PENN CENTRAL RAILROAD

 

 

PENN CENTRAL DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE INFORMATION:

 

The PC had many makes and models of diesel locomotives, which they acquired from the NYC, NH, and PRR railroads mainly. The PC ran as many of these units as they could get away with, and ran them as long as they could. They also did retired and rebuild some of their locomotive fleet, and bought brand new locomotives as well. The types of locomotives they had were manufactured by: ALCO (American Locomotive Company), FM (Fairbanks-Morse), Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton, EMD (Electro-Motive Division-General Motors), and GE (General Electric). The only manufactures that still produce locomotives to this date are GE and EMD. ALCO went out in the late 1960's, FM still exists, but no longer makes locomotives, and Lime-Hamilton and Baldwin all are out of business. EMD being the most models, then ALCO, and FM's being the least models on the PC active roster.

ALCO Models:

FA-1, FB-1, FA-2, FB-2, RS11, RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RSD-5, RSD-7, RSD-12, RSD-15, RS-27, RS-32, C-424, C-425, C-430, C-628, C-630, C-636, HH660 (was oldest unit on active PC roster- see below about retired HH600/660's), S1, S2, S3, S4, T6 (at least 25 models total).

EMD Models:

SW1, SW7, SW8, SW9, SW900, SW1200, SW1500, NW2, GP7, GP9, GP9B, GP20, GP30, GP35, GP38, GP38-2, GP40, SD7, SD9, SD35, SD38, SD40 (not SD40-2), SD45, F3A, F3B, F7A, F7B, FP7A, FL9A, E7A, E7B, E8A (at least 32 models total).

GE Models:

GG-1(& PRR), E44, E44a, E33, E40, T3B, S2, 44-ton, U25B, U23B, U28B, U30B, U33B, U23C, U25C, U28C, U30C, U33C

LIMA-HAMILTON Models:

LH 1200 (Lima-Hamilton NYC re-builds)

BALDWIN Models:

S12, S10, AS616, RS12, AS616 (more to be added later)

FAIRBAINK-MORSE Models: H10-44, H12-44, H20-44 (retired early-on), H16-44, H24-66 (trainmasters) (about 5 total models).

PC RE-BUILDS:

RS3m, NW2u, E8Am, AEH-12, SLUG (about 5 models).

Because of the wide variety of makes and models of locomotives that the PC had, this is one of the reasons why PC is easier to model-because most of these units can be found in model railroading.

 

 

  PC LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER (Click Here)

 

 

PC LOCOMOTIVE RETIREMENT INFO:

 

The PC inherited many locomotive types from the 3 pred. railroads NH, NYC, and PRR. The PC ran most of the locomotives they had acquired from these railroads until they broke down, or had too many or expensive repairs, besides also ordering new units (GP38-2's, some GE's, SD38's, SD40's, etc.). Many of the inherited units were Limas, Baldwin’s, Fairbanks-Morse, EMD, ALCO, and GE (both electric and diesel-electric).

The PC also retired a lot of locos from the start of the merger--either crossing-over the retirements into the PC from the pred. railroads, or the PC making new retirements. There were many makes and models of locomotives that were not or did not make any PC active locomotive rosters. This means there were, and could have been some makes and models that were stored dead/and or retired, and could still be found on the PC system in storage lines, that did not get hauled off to get traded in or torched right away. Some units stayed on PC property as parts suppliers as well. Time of stored units from as little as a few days after the 1968 PC merger and 1969 NH entry, to until the CR 1976 merger.

These stored units were: E8A's, E7A's, E7B's, HH660's (in NH areas), 44-ton's (in NH areas), EP-5's (NH areas), DL-109 (only 1 and in NH areas known), possibly a few Baldwin RF-16 sharks (according to PC Bi-Annual not all of the ex-NYC's were sold to the Monog. RR, and some still were stored right at the PC 1968 merger), possibly a few NYC C-liners (some NYC books state for example these units were "retired" around 1966-67, but did not state the actual date they were cut up/hauled off the property-so it IS a possibility a few "made it into the PC" when NYC property became PC's property during the PC '68 merger), H16-44's (especially in NH areas), VO1000's, RS3's, RS1's, RS2's, S1's, S2's, S3's, S4's, other various models of Baldwin’s, EMD's, ALCO's, FM's already listed on active PC roster. We cannot be 100% accurate about some of this info, but we cannot stress enough that anything was possible!

