Pennsylvania LEGACY I1 #4652

The Pennsylvania’s I1’s had a look that matched theirreputation for brute strength. Built in an era when mostassumed the Decapod was a dead-end design, thePennsy would build and order a total of nearly 600of these beasts. Dubbed “Hippos” by crews for theirenormous boilers and lumbering stride, the I1s wereappreciated for their power, but not much else.Although rated for up to 50 mph running, smallerthan-adequate counterbalances gave a rough ride.Preferred service was at slower speeds. Although theselocomotives were originally designed with the mountainsin mind, it didn’t take long for the Hippos to migrate toall corners of the vast system. As faster mainline powerbecame available, the I’s remained prime power fordrag freights like coal and ore, helpers and even humpyard power in the larger yards.Out of 598 locomotives there are bound to bedifferences, even on the “Standard Railroad of theWorld.” The most obvious variations on the 2-10-0s werein assigned tenders, which varied greatly in capacitydepending on the locomotives’ assigned roles.Several were assigned the largest “Coast-to-coast”tenders the Pennsylvania had. Other easily spottedchanges occurred on the front end as locomotives weregiven the “modernization” treatment, which relocatedheadlights and generators. Dozens if not hundreds of I1skept their earlier details to the end, however.New to the Lionel roster, the Pennsy’s amazing I1 is nowavailable for the first time with LEGACY and Bluetoothcontrol, RailSounds and Whistle steam! We’ve producedtwo numbers each in four different combinations of early andmodernized front ends paired with standard and long-haultenders. Feel free to mix and match – the Pennsy often did.And it was not uncommon to see pairs of Hippos on bothends of a heavy train fighting the mountains. The I1 is simply amust have for any Pennsy fan. Get yours on order today!