| This powerful 4-8-4 was built by Baldwin in May of 1938 to handle long strings of passenger cars with as many as 21 heavyweight cars, eliminating the need for double-heading and running extra sections onf the Richmond, VA to Jacksonville, FL "Specials". The ACL was very disappointed with their R-1s, and returned them to Baldwin for better counterbalancing of the 80 inch drive wheels. It seems the R-1s, as delivered, had a bad dynamic augment. Even after Baldwin checked their math, and put new disk drivers on the ACL R-1s, they still had unacceptable amounts of dynamic augment at high speeds. As soon as the ACL could replace them with EMD E-3 and E-6 diesel electrics, ACL put its latest and largest steamers into freight service. The loco was scrapped after only 15 years of service in January of 1953. " Specs - class R1, 80" drivers, 275 psi boiler pressure, 27x30" cylinders, engine weight of 460,270 lb, tractive effort of 63,901 lb. No date, location or photographer was listed. |