A locomotive deadline on PC property during the late 60s/early 70s, most likely would have also had a few ALCO FA-1s (ex NYC), FA-2's, FB's, some Limas, FM Trainmasters (ex PRR), FM switchers, a few ALCOS such as RS-2s, etc. Most of the FA's PC got from the NYC, but were not painted PC and retired soon after the merger (1968-69 area). There is even info that some of the FA's received PC paint, then immediately went into retirement. When NH came into the merger, PC this time used the ex-NH FA-1's and FB-2's in service, and they did receive PC paint (they were mainly used on the eastern part of the PC divisions). Also those FA's that did not receive PC paint most likely were renumbered using PC style numbers, over the pred. railroad's paint. Pred. railroad's logos and roadnames could have stayed on the locos, or were painted out in those places only, and renumbered. The FM ex-PRR Trainmasters didn't receive PC paint, but were left with their PRR markings (though some could have been re-numbered w/ PC style white numbers), and were retired early-on as well around 1969 or so.

(or in list view of late 60's early 70's PC deadlines that would consist of at least some, and not necessarily all of each model):

RS 3,2, & 1 (ex-NYC, PRR, NH)

E8A (NYC, PRR)

E7A (NYC, PRR)

E7B (NYC, PRR)

H10-44 (NYC, PRR)

H12-44 (NYC, PRR)

H16-44 (NH)

FM TRAINMASTERS (PRR)

H20-44 (PRR)

S12 (PRR, )

VO1000 (NYC)

RS12 (PRR)

S1,2,3,4 (PRR, )

AS16

AS616 (PRR)

EP5/E40

44-TON (ex NH)

1 DL109 (NH)

some RDC'S (NYC, NH)

an RS11 (NYC?)

a GG1 (PRR)

some 3rd rail electrics -EP5 (NH), etc.

around 4 HH660's (NH)

POSSIBLY 11 HH600's (NYC) SEE ADDITIONAL INFO BELOW

FA1,2 (NYC, NH)

FB1,2 (NYC, NH)

F7A,B (NYC, PRR)

FP7A (PRR)

any wrecked locos of certain make/model that was stored for scrap, or for future repairs, then put back into service (at least 1 GP40 w/ an orange C was stored then hauled off for scrap after a wreck. Other models to be listed later.).

and any other possible makes/models.


NYC ALCO HH600s still around during PC? (NYC 800-810: DES-7A 800-805; DES-7B 806-810 & were built for subsid. B&A): apparently, PC had about 11 ex-NYC HH600 switchers in storage on PC property, as of the 1968 merger [per a PCRHS 2011 Post (by M. Frattasio). But in the PC Bi-Annual & Penn Central Power books, nothing is stated about that, and in the NYCS Diesel Locomotive book (Edson, Vail, Smith), they list them as model "600", and NOT as "660" as per what PC Post article states them as. In the NYCS Loco book, they list 11 NYC HH600's as retired, sold, and scrapped by 12/63 (800 "sold" in 1963, 801 "sold for scrap" '63, 802 sold '63, 803 sold for scrap '63, 804 scrapped '63, 805 sold '63, 806 sold '63, 807 sold for scrap '63, 808 sold '63, 809 sold '63, 810 sold '63)]. The switchers still being on PC property as of 1968 is possibly true, since when it came to the PC, anything was possible, and not all books/info resources would necessarily have the same info. PC also had around 4 NH HH660's stored in the Dover Street Yard dead line (in South Boston, MA) as of 1969.

[Note: most of this information is as close as possible to being accurate, and was obtained from much research. Always more info will be added at a later time, info will be corrected as needed, and as research develops.]

 

 

 
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