Centipede Numbering

pennsyfanOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

I just unpacked my PRR Centipede; its been away for about 18 months after the move. As I was putting it on the shelf I noticed that both units were numbered 5823. I didn't remember that they were like that. I looked up the description on the MTH website; but didn't find any info. Wikipedia had a description and roster of all the units. The first PRR set was 5823A1,2.

I think that the follow text explains why they would be numbered that way. The reference to a single carbody and steel half-frames seems to denote a single unit.

"The carbody rode on two massive articulated cast steel half-frames cast by General Steel Castings, linked at the middle with a hinged joint."

It appears that PRR eventually renumbered the units in sequence.

6/10/1610:40 AM

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Hot WaterOGR Forum Member

The real ones would not MU with any other units on the railroad anyway.

6/10/1610:43 AM

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Rusty TraqueOGR Forum Member

It wasn't uncommon for railroads to have the same number on multiple cab units in the early days as they were consider as one locomotive, but they would be differentiated by a suffix.

For example: Santa Fe F3 16L,16A,16C,16C. Burlington F3 121A,121B,121C,121D.

Rusty

6/10/1611:09 AM

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D500OGR Forum Member

Bob,

Note that the Wikipedia article also stated that: "All PRR units were semi-permanently coupled back-to-back, in pairs."

This would explain the numbers - each "pair" was actually one locomotive to the Operating Department, if not to the Mechanical Department. This (probably) changed later. Dunno - I'm not so much a PRR guy.

As mentioned above, many/most of these multi-unit locos, in early times, especially, carried a suffix on each component unit, but I suppose that this wasn't universal practice.

Interesting, nonetheless. Your models are probably correct.

6/10/162:03 PM

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pennsyfanOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

Thanks for the replies.

"Your models are probably correct." Well Mike did use the first # in the PRR roster for this engine. The next time that I go to the train room I am going to take a hard look for a little #1 and #2.

6/10/162:48 PM

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