In his The Unwanted Berkshires in the Spring 2004 issue of Classic Trains magazine, Jack Polaritz looks at the genesis and careers of Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 9401-9407, the last 2-8-4 design in America. After P&LE dieselized, the engines were stored, then reactivated in 1955 when another New York Central subsidiary, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis (the “Big Four Route”), found itself short on power. The revival was brief, however, and the unwanted Berkshires were consigned to scrap in 1956.
Films of the P&LE Berkshires are rare, but Donald J. Krofta caught them during their short season on the Big Four. The clips presented here are from Herron Rail Video’s “Steam & Diesel on the New York Central, Vol. 2” (item number 029 (VHS) or 029-D (DVD)) available at www.herronrail.com or (800) 783-3886.
