The Steam Explosion of Pennsylvania Railroad 520 🚂 History in the Dark

PRR 520 is the sole survivor of the L1s class of Mikado steam locomotives. However, on November 14th, 1942, she would be involved in a boiler failure that threatened to end her career early.
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#train #railfan #explosion

[@lian3101]

you should cover the boiler explosion of the virginian railway AE class 2-10-10-2, probably the most powerful locomotive to ever explode

[@paulmishler402]

I think your forgetting about that C&O Allegheny that exploded

[@lian3101]

@@paulmishler402 the virginian AEs had more tractive effort than the alleghenys

[@rayhankazianga6817]

@@lian3101 he's talking about horsepower, not tractive effort. Going by horsepower, the H8 Allegheny was likely the second most powerful locomotive ever built.

[@nrbudgen]

Great channel! There was a boiler explosion near Crary ND on January 9 1947. It was a Great Northern S2 class 4-8-4. The boiler was found over 700 feet from the locomotive and the crew did not survive. Maybe you could cover this one. Until the late 70s I lived in the UK and had to use the trains often. Commuting from the south coast to London very day was torture but since most of us were regulars we had a pot of cash every day with the winner being the one who correctly predicted the reason BR gave for the train being late or cancelled. Two that still stick in my mind were "wet leaves on the line" and "driver couldn't find the train"! Your criticisms of BR are entirely justified.

[@rivertownproductions]

Did you ever get to use any of the other railways in Britain before they were nationalized? Just wondering if you knew whether they were better or not.

[@nrbudgen]

@@rivertownproductions No. British Rail was all that was available in those days. The only exceptions were heritage railways, but they don't really count. I've been mostly on the Bluebell. Family tells me that since the new companies took over after BR the service was worse and MUCH more expensive.

[@rivertownproductions]

@@nrbudgen by new companies, are you referring to post-BR? And the new companies are worse? Sorry just asking for clarification

[@nrbudgen]

@@rivertownproductions I only have first hand experience of BR up to 1979. I have travelled on the new franchises twice - Great Western and Southern, but only when I'm on vacation in the UK. Most of my information comes from family who still live there. I believe that some companies have lost their franchises because of poor performance.

[@KPen3750]

For those curious, 520 is on deck for conservation. Her tender was disconnected and is hovering near the RRMPA restoration shop. This is about 2 year old info (I used to volunteer there, but due to college and covid, haven't gotten back) but conservation is under way, don't worry. There are also the roundhouse plans, but that project is on hiatus for political reasons (I'm unclear as to why, but thats the reasons I found from the members of staff at the museum) So 520 should hopefully not be an outdoor display in the not too distant future

[@NW2174Fan]

I went there almost two months ago, I saw it had a tender in front of it, and it looked similar to the one in the images in the video

[@tm_14_44]

Good news, it started!

[@MMID303]

I hope she gets a good cosmetic restoration. Obviously, my dream would be to have her mechanically restored as well, and operate on the Strasburg Railroad.

[@williamclarke4510]

Around three decades ago, someone said that the Pennsylvania museum commission " short changes" the Railroad Museum.

[@tiernanflynn]

Fun fact for those interested: the L1s shares a large number of components with the famous K4s class of locomotive, such as the boiler, which may explain another reason why it was easy to return to service. From my understanding, the L1s was derived from the K4s as a quick to produce stopgap locomotive until the I1s(later, I1sa) was finished being finalized and entered production. With the outbreak of WWI, and a lack of modern, powerful locomotives, this is what drove the Pennsy to create it.

[@godzillahomer]

I found another candidate for worse ever locomotives last night. Remember the Holman Horror and how screwed up those wheels were? I found a locomotive that has a pair of driving wheels... That are not round. The wheels of this 4-2-2 are 118 sided polygons. The locomotive version of the Mythbusters truck with square wheels. Built by the Hinkley Locomotive Works in Boston for the Swinerton Locomotive Driving Wheel Company and given the name Onward. Onward was supposed to prove that 118 sided wheels were better for adhesion, a belief C. E. Swinerton had. Said belief turned out to be false and the polygon wheels were replaced with round ones before the loco was sold off. On wikipedia as Onward (Locomotive)

[@matthewcosta780]

I live near Cresson, never heard of this. I live the railroad history here. Think I heard about it, but know I heard of the type in the book Set up Running about PRR Mainline engineer O.P. Orr, very hard to fire and keep water in these. Fascinating book. You really should read that book.

