A detailed and exquisitely made operable model of the New York Central
class T-3A electric locomotive _No. 1173_, now _No. 273_, was
constructed by W. Howard R. Parsons, and was donated by him in 1952 to
the Museum (USNM 314237).
The model (figure 75) is powered by eight electric motors, as is the
full sized original, one for each axle, but because of space limitations
and power requirements the model’s drive is through gears rather than
direct. The model operates on 12-volt direct current. Its length is 43
inches and its gauge is 3½ inches.
The New York Central System purchased 10 class T-3A locomotives in late
1926 at a cost of $100,000 each. These supplemented an earlier group of
10 T-1’s and 16 T-2’s built for the New York Central from 1913 to 1917
at the Erie, Pa., plant of the General Electric Co. Of this total of 36
locomotives only one, _No. 270_ (formerly _No. 1170_), had been stricken
from the records as of December 1954. The remaining 35 still perform
routine passenger service between New York and Harmon, and New York and
North White Plains. The numbers in the group now run from 247 to 282
(formerly 1147 to 1182), with the exception of the scrapped _No. 270_.
[Illustration: Figure 75.—Operable model of General Electric
locomotive, 1926.]
With an operating weight of 292,600 pounds, the locomotives of the T-3A
class develop 1,908 horsepower continuously, with a tractive force of
12,750 pounds, and they can develop 2,488 horsepower for 1 hour, with a
tractive force of 18,440 pounds. The maximum speed of a T-3A is 75 miles
an hour. These locomotives operate on 660-volt direct current, usually
obtained from a third rail. The pantographs are used only when crossing
certain complicated crossover switches. Each of the eight axles is
driven by its individual gearless motor. The overall wheelbase is 46
feet, 5 inches, the overall length 56 feet, 10 inches.