Tag Archives: pennsylvania

Penn Central, Penn Central, Railroad Paint Schemes

Penn Central Locomotive Paint Schemes

Penn Central locomotive paint schemes will be discussed in this blog.  Penn Central had a standard paint scheme they applied to their locomotives. This general version was the road name (applied to the hood of the unit), nose logos, and side logos applied to the hood. However, they had many versions due to different shops using different methods, available paint/supplies at the time, and in order for the image of “red and green team” to be erased as much as possible.

This was a tactic brought on by ex-SOU RR President Bill Moore, who became President of the PC in the early 70s. After the bankruptcy in 1970, he and other officials did their best to reform their broken image to the public, and among fellow employees. He ordered all predecessor logos and road names of the NH, NYC, & PRR to be painted over in any means possible, especially on locomotives. This is why sometimes one would see a locomotive still in ex-NH orange or red paint, but with PC logos, etc. applied. The same for ex-Tuscan red PRR paint on E7s, etc.

Penn Central RR logo photo- 1-West Productions™

PC also had partial schemes, where the locomotive may be painted in new paint, but only nose logos and cab numbers applied. Below is a list put together on variations of PC locomotive paint schemes, as seen in photos, books, etc.:

-FULL: road name, nose logos, cab numbers, large/mid-sized side logos, all logos & lettering were white

-FULL Red P:  the same as Full, but with a red P inside the PC logos.

-FULL Orange C:  the same as Full, but with an orange C inside the PC logos

-PARTIAL 1: road name, nose logos, cab numbers
-PARTIAL 2: road name, cab numbers
-PARTIAL 3: nose logos, cab numbers
-PARTIAL 4: nose logos, cab numbers, side logos
-PARTIAL 5: cab numbers

-PARTIAL 6:  any versions of the partial variations, but using the red P or orange C logos.

The following is a list of color type variations:

-Ex-NEW HAVEN: orange or red body (McGinnis or Alpert Schemes) w/ PC markings (any variation). All NH engines had new numbers applied, since they were not previously numbered in preparation for the PC merger.

-Ex-PRR: Tuscan red (usually E-units), DGLE green. All PRR locomotives received similar roster numbers as did NYC units, to prepare for the PC merger before 1968. Therefore some units kept their original gold/yellow PRR cab numbers, with PC markings.

-Ex-New York Central: gray (E-units), black. All NYC locomotives received similar roster numbers as did PRR units, to prepare for the PC merger before 1968. Therefore some units kept their original white NYC style cab numbers, with PC markings.

-Ex-Lehigh Valley: PC applied their road name to the hood of an RS2 in order to use for scrap-trade material, while still in LV paint. They did the same to a few other types of locomotives.

-Ex-D&RGW: PC received F-units from the Rio Grande they were originally going to use as trade in bait. However they found a few of the As & Bs to be still functional. They put 2 As & 2 Bs in service, and they wore the original yellow, silver, & black paint, with PC numbers & logos applied for a few years before finally being painted in PC black.

Although the PC paint scheme was a great one, with a futuristic logo & lettering fonts, and a basic but great black scheme, to those who didn’t like the straight-forward scheme, a little variety of various colors could be found within the PC system.  There are many books, publications, DVDs, & other sources available out there for those who would like to see actual pictures & more.  We have even found even more variations never seen before during our research.  With the PC, anything was possible, and new variations are found all the time!

What was your favorite PC paint scheme?

 

1-WP

 

© Copyright 2015, 1-West Productions™/PJ.  Duplication Prohibited.   Sources used for this information were:  Penn Central Power, Penn Central Power 1-4, Penn Central In Color 1-4- Yanosey;  Penn Central System Bi-Annual- Reid;  A Sampling of Penn Central- Taylor;  The Wreck of the Penn Central- Daughen & Binzen;  original Penn Central RR Posts employees magazines;  various PC DVDs by Green Frog, Clear Block, Revelation Video, & other books & photographs with PC locomotives.

 

 

 

Conrail, Conrail, Penn Central, Penn Central, PRR, Railroad History

PRR/PC/CR Logan Side-Bradford Line- Part of The PRR Panhandle Route

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This article will discuss a section of the PRR/PC/CR Logan Side-Bradford Line, Panhandle Line, that ran from Bradford, OH to Logansport, IN, called the Logan Side.  The PRR railroaders gave the section that ran from Bradford & Logansport the “Logan Side” name.  The Panhandle Line ran from Pittsburgh, PA to Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO, splitting at Bradford, with Bradford being a major yard, halfway, and crew change point of the line.

The line was first part of the Columbus, Chicago, & Indiana Central- leased by PRR subsidiary Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis (formed in 1868), that was formed extend the PRR’s westward expansion.

