Atlantic Coast Line 1504

Atlantic Coast Line 1504
ACL 1504 on display in Jacksonville, Florida.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder American Locomotive Company Serial number 59314 Build date August 1919
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2′C2′ h1 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 73 in (1,854 mm) Wheelbase Loco & tender: 70.79 ft (21.58 m) Axle load 59,333 lb (26,913 kilograms; 26.913 metric tons) Adhesive weight 178,000 lb (81,000 kilograms; 81 metric tons) Loco weight 278,000 lb (126,000 kilograms; 126 metric tons) Tender weight 188,000 lb (85,000 kilograms; 85 metric tons) Total weight 466,000 lb (211,000 kilograms; 211 metric tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons) Water cap. 10,000 US gal (38,000 L; 8,300 imp gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 66.70 sq ft (6.197 m2) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 242 sq ft (22.5 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 794 sq ft (73.8 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 25 in × 28 in (635 mm × 711 mm) Valve gear Baker
Performance figures Maximum speed 80 mph (130 km/h) Tractive effort 40,753 lbf (181.28 kN) Factor of adh. 4.12
Career Operators Atlantic Coast Line Class P-5-A Number in class 5th of 70 Numbers ACL 1504 Originally 497 Delivered 1920 Retired December 13, 1952 Disposition On display at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida

Atlantic Coast Line 1504 is a 4-6-2 USRA Light Pacific steam locomotive built by the Richmond Locomotive Works in Richmond, Virginia in August 1919 for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) as a member of the P-5-A class.

The locomotive was built for passenger service and was assigned to pull the ACL's mainline passenger trains such as the Florida Special and the South Wind until being retired in 1952 and donated to Jacksonville for display.

Service history

The locomotive pulled passenger trains, including the Miamian, the Florida Special, Palmetto Limited, the Southland, the South Wind and the Dixie Flyer. By the late 1940s, the railroad had dieselised its passenger trains and the locomotive was assigned to fast freight service and spent its last years in the Tampa, Florida area before 1952, the year it was retired and put into storage.

Preservation

1504 was chosen for preservation by ACL president Champion Davis and the Head of ACL's Mechanical Department, John W. Hawthornethe. In 1960, after some years in storage, the locomotive was given a thorough mechanical overhaul and then placed on display in front of the then new ACL General Office Building in Jacksonville. In 1986, CSX presented the locomotive to the city of Jacksonville, Florida. It was cosmetically restored and put on display at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, where it currently resides. It is the only surviving original USRA Light Pacific steam locomotive and is in almost original condition.

The locomotive was designated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1990. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.