@CAPPilot posted:My first T1 was MTH's initial release that I bought back in 2000, a PS1 engine. I had it upgraded with PS2 shortly afterwards, and it ran well.
Unfortunately, I did little research on the engine before I bought it (I do that a lot). MTH's version of the T1 is based on the as delivered prototype engine, which only two were built in 1942. These engines had the streamline fairings removed by 1943 to ease maintenance during the high usage of WWII. Since the fairings were gone by my layout's era (1948/9), this engine no longer fit my needs so I sold it. While the PRR ran these two engines until 1950 or so, there have been no O scale versions built without the streamlining.
The PRR liked this design, and ignoring the advances in diesel engine technology, built 50 more of the fast passenger engines between 1945 and 1946. None of these engines had streamlining over the drivers, but still had a streamlined look. Here is a photo from a post by prrhorseshoecurve of the as built production T1 engine.
Except for the last few built in 1946, the production engines had the port hole pilot. Here again the streamlining effort interfered with efficient maintenance of the engine, so all earlier T1s had the port holes removed by 1948. Here is my Lionel scale T1 in the T1's final configuration.
Since only the non-port hole engines were around between 1948 and 1952 (when they were retired), this T1 configuration fits right into my layout's era. It is one of my favorite engines and it is run a lot.
CAP have you ever seen the PRR T1 Trust, they send out newsletters on the build, newsletter@prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org, They have the tender for the T1. nice photos all. Mark
