The Black Diamond Express

While I was researching the original 5 Atlantics, I came across a lot of
information for the rest of the LV Atlantic fleet! So I though I would
incorporate all that scattered data into one all-time LV Atlantic list.

The LV owned a total of 39 4-4-2 Alantic locomotives, built by
Baldwin, Alco, and "home-built" by the LV at Sayre.

The earliest were the F1 class, the original five Atlantics discussed on the previous page, built by Baldwin in 1896.

And the last were the five engines of the F6 class, built by the LV
in Sayre in 1910-1911.

The LV did a system-wide renumburing of all its locomotives in 1905.
All the locomotives of the F1 through F4 class (which were all that existed at the time) recieved new numbers in 1905.

The F5 class was rebuilt from some of the F4 class locomotives. (when?)
recieving new 77" drivers. However only five locomotives are recorded in the F5 class, and eight locomotives originally existed in the F4 class.
Either three of the F4 locomotives were not rebuilt, and carried on until the end of their careers as unrebuilt F4's, or they were deemed too old or worn-out to be rebuild canidates, and were retired.

The F6 class, being built in 1910-11, after the 1905 renumburing, only had the one number series.

Its possible, and likely, that some of the numburing data below is incorrrect, and some info is also missing. I hope to eventually fill-in all this information. If you know anything, or know where data might be found, please let me know! You can email me, or join the discussion on railfan.net.
thanks!

F1 class. Five locomotives, Baldwin, 1896.
The first five LV Atlantics, ordered for the new Black Diamond Express in 1896,
as discussed on the previous page.

Additional F1 Class data, from "Jasper N. Haines' Scrapbook"
Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
No. Built 5
Year 1896
Type 4-4-2
Class F-1
Cylinders 19" x 26"
Driver Diam. 75 ½"
Boiler Pressure 180psi
Tractive Force 18,772lbs
Weight on Drivers 81,800lbs
Total Weight 140,900lbs

Old postcard of F2 class 2331 - originally No. 670 - renumbured to 2331 in 1905

F2 class. Four locomotives, Baldwin, 1898.
The LV was so impressed with its first Five Atlantics, that it ordered four more two years later.
It is believed these locomotives were near identical copies of the F1 class.

Clearly the nine new Atlantics were working out well, because after another two years, at the
Turn of the Century in 1900, the LV placed a third order for new 4-4-2 Atlantics with Baldwin. this time placing an order for Eight units, bringing the total roster of Atlantics to seventeen units
in only four years.

Although I dont have the driver size listed for F2 and F4 class, it is likely that the first three classes of LV atlantics:

Were all very similar, nearly identical, perhaps with only minor evolutionary changes over the four year building span. So its likely, but not confirmed, that the F2 and F4 class also had 75.5"
drivers, same as the F1 class. We do know that Five of the Eight F4's were later rebuilt into F5 class locos, and it is specifically noted that they were given "new 77" drivers" during the rebuild, so in my opinion it is safe to assume the drivers were not 77" before the rebuild.

Baldwin Builders photo - 1903

Above is the builders photo of 681, new in 1903. Below is the same locomotive,
wearing her post-1905 number, 2400, a beautiful photo of the Black Diamond Express in Sayre:

Richard Palmer Collection.

Between 1903 and 1911, the LV gradually and continuously increased its 4-4-2 roster.

For some as-yet unknown reason, even though the locomotives of the F3 class were built after the F4 class, the class numbers were not chronological..F4 class came first, then F3 class.
why the later engines were designated F3 and the earlier locos F4 is a mystery, when all the
other Atlantic classes appear to be chronological..Does anyone know why the class numbers,
F1-F4, are not in consecutive order? Going by build date, the classes are:

The class numbers probably were designated at the 1905 renumburing. I dont know what classes the locomotives were in before 1905.

Thanks to "Jasper N. Haines' Scrapbook" we know that of the seventeen total locomotives in the F3 class, twelve were built by Baldwin, and five were built by Alco..(the only five LV Atlantics built by Alco) but we dont yet know which twelve were Baldwins, and which five were Alcos,
or the year each specific loco in the class was built, making the F3 roster above quite an incomplete mess at this point.

The "Archer Book" says on page 181 about LV Atlantic No. 681: "The Sayre Shops turned out
No. 681, a Class F3 Atlantic, in August 1903. Built for fast mainline passenger service, the 77-inch drivered 4-4-2 was subsequently numbured No. 2400"

Based on that info, I originally assumed the entire F3 class was built at Sayre. but the date,
1903, didnt compute, because I knew the Sayre erecting shop was completed in 1904.
So I popped a note over on the LV forum of railfan.net, and Lee came through with the solution.
thanks Lee!

