Heralded as the replacement locomotive for the Pennsylvania Railroad’s fleet of K-4 Pacifics, the T1 class resembled little else on the “Standard Railroad of the World.” From its unique 4-4-4-4 wheel arrangement on a rigid frame, to the startling shark-like streamlining by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the T1s were a new hope in the battle against diesel power.
Unfortunately, the T1’s performance failed to meet expectations. Increased maintenance costs, due largely to the complex Poppet valves used, as well as the tendency to slip their drivers while at speed, doomed the T1s not long after their arrival from Baldwin and Altoona.
Lionel’s 5511 model recreates the prototype late in its short life. Sometime after their delivery, Pennsy maintenance forces eliminated the streamlined skirting around the 5511’s cylinders and below the running boards. A supplemental headlight was also added to the front-end, requiring the relocation of the numbered Pennsylvania keystone. All these features, in addition to accurate builders’ plates, train phone antenna and other rigging on the tender deck can be found in Lionel’s first issue of this historic locomotive.
