History
Over time, the PRR had saved examples of their main classes of steam motive power, either for display or posterity. Unfortunately, they only saved examples of engines considered to be successful, thus no examples of classes Q, S, and T steam locomotives were saved. Class J locomotives, although successful, were built to a Chesapeake and Ohio Railway design and were thus not considered representative of a PRR locomotive. Consequently, none of the 125 J1 or J1a locomotives were preserved either. Engines had been quietly stored in the engine facility at Northumberland, Pennsylvania. A few engines there were officially cosmetically restored, while thoughtful employees took it upon themselves to clean up and paint other engines (as documented in the book Pennsylvania Railroad Hudson to Horseshoe).
With the state looking to establish a railroad museum and PRR successor Penn Central Railroad looking to rid itself of the collection in the late 1960s (and also to be cleared of back taxes), the engines were moved piecemeal to the new museum in Strasburg. During the initial site selection period for the planned museum, there was much debate of various options, including Northumberland and Altoona. Ironically, a recreated roundhouse has been tentatively planned for the roundhouse area to provide much needed cover for rolling stock.
PRR K4 engine #3750 was once renumbered to represent class pioneer PRR #1737. The PRR wished to display #1737 but since the original engine was in deplorable condition, engine #3750 was renumbered #1737. It has since regained its original number. This was also done in the case of PRR #7002, which is actually engine #8063. Unlike #3750, it has not been restored to its original number.
Read more about this topic: Railroad Museum Of Pennsylvania
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