In Ohio, the Panhandle also ran through towns such as Dennison, Columbus, etc.  This line gave the PRR a westward expansion in the States.  The name “Panhandle” came from a section of WV where the line passed through years earlier, with the Panhandle Ry., and the name stuck years later.

The line was double track, until the 1950s, when PRR downgraded it to a single line, at least between Union City & Logansport, IN.  PRR would use J1 steam engines, and later GP7s and 9s to pull 100-car coal hoppers from the N&W via this line from Columbus, OH.  They hauled coal to power plants in Fort Wayne, IN and Chicago, IL.  PRR also hauled coal from the L&N Railway.  Marion, IN had a GM plant that depended on this line for service as well.

The Logan Side was downgraded by PRR after the yards at Bradford, OH were not being used as much anymore, and because the Richmond, IN yard was phased out.  Also when the N&W merged with the NKP & WAB in 1964, this gave the N&W other routes to use for their coal transport to Chicago (such as the ex-NKP Chicago Line).  Penn Central used the line however for some traffic, with Bradford, OH becoming an important part of the PC.  Most of the traffic however was eventually run on the Panhandle from Columbus, OH to Indianapolis, IN when PC reconfigured the crossover-connection with the ex-NYC Bee Line at Logansposrt, IN, in the early 1970s.

When CR came into existence, they increased traffic again between Columbus & Indianapolis through Bradford, OH, via the crossover-connection at Union City.  Most of the downgrading came with CR later in the early 1980s. CR diverted a lot of the traffic onto other more feasible lines, such as the ex-NYC/PC Bee Line, as they were doing with a lot of lines throughout the CR system.  The part of the Panhandle through Bradford to Union City was torn up by CR in 1985.

At Ridgeville, IN the Logan Side line crossed the ex-GR&I/PRR/PC/CR, that went north and south.  The PRR used a local and a few freights on the GR&I line.  Ridgeville was used as a local crew change point, where they also turned the trains, and interchanged cars.  The GR&I line was mostly removed in the late 1970s by CR.  There were small yards north of Ridgeville on the GR&I line, and west at Ridgeville on the Logan Side-Panhandle Line.

kt33saratogaex-prr-1994-faceSEtowardsunioncity-=================x

(Logan Side-Panhandle Line, Ridgeville, IN, facing west, after CR removal.)

kt33deerfieldINexprrtieplates===================x

(CR crews picking up tie plates at Deerfield, IN)

At Logansport, the Logan Side-Panhandle Line joined with the Pittsburgh Division Line that ran between Chicago and Pittsburgh, PA (through Ohio towns of Van Wert, Dunkirk, Bucyrus, Crestline, etc.).

kt33crcrcr================x

kt33crrllll==================x 

(Both photos above:  CR taking up the rail in Union City, IN)

At Union City, IN, the Panhandle originally crossed the ex-NYC/PC Indianapolis Bee Line.  After the crossovers were removed at Union City, the Logan Side-Panhandle line connected onto the Bee Line, and went west towards Redkey, IN.

In 1994, Conrail removed the rail, starting at Redkey, IN, heading east towards Union City.  Rail was left in about 2 miles east of Redkey, in order to be able to continue to service a few customers who still needed rail service.  There was a connecting track with the NS, so NS could pick up grain cars for Anderson’s.  Also in 1994, a small section was left in at Union City, connecting to the Bee Line, to be used as a short siding for a local industry.

kt33crrailtrain==================x

lt33railtrainoutofredkey====================x

(Both photos above:  The last train out of Union City on the ex-PRR/PC Logan Side-Panhandle Line- CR 601 moving east to Crestline, OH, via the ex-NYC Bee Line)

At one point the CR crew accidentally left too early east towards Crestline, OH on the ex-NYC Bee Line,  before the project was finished, and had to back-track to finish removing and picking up the rest of the rail.

Eventually, the rail was removed east of Redkey, IN, along with the ex-NKP/N&W diamond there, and a switch was put in by NS, south of Redkey, so they could go northwest and pick up the cars for Anderson’s.  The line is still in from Redkey to Dunkirk, removed from Dunkirk to Hartford City, and still in from there to Marion, IN, used by NS.  The line today is removed from Columbus, OH to Redkey, IN, except for a few short sections near Greenville, OH.  (See sample video below for CR’s Redkey interchange with NS’s Frankfort Dist., taken from our CONRAIL REMEMBERED™, VOL. 3 Featured Series DVD Video.)

At one time an important line for the PRR & PC, it almost stayed an important line for Conrail, until they decided against it later.  CR had even rebuilt part of the line, only to downgrade shortly after.  As most railroads have done in the past, some lines were favored over others, in order to help cut costs.  What is interested is today in 2015, railroads are re-opening and upgrading lines they at one time saw as unimportant.  This is due to increased rail traffic causing congestion on lines, especially due to the transporting of oil.  This makes the railroads and historians both happier.

