GEC's roster thread

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Really nice looking collection! I like those monster E44 units. (Can't imagine how they must have hummed stand next to one.)

Yeah, i wish i had an opportunity to hear one. I have a few DVDs that include run bys of E44s, but you don't really hear much of anything (though this is what engineers i've talked to have told me as far as the E44 is concerned). The one that is supposed to make all the noise are those New Haven EP5 (E40 on PC/conrail) electrics. the NH engineers called them "jets" because their equipment blowers screamed just like a fighter plane. These blowers were right behind each cab, and GE actually had to go back and modify the originals with vents on the side of the car body. This was because if you opened the cab door to the inside of the engine, the blowers pushed so much air through that they'd blow anything that wasn't bolted down out of the cab!

I'd really like to model one of these as Penn Central (conrail) 4977 with the "Harrisburg" lettering on it. that would make my roster.

Great collection of Blue I like how you did the representation and added the story line behind the locomotives, awaiting for more

Yeah, i like to have some historical knowledge of them. Even a seemingly boring ubiquitous GP40-2 can have some really interesting stories behind it. In the case of the E44 #4465 during its time on Conrail, it actually plowed through washed out tracks in a storm while on the Columbia and Port Deposit branch , and still stayed on the rails. every car except the caboose fell into the Susquehanna river. Stories of luck like this often get forgotten by history, as few people actually record or research such stuff.

Really nice looking collection! I like those monster E44 units. (Can't imagine how they must have hummed stand next to one.)

The E33's and E44's were impressive to say the least!

At one time in the early '70's, I lived in the town of Narberth, PA, the only station on the ex-Pennsy mainline from Phiily to Lines West that was on a curve. My neighbor and I used to go across the street to the sattion in the afternoons and watch trains on that four-track mainline. It was quite an experience, one that touched four of the five senses, when a brace of three or sometimes four E33's would come though Narberth station, leaning into the curve, leading a mile long string of TOFC's west at about 75 or 80 miles an hour! They had a real "howl" at speed!

4 E33s? now thats something i haven't seen, but i don't doubt it. thats nearly half of the existing roster. E44s happened in 4s alot though. Either way, it kicks butt. Its a shame that by the 1970s/80s, people stopped paying attention to operations like these.

Their is such contempt for this time period, to the point that people making legitimate books and documentaries can't even get the names right. One book has a pair of photos of "Arrow II" MU cars, on page after the other. On the first page, it Incorrectly calls them "Arrow IIIs", which is OK, Arrow IIIs look similar to the IIs. However, on the very next page, a photo of the same MU, an Arrow II, incorrectly called an "Arrow I", and the caption even remarks that its odd for only one pantograph to be up. For those who don't know, the Arrow I not only looks very different from the Arrow II, but has different panto graphs and roof arrangements (the arrow IIs are married pairs that share a pantograph, the Arrow Is are all single units with their own equipment), all clearly visible.

in the Herron Video "PRR Race Track: the Northeast Corridor" (which is an AMAZING DVD, even though i complain), they call all the arrows "Silverliners". Other DVDs by greenfrog call them "Silversides". It would take 5 seconds to find out the ACTUAL name of the car in question, and most of them have really simple spotting features (they aren't identical at all). I chalk it up to people just not caring, as everyone would rather focus on the modern day or those golden "transition years". that Penn Central/early conrail era just gets ignored.

They probably had pics of the U36Bs. The U36Bs had red/clear nose lights as spec'd out for Auto Train. They were removed later in their service life.

Yeah, still. They wouldn't even let me order a new nose (its a separate piece on the body shell). Thats one thing i don't like about walthers. Athearn and Atlas will deal with you if you want parts. Walthers does not give ANY spare parts. ever.

Love that unit. I am working on CR 1621 with the JUST DO IT paint scheme. That unit was painted in that scheme for only around 24-48 hours before being repainted into standard CR paint. I am having custom decals made and will be sure to send you and Tom a couple sets. (the minimum order is 25 sets, so I will have extras LOL)

Well, i know what i'm painting one of my spare smokey valley kits now.

I always wanted to model one of these units circa 1983, in worn Amtrak paint, with CR 4020 spray painted on the side. there is a photo of one in this condition in one of the CR motive power books, but I can't remember which one.

I'd love to see a photo of that

4022 is back to being Erie 833 and is being taken care of. don't remember which road has it though.

Cool, thats good to know. Still, it is sad that all the Conrail OCS stuff is gone now. Thats progress for you!