PENN CENTRAL FANS: An O-Gauge Product Checklist and Discussion Thread

Here is some back story on why I am a fan of the Penn Central.

For me, it all began with the train that got me into electric railroading. I think I was three years old, and every time we visited at my uncle's house I would go to look at the Lionel MPC Penn Central GG1 on his bookshelf. He let me hold it a few times and the sheer weight of it made a lasting impression.

Then there was my grandfather. He worked for the entire lineage of Pennsylvania through Conrail and Amtrak as a track man. This is where my uncle got the train bug from, and I in turn got it from him. When I really got into trains my grandfather gave me all the railroadania he had saved, and most of it was from the Penn Central. There's the picture of him next to Penn Central Alco S-2 #9850, hence my screen name.

So, as you see, for me it's a combination of nostalgia and familial ties to the railroad. I actually hadn't known the Penn Central was a big mess until I was old enough to comprehend business, and that was many years after the events I described above occurred.

I saw the the picture of your new 628 that you posted; what did you pay for it?

I have 4 Master line Atlas O engines(all are only slightly used) I might be selling; one of them is a Canadian Pacific C630. I recently offered them to my dealer(all 4 of them) for $1000,00, in store credit; that's $250.00 per unit.

If my dealer takes them, I think he's getting a great deal.

BTW, contrary to some of the jabs you got, I think the PC look has a great no-nonsense, hardcore railroading look.

You're building a nice collection.

Rick

Too bad the other thread got locked.  It was a good collection of photos and equipment lists.  I don't have my PC FL9 Photo on this computer, but I do have these interesting photos of the prototype model PC FL9 from last December ....

I appreciate your thoughtful input Rick. I too always had an affinity for the stark utilitarian schemes. Very "no-nonsense, all business" as you point out.

For the 1339-2 Penn Central C-628 I had to pay $450, which is still a bit under MSRP. I'm not sure what more typical models go for; this one took me a year to find so as far as I know it's scarce on at least the internet.

The jabs are more directed at people than a railroad

Jonathan, very cool! Looks like the prototype PC unit was a tad glossier than the finished product.

Ben, you are correct that the actual human factor and management played a huge part in the downfall of the railroad. I also figure it would be appropriate for this thread to thank you again for taking the time to contact me and allow me the opportunity to own several of those Atlas O Penn Central black H21a hoppers. They've found a good home on my layout 

Answering a post by david1 before the original thread got locked:

Being so disorganized the Penn Central was all about odd trains and combinations one never really did see before. In fact, a lone A unit with only two or three coaches in tow was quite typical of pure PC passenger trains!

Hey Nick, Nice pix of that black ominous engine pulling those NYC coaches!! I wish Williams/bachmann would put out a set of PC 60' Madisons to go with their PC semi scale GG-1! Yes! More PC needed!!

Penn Central,  You asked about the caboose,

Understand it is green cab Numbers 23352

I did a internet ,search,  and you provided, a reply to an individual

on this cab number from Worthpoint, 

believe this is what is coming !!!  in response to your request

Thanks for that info Terry. Sounds like MTH simply included their regular production 20-91112 Penn Central N-8 Caboose with the set.

Now this is the type of post I like to see. What a great story and thank you for sharing your experiences with us!

Even though that's only a temporary setup, you're right, it did end up being a pretty good-looking train. What that FL-9 will ultimately pull is MTH's newly released 70' PC passenger cars, with a Weaver PRR B60 baggage car on the end for authenticity:

Here's a little known Penn Central livery variation as modeled by one of a group of F7 units purchased from the Rio Grande in 1970:

Bob

PC is a fun road due to all the combinations one could use through the merger! I was going to get a Williams PC GG1  and run a set of New Haven madisons behind them!

Nick,

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself. Best of luck modeling the PC.

Andy

Penn Central regularly hosted foreign power on certain parts of its system as well. Southern Railway, Boston & Maine, CB&Q and SP/SSW were a few such roads.

Bob  

That's exactly right; I lived next to NYC/PC during 1955-1968 and remember seeing those trains.

Right behind our house were two main tracks and a local track (originally four tracks), plus a big signal bridge and full set of crossovers nearby ... that's where my lifelong interest in trains started. Plus an abandoned trolley roadbed at the back of our yard. This is what it looked like during a visit in 2011:

The third track is gone but the two tracks are still busy. The old signal bridge is still there.