[@metalgear6531]

The Pennsy Railroad Museum *is* working on some more indoor space in the form of a roundhouse, I hear

[@Legomastr365]

I frequent the Strasburg Railroad a lot and always go to the museum across the street. Never knew this engine suffered a boiler explosion! I'll have to go back and really appreciate her next time! Also, the museum does have an ongoing fundraiser to build a roundhouse at the turntable for all their outdoor display locomotives, so hopefully one day she'll be nice and safe under cover!

[@ArnavKhode]

I never knew this happened. Since it’s on display next to the Strasburg RR, my only hope is that it gets cosmetically restored and put inside somewhere, free from the elements.

[@TomRedlion]

Some years ago, I read a book about the Southern Pacific's 3 cylinder (Gresley, I think) Southern Pacific type 4-10-2 locomotives. One of them blew a crown sheet (Naturally) and Launched the boiler down the track. Not only was the crew killed instantly, so to was the crew of the switcher coupled to the front of the SP type as a helper. The ground at the impact site and the back of the firebox put dents in each other on impact.

[@Godzilla-rg5rh]

I went to Strasburg and saw the real thing on display. And damn it was incredible. Can’t wait for it’s back story because I didn’t know it exploded

[@brandonoswald2392]

Eagerly awaiting. Absolutely love your videos!

[@HistoryintheDark]

Thank you very much!

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Well done on the history of 520 and her boiler explosion. I have seen 520 several times and I do agree that she and the rest of the outdoor displays look in bad condition. They are building a roundhouse for 5 of the locomotives including L1 520, M1b 6755, B6 1670, H10 7688, and K4 3750. But they need A LOT of money.

[@jenniferanderson4654]

Strasburg locos:WOW Pennsylvania 520: good job for saying hi 👋

[@koiyujo1543]

It would be cool if PRR 520 were to be restored to operation but that might not happen for a long time.

[@Ray-os2wv]

A man of your word and a man of the people! Thank you for listening to my request! Subbed.

[@HistoryintheDark]

Thanks for the sub!

[@johnbell3962]

Boilers explode when water is allowed to get below the crown sheet creating temperatures high enough to rupture and tear a large hole in the crown sheet. The sudden loss of steam pressure is enough to turn all the remaining water into steam instantly creating an explosion. Remember water boils at a lower temperature as pressure is reduced.

[@lovegamesandtrains3194]

You should cover the PRR K4's because like L1's not many are still around

[@scuorge57]

Thank you and great work for making such an interesting video, I look forward to seeing more of your content in the future as well as your past videos.

[@KoolKonland]

Thank you so much for making the soham rail disaster video!

[@OceanViewLocomotiveMachineCo]

Another survivor in preservation that had a boiler explosion would be Southern Pacific (Texas & New Orleans) 2-10-2 #982 on display in Houston Texas, although its explosion was early in its career in Texas after transfer from the Pacific Lines, early or mid twenties.

[@AtlasTheDude]

She must have been a god I really love your videos because it helgs me pass the time and make me feel relax

[@ParkersTrains]

At the time of watching this it’s 2 days before the 80th anniversary of the explosion

[@strasburgrailfan90]

Huh I didn’t know 520 was there definitely have to give her a visit next time I’m in Strasburg

[@williamnichols467]

If I remember correctly: recently an online post by the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania announced that they plan to build a roundhouse to store a number of their PRR locomotives, and doing a cosmetic restoration of all the locos they plan to put into it, and 520 is one of the locomotives they plan to do it to

[@EastboundProductions]

I wouldn’t be surprised if 1361 and the T1 are finished before then

[@MilesModelWorks]

I actually saw this locomotive when I went to the railroad museum of Pennsylvania last year.

[@ViperZero523]

Congrats on 10k, HITD

[@martinadams7949]

Cool you used "my" photo of Santa Maria Valley #21 Crown sheet, which we replaced. I to have seen the 520, the cool passenger car behind her is from the broadway Limited. A car I wish they would restore

[@PowerTrain611]

I live not far from Strasburg and the RRM of PA, and can say that as of last year, 520 was separated from her tender and may have been preparing for some cosmetic restoration work. I know nothing more.

[@lucasstemba]

Hey, I've met that choo choo. She was very nice and polite.

[@IndieBloke1927]

I actually was at the railroad museum about a month ago and saw it. Immediately thought it was a K4 until I saw it was a mikado.

[@Slipperyisimproving]

PRR #520 somehow was preserved despite the fact it suffered a steam explosion.

[@jackchatfield5464]

PRR L1 520 needs to be restored to running order

[@winniethepooh795]

Hey man, I love your videos. They are very professional. I would like to ask you, if you could do the video covering sunken locomotives of Shrekston Quarry. For now keep on making awesome content and have a good day !

