GEC's roster thread

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Today's installment is all Early Conrail. Everything here was either in the Conrail roster or added to it within the first 5 years (with the exception of Conrail 4020, the OCS unit). This is one of the largest segments of my roster, because this is the time period I'm trying to model over all.

Fallen Flags and Patches

Many Conrail units never acquired the blue paint and Wheel-on-rail logo. Some were never renumbered or even patched!

Former Lehigh Valley RS2 #210 would be an example of such a unit. In fact, #210 was retired just before conrail, but four of its sisters, LV 213, 214, 217, and 218 did make it into Conrail (meant to be renumber 5200-5203), but only 214 and 218 got patched renumbered to 5201 and 5203, respectively. LV 213 and 217 would appear much like this unit.



Some Units, like former Erie Lackawanna 3364 (would become Conrail/NJ DOT 4164), would also go most of its life on Conrail without renumbering. In fact, the U34CHs only lasted until December 2, 1976, a grand total of 8 months and one day before they were transferred to the New Jersey Department of transportation. Only one saw Conrail lettering #4151, having been repainted into a Bicentennial unit while in the shops. On the weekends, Conrail would borrow these commuter engines from the NJ DOT for freight runs, and it was not unusual for one to see two or three U34CHs pulling a freight. The only rule was that the U34CHs had to be back in time for the Monday morning rush hour.



Conrail 6094 was clearly a former Erie Lackawanna unit. So far as i can tell, it was never repainted all the way to retirement, keeping its "CR" patches to the end. Conrail did not keep its SD45s for very long, being phased out in the mid 80s (all were gone by 1986). The SD45s guzzled fuel, and their 20 cylinder engines created much maintenance grief. In fact, Conrail de-rated many of its SD45s to 3,400 HP (from 3,600 HP) to ease maintenance and reduce the occurrence of break downs.



E44 4465 is the highest numbered E44, and were one of five to be outfitted with Silicon-diode rectifiers as built (up to that point, rectifier electrics used "Ignitron" rectifiers, which were big tanks full of dangerous chemicals). These lead the way for the Pennsylvania railroad (and later the Penn Central), to upgrade E44s 4438-4459 with the Silicon Rectifiers. These would become the E44As. # 4465 is one of the few E44s is one of the few E44s to maintain its original Pennsy numbers and radio equipped decals (though it lost it's keystones and "Pennsylvania lettering"). In fact, it kept its PRR paint until it was sold to Amtrak, where it promptly was repainted Silver and Black, and renumbered 505. The few surviving E44s had brief careers on Amtrak, as they could not fit in the tunnels under New York. This is the only surviving E44, which can be seen at Strasburg next to it's elder, PRR GG1 4935.



E44A 4457 was repainted during its time on the Penn Central, and then was given a CR patch over it's PC logo early in it's Conrail career. #4457 was one of the first to be rebuilt with the Silicon Rectifiers. In addition to the new electrical equipment, E44s 4438-4459 were also outfitted with a more powerful motor, giving these units 5,000 horsepower. These units were known as E44As, as opposed to the standard E44s (4400-4437, 4460-4465), which kept their original 4,400 HP rating.