The removal of this part of the Logan Side-Panhandle PRR/PC/CR Line is covered in Keith’s Trains Series™ (from the camera of Keith Lehman, from 1-West Productions™), Title #33 CONRAIL RAIL REMOVAL BRADFORD, OH –REDKEY, IN 1994.               

As railroads improve their plant, they make changes in order to help keep things profitable and to save costs. Even though changes are made today, history is kept preserved in films and photographs for tomorrow. Also a lot of abandoned railroad ROWs are being made into bike trails, which can also help preserve its history. But sometimes railroads change history by bringing back to life a downgraded or abandoned line or ROW. Presently NS and CSX are working to bring back to life the ex-PRR/PC/CR Pittsburgh to Chicago line, in order for NS to be able to relieve traffic congestion on the ex-NYC/PC/CR Water Level route.  Also there is talk that NS will be purchasing and re-using the ex-NKP/N&W line to Lima because of congestion problems on other NS lines.

Sample of our CONRAIL REMEMBERED™ VOL. 3 Video available for purchase, that shows CR action at Redkey (line now removed):

Like more Penn Central/CR Routes information?  Try this Penn Central Website.

[All photos are screenshots taken from the Keith’s Trains Series™, by 1-West Productions™ (from the camera of Keith Lehman).   Sources used for this article/blog information are:  K. Lehman;  P. Jordan;  A Sampling Of Penn Central, Jerry Taylor, Indiana University Press, 1973, 2000 ]

Article & Photos © Copyright 2015, 2018 1-West Productions™/PJ, Duplication Prohibited.
N&W, NS, Penn Central, Penn Central, Railroad General Discussions, Railroad History, SOU

Penn Central, NYC, PRR, NH, & Conrail

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The Penn Central, NYC, PRR, NH, & Conrail- one topic I’m really familiar with is the Penn Central Railroad. I’ve written extensively on this subject for some years, and even have another website dedicated to this railroad. Although there were many people who despised that railroad, it still played a very important part of keeping America’s economy flowing, regardless of its mis-haps. Those of us in the younger generations appreciate the PC for what it was, and the very wide range of modeling that can be done with it.

The PC was the joining of the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and later the New Haven Railroads. The NYC & PRR were joined in 1968, and the NH in 1969. The NYC and PRR were great competitors originally, with parallel routes. The NH was considered mostly a passenger road, with some TOFC trains, and the PC did not want to include them in their merger. However the ICC required them to take in the NH, if they wanted the ICC to approve the PC merger in the first place.

The new PC at the time seemed like it was going to work in the beginning, then hard times came. Unfortunately many factors happened, which caused the merger to fail in 1970. Factors were corrupt management, investments spread too wide, government regulations on rates that the railroad was allowed to charge to its customers, competition with trucks and air, deferred maintenance of facilities, tracks, and equipment, weather-related catastrophes (hurricanes, floods, severe winters, etc.), lack of freight cars, locomotives, and cabooses, parallel routes, and the government not allowing the railroads to abandon older secondary routes not needed by the railroads throughout the country.

Many would say that the PC was the only railroad merger in the States to have paralleled routes that failed or plagued with problems, and the only railroad to have dirty and run-down equipment, loosing money everyday, bad track, and corruption. But history and many good sources say that was not the case. Many US railroad mergers and companies, especially in the Midwest and East were in the same trouble. In fact, the ONLY Class 1 railroad that had fewer problems, especially during this time was the Santa Fe. Also the only merger that actually worked with fewer problems was the NS merger between the N&W and SOU later in the 1980s!

Finally the government had to step in to help, or an economic catastrophe was on the way. Conrail was formed and took over the PC, EL, RDG, LV, & CNJ- all that were in the same situations as the PC. CR grew a profit in the 1980s, and was taken over by NS & CSX in the late 1990s.

The PC is a favorite to many in modeling, studying, photo collecting, and more.  They had many paint scheme variations, colors, equipment types, unique colors, great facilties, yards, and more.  The PC was not a separate company that came and took over the NYC, PRR, and NH- they were simply the combining of these roads, just under a new name. And some say the PC lived on even under CR, since most of CR’s operations, tracks, equipment, personnel were PC. These days the PC is getting more difficult to see, as equipment is being replaced, things changed, etc. May the PC live on!

DVDs to check out:

-You can see some history about the PC on Revelation’s Penn Central DVD HERE.  Just one of many PC DVDs out there that has material the others do not have.

-Also a DVD about the NYC (by Revelation) HERE

-Many great DVDs with CONRAIL can be found in Keith’s Trains Series™ HERE

 

(Sources one should read that backup these facts are:  Wreck Of The Penn Central, Merging Lines, Penn Central Power, just to name a few!)

© Copyright 2015 PJ/1-WP™