[@kiwiwarrior3012]

I got an interesting one for ya, not exploded trains but lost and found locos. Two Ab class Pacifics were being sent down to NZ from Glasgow, however the ship, TSS Wiltshire, ran aground and broke apart, making it one of the worst shipwrecks in NZ, the locomotives it was transporting were still in the ship, and I believe they might still be there.

[@justanoob6510]

man . i only knew 1 incident about PRR . and didn't know about 520 incident

[@arongyorffy3070]

"on the 14th of November", it seems that every tragedy happens on my birthday.

[@ThunderboltSirenStudios]

Strange. I never saw 520 at strasburg and I went just a couple of days before writing this commentm

[@Dr.Memer42069]

There is a decapod up in Wisconsin.

[@joshjones3408]

Great video tho thanks

[@Sleeper____1472]

I have also been to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. I have seen 520 myself once, though I don't think she was outside actually last time I went. Its only 4-5 hour trip from where I live in New York, so its not the hardest thing to get to RRMPA. I mostly go for Strasburg right across the street, 3 times infact, but the museum is cool too. I still dislike 460, those driving wheels are huge, and it only has 4 of them!

[@davidstrainsandlego]

6:28 Completely agree

[@callumnichols7652]

I saw 520 in Strasburg six days ago.

[@mityace]

The Penn Central RAILROAD disappeared in 1976 with the advent of Conrail except maybe on paper. The Penn Central Corporation without the RR assets continued on for many years. So, was it actaully Conrail that donated the locomotives of the mostly non-railroad remnant of Penn Central Corporation?

[@railmastergaming]

4:00 im gonna guess crown sheet 4:02 "it was the crown sheet" you know why dont people reinforce the crown sheet by adding steel beams connecting from the inside walls of the firebox to the top of the crown sheet?

[@FreedomLovingLoyalistOfficial]

Are there any photos of her boiler explosion and if not what did the engine look like in its aftermath?

[@09JDCTrainMan]

Here's another accident to cover, The Michigan Train Wreck, North Dakota's and the Great Northern's worst train wreck. And a locomotive involved, 4-8-4 2584, survives today.

[@NW2174Fan]

Great Northern's 2584 & 2588

[@09JDCTrainMan]

@@NW2174Fan Yeah, but I said survivor, 2588 doesn't survive, sadly. 2588 was the one that rammed into the rear of 2584's train tho. It was repaired and 2584 had her hotbox resolved.

[@dannygayler3164]

Low water and I bet ,Fusible plugs had no been thought of ?

[@zangryomani1257]

Kinda expected it to be a case of too much steam and not enough exits

[@tylergreen4843]

say whaaaaaat?? *I didn't know 520 was in an accident*

[@NW2174Fan]

Neither did I, and I saw her almost two months ago (late March)

[@railsaroundsouthjersey]

The L1s were the GP38s of there time..

[@graphtonix6607]

Will the GE P30CH locomotives ever come back???

[@09JDCTrainMan]

No

[@graphtonix6607]

@@09JDCTrainMan 😭😭😭😭😭

[@monsterdemolitionman1235]

will she be restored to operation again

[@HistoryintheDark]

Unlikely. No plans for that as far as I know but she is listed on the National Register of Historic Places so she will be protected, at the very least.

[@monsterdemolitionman1235]

@@HistoryintheDark i would really love for her to return to suvivs and maybe do a triple header with prr 5550 and 1361

[@JackCarsonsRailroadVideos]

Not surprising a PRR steam engine exploded

[@oregonrailfan7046]

Why is that not surprising you got some beef with PRR?

[@JackCarsonsRailroadVideos]

@@oregonrailfan7046 well Have you heard about PRR's Cocaine train the executives had. There was a lot of corruptions at PRR iirc

[@lian3101]

@@oregonrailfan7046 he probably means because the PRR had some wacky experimental locomotives

[@Thetrainchannel14]

November 14 Is my birthday

[@easternwoyer3876]

4:13 well when the engine was what exploded anyway

[@wwtf7180]

Less caffeine for you.

[@slagarcrue85]

What else could off caused the explosion. Gremlins. Lol the folk lore war times brought two the world is fascinating.

[@joshjones3408]

It's eather British rail or the crown sheet pawpaw 😆😆

[@davidty2006]

Another? seriously? Oh jeez.....

[@alexthesouthernpacificmt4879]

Dang that's sas

[@Tartaraki808]

….