(click here for the photo of 2-8-0 No. 900, the first "Sayre-Built" engine built at the new (1904) "Big Shops")

Check out the builders plate on 681! clearly a round Baldwin plate, the caption in the Archer book is wrong, the F3 class were Baldwins, (and Alcos) not Sayre-built.
(only the F6 class of Atlantics were built at Sayre)

Another book, "The Handsomest Trains in the World, - Passenger Service on the Lehigh Valley Railroad" says (page 51) that F3 2410 was built in 1906. Assuming this is true, then the F3 class was built over several years, and also built before and after the 1905 renumburing! which means some of the F3 class, built before 1905, arrived in the 600-series, and others, built after 1905, arrived new in the 2400 series. Having only build dates for two locomotives, I cant yet say exactly where that transition occured. Hopefully more information will fill in the gaps on the F3 roster.

Additional F3 Class data, from "Jasper N. Haines' Scrapbook"
Built by Baldwin and Alco
No. Built 17 (12 Baldwin, 5 Alco)
Year 1905-1911
Type 4-4-2
Class F-3
Cylinders 20" x 26"
Driver Diam. 77"
Boiler Pressure 200psi
Tractive Force 22,961lbs
Weight on Drivers 97,000lbs
Total Weight 187,200lbs

In 19?? the LV took five of the older F4 class Baldwins, originally built in 1900, and rebuilt
them at Sayre into the F5 class.
The only known modification (known so far) is that they recieved new 77" drivers.
Other modernizations were also very likely done, new boilers? perhaps.

But only five locomotives are recorded in the F5 class, and eight locomotives originally existed in the F4 class. What happened to the other three F4 locomotives? either three of the F4 locomotives were not rebuilt, and carried on until the end of their careers as unrebuilt F4's,
or they were deemed too old or worn-out to be rebuild candidates, and were retired.

It is also not yet known which five of the F4 class became the F5 class rebuilds.

The "Jasper N. Haines' Scrapbook" page lists some roster info for Class F5, but I believe that data is an incorrect mixture of both F4 and F5 data.

Bud Laws collection, from North East Rails - used with permission, thanks!

And now we come to the final class of LV Atlantics, the F6 Class.
these five locomotives were "home built" by the LV at the Sayre Shops, they were the only
Atlantics built new by the LV, and they were the only LV Atlantics built with "conventional"
cabs at the rear of the boiler. All the other LV Atlantics were Baldwins (plus the 5 Alcos),
and were "Camelbacks".

Additional F6 Class data, from "Jasper N. Haines' Scrapbook"
Built by LVRR, Sayre Shop
No. Built 5
Year 1910-1911
Type 4-4-2
Class F-6
Cylinders 21" x 26"
Driver Diam. 77"
Boiler Pressure 200psi
Tractive Force 25,312lbs
Weight on Drivers 105,000lbs
Total Weight 196,500lbs

An interesting note about "The smallest locomotive ever built at the Sayre Shops"
The Sayre Shops in (year unknown, but probably around 1911 or into the 19-teens)
built a small parade float, a scale model of the last Sayre-Built atlantic, No. 2479!
here is a photo of the parade float:

I believe the figures in the cab and doorway are dolls, not real children.
It's difficult to get an exact sense of scale from the photo, but based on the rails at the bottom of the photo, and the signs, and the float itself, I would guess the entire model, including tender, was about 10 to 12 feet long, perhaps 1/4 scale.

(a clearer version of that same photo can be found on page 199 of the Archer book)

It's a remarkably detailed model! appears to be accurate to the prototype in all respects.
Because this clearly was not a functional model, (I doubt it had a working boiler..although that is possible!) and the model obviously never really worked in real railroad service..I have often wondered if this model still exists somewhere! perhaps hidden away in a barn or garage, or hidden in the basement of an Elks lodge somewhere. (the flag on the float, B.P.O.E, stands for
"Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks", a masonic organization.

Wouldnt it be amazing if this model still existed?!
if so, it would be the only surviving Lehigh Valley Locomotive!

I cant imagine why anyone would deliberately destroy such an amazing model, the only reason I can think of why this model might not still exist, would be if it was donated to a WWII scrap drive, much like the LV inspection loco "Dorothy".

If anyone is reading this who happens to be a Mason, is there any way someone could contact the Elks about this?
thanks!