Horseshoe Curve Thunder by Kuhler

 

Otto Kuhler, industrial designer and artist, lived in Pittsburgh, PA in the 1920's. He has interpreted one K4 class steam locomotives of the Pennsylvania Railroad westbound and one M1 class steam locomotive westbound on the left. Both the K4 and M1 steam locomotive was designed, developed and built by the Pennsylvania Railroad using a stationary test plant where a prototype locomotive could be operated in place measuring fuel efficiency, steam consumption, drawbar force, tractive force etc. The K4 steam locomotive fleet was built in the late teens and twenties both at the PRR Juniata Shops at Altoona as well as the Baldwin Locomotive Company's facilities at Eddystone, PA near Philadelphia, PA. The 301 M1 locomotives were built both by the Juniata Shops and Baldwin Locomotive Company. The locomotive to the left is 4700, the first M1 locomotive built. The locomotive to the right is a K4 with the number 1361. The 1361 is one of 2 K4 locomotives out of the 425 built to have been preserved. The perspective is as if lying alongside the mainline in the vicinity of milepost 242 looking up as the locomotives work upgrade and westbound. This painting most capably expresses the energy and work done by steam locomotives as they operated over the Horseshoe curve. Kuhler made the painting circa 1960. The painting was used for a print that was published as a fundraiser for the Intermountain Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Denver, CO in the late 1960's.