Former NYC line at Rochester NY. How many cities have a railroad bridge over a waterfall?

I'm not sure if some of you are aware of it but there's a great organization dedicated to Penn Central and its history:

http://www.pcrrhs.org/ 

It's a well organized society and offers its membership good value.

Bob 

Bob - I have seen that Rio Grande unit before and think it is one of the more notable "oddballs". That train it's pulling looks like half a MoW train and half an automobile train.

As for the historical society, I was aware of its existence through some photos I found online but never did look into the benefits of its membership. Now that I read through it I think I just might join up 

After seeing all of the neat pictures of the various PC locomotives I decided to take a "Family Portrait" of my PC stable. 

Atlas O SW-8

Atlas O SD-35 (non-powered, ERR Mini Commander added)

MTH Alco RS-27 (Converted to TMCC)

Atlas O GP-9 (Custom painted)

MTH GP-40 (non-powered)

WBB F-3 AA (1508 non-powered with ERR Mini Commander & coil coupler, 1505 converted to TMCC with coil coupler)

I have space reserved for a Trainman U-23-B.  Maybe a GP-38 and a GP-30, also!

Didn't want the cabin cars to feel left out!

Tom

Good idea on the family portrait, I'll have to take one myself when I'm home on Thursday. I still envy that one of a kind transfer caboose of yours, and that SW-8 too! 

I saw and rode one of those PC "cabin cars" in 2011 at New York Museum of Transportation south of Rochester. I was interested to see that it was built at East Rochester, just a couple miles from where I grew up!

Despatch Shops was owned by NYC/PC.  They built the N7 bay window cabooses that PC inherited from NYC as well as the N6/N9 and N11 transfer cabooses.  They closed up in 1970 with their final orders being 400 class F50 coil cars and 75 N11e transfer cabooses.

Tom

Nice shots Jocko! Let's see what I can spot in your photos:

3rd Rail Fl-9

Atlas O SW-8 switchers

Atlas O GP-35

Atlas Trainman RSD-15

Atlas Trainman flatcar w/ pipe load

Lionel JLC Series GG1

Lionel set-breakup flatcar (tough to find!)

MTH Rectifiers

Weaver RSD-3s

Weaver Boxcar

About the only mystery items to me are those F-Units in the first photo. Who made those or are they custom?

Actually, one of the factors in PC downfall was that they had low volume coal reserves in low sulphur coal.  They became a deliverer of other railroads to customers on Penn Central but had little low sulphur coal originate on PC.

You can thank the Govt for that.  PC's demise was easily predicted.

Very Nice Room, Joe.  Very nice!!

If you trace all of my posts from the beginning (not recommended) you will read that I intended to model the Penn Central Railroad....

However, I got frustrated with the lack, locally, of Penn Central equipment.

I do have SOME though I have expanded to include PRR, NYC, and Chessie.

Penn Central's roster indeed offers some interesting modeling possibilities. Here's another variation in PC livery, the result of hastily renumbering of New Haven power necessitated by the January 1969 acquisition of the NH:

Williams offered the NH FA-1 decorated in this scheme so painting out the NH markings and substituting the PC herald and numbers will produce an interesting and accurate model.

Bob 

I remember seeing a photo of a GG1 hacked in half and being used as MoW equipment on the PC. Couldn't find it though.

Another visit to the Bay this morning and the last of Lionel's regular production scale Penn Central rolling stock is in the roster. That just leaves the set-breakup flatcar.

Appologize if this was mentioned before, but didn't a black Penn Central GG1 head up Robert Kenedy's funeral train?

Ok, just found this pic.  That's a cool looking consist.

Not sure if this applies.

We are going to relaunch our website in the next 1-3 months.

Membership is free and one of the features is that is that you can perform a search by railroad and get a list* of all of the products locos and cars that have been made.

* For catalogs that we have enterred into the system. It is a slow process

Here's the funeral train. Surely the most people to ever stop and care about a Penn Central consist at once:

Sounds like a great tool John! Hopefully our thread here and the checklist attached to my original post will help with the Penn Central section.

Hi, Nick.

Here are front and rear views of the G which was "kitbashed" into a snow melter/shop switcher. It was the former 4846:

It was assigned to Wilmington and scrapped during the 80s.

Bob

That would be the one Bob. A true PC "oddball" 

I hear tell two of them would've made one mighty fine locomotive!

Rusty