteries.

    Four of these preliminary designs were endorsed by the Mechanical Engineer as indicated by W. F. Kiesel{,Jr.}'s signature, but none got approval from the Chief of Motor Power.  Any further interpretation of these drawings is conjecture.  The enthusiast can study the drawings and form his own conclusions or dream of what might have been.

    The tracings from which this group of drawings was made were rescued from oblivion at the time of the PC merger or shortly thereafter.

{signed} R B Watson
4/2/94

@ - it appears to me (SB,III) that there may indeed be a central hood, slanted inward at the top; see dotted outline in the end view.

# - similar 6-cylinder Sterlings were used as logging engines in the Adirondacks.

Drawing |      |   Total    |                        Engines            | Traction Motors |    Wheel    | Carbody | Control
Number  | Date | Horsepower | No. Number Manufacturer Type No.Cylinders |   No. Model     | Arrangement |  Style  | Stations | Remarks

Draw’g           Tot  Engines   TracMotors     Wheel     Cb Ct
No.    Date      HP  #/Mf/Ty/Cy #/Model     Arrangement. St St Remarks

401731 12/19/33 2000 2 CB IL 6  4 ?         040-040 (BB) Bx 2  NB
401732 12/19/33 1600 2 WV ?  4  ?           040-040 (BB) CC 2  NB
401733 12/19/33  900 1 IR IL 6  3 W360A     060     (C)  Bx 2  MB
401734 12/19/33 1000 1 CB IL 6  3 W360A     060     (C)  Bx 2  MB
401735 12/19/33  900 1 WV    12 3 W360A     060     (C)  Bx 2  MB
401736 12/19/33  800 1 WV    ?  3 W360A     060     (C)  Bx 2  MB
401737 12/19/33 1600 2 WV    ?  4 W360BN    080     (D)  CC 2  NB
401738 12/19/33 1000 1 CB IL 6  4 W588      040-040 (BB) Bx 2  MB
401746 12/20/33 1600 1 BS IL ?  4 W360      080     (D)  RS 1  NB
401748 12/21/33 1600 I BS IL ?  4 W360BN    040-040 (BB) RS 1  NB
401751 12/21/33  900 1 ST ?  ?  3 W360A     060     (C)  Bx 2  MB
401773 12/29/33 1800 2 ST ?  ?  4 W360A     080     (D)  Bx 2  NB
401774 12/29/33  900 1 WV    12 4 W588      040-040 (BB) Bx 2  NB
                 450 I CB IL 6
401775 12/30/33  400 I IR  ? ?  4 W571-DP-6 040-040 (BB) RS 1  NB;1
                 400 1 WG  ? ?
                 536 1 BG  ? ?
401791   1/2/34 1800 2 WV    12 4 W360BN    040-040 (BB) CC 2  NB
401797   1/5/34 2000 2 CB IL 6  4 ?         2-8-2  (1D1) CC 2  NB;2
401798   1/5/34 1000 1 CB IL 6  4 W588      040-040 (BB) RS 1  NB
401799   1/5/34 1000 1 CB IL 6  3 W360A     020-040 (AB) Bx 2  MB
402291  3/20/34  900 1 MS IL 6  4 W588      040-040 (BB) RS 1  NB;3
402565  3/22/34  900 1 MS IL 6  4 W588      040-040 (BB) Bx 2  NB;3
402589  3/27/34 1200 1 WV    16 4 W588      040-040 (BB) Bx 2  NB;3
402625  3/31/34 1200 1 WV    16 4 W588      040-040 (BB) RS 1  NB;3
402936  5/23/34 1200 1 MS IL 8  4 W588      040-040 (BB) Bx 2  NB

ABBREVIATIONS:
  BG = Brill - Gasoline
  BS = Busch-Sulzer
  Bx = Box{cab}
  CB = Cooper-Bessemer
  CC = Center Cab
  IL = In-Line
  IR = Ingersol⁴-Rand
  IL = In-Line
  MB = (Traction) Motors Blown
  MS = McIntosh-Seymore*
  NB = (Traction) Motors Not Blown
  PU = Passenger Unit
  RS = Road Switcher
  ST = Sterling
  WE = Westinghouse
  WG = Winton Gasoline
  WV = Winton Vee

(4) - "Ingersol-Rand" should actually be spelled "Ingersoll-Rand".

* - To settle the discrepancy about McIntosh-Seymore (in R. B. Watson's text in Early Diesel Concepts) based on McIntosh & Seymore (on PRR Early Diesel Concepts drawings) vs. McIntosh & Seymour:

In 1886 McIntosh, Seymour & Company was started in Auburn, New York, by John E. McIntosh in partnership with James A. Seymour.

In 1925 and 1926, they advertised as McINTOSH & SEYMOUR CORPORATION, Manufacturers of Diesel Oil Engines.

In 1931, they advertised as McINTOSH & SEYMOUR CORP., Division of American Locomotive Corporation, MçINTOSH & SEYMOUR DIESEL ENGINES and as McIntosh & Seymour Corporation, Division of American Locomotive Corporation, MçINTOSH & SEYMOUR DIESEL ENGINES.

In 1931, they advertised just as McINTOSH & SEYMOUR CORP.

Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association in Le Sueur, Minnesota, has a large 3-cylinder McIntosh-Seymour diesel engine with a large red-on-grey nameplate that reads: MçINTOSH & SEYMOUR.

  [In the above, I used a small "c" with a cedilla to represent a superscript "c" over a dash.]

** - The "Arcola Heater" was an American Radiator Company hot water heater (of no known energy source) used in residences and commercial buildings (including railroad stations) in the '20s and was advertised as able to heat other spaces with American Radiators via hot water circulated in small pipes.  Perhaps there were to be small radiators in the crew spaces, as in the AGEIR units, which were not detailed on these tracings.