Re: PC: ADMIN: Two things

[Jejunabra@xxxxxxx]

Okay, I will bring up a topic, why the Pennsy bought EMD ,GE, and Alco six
axle road power and the New York Central did not. Since the Central side of
the railroad operated predominantly in flatland territory, thus the tag Water
Level Route, the motive power experts felt that the four axle road power of
the various ratings, such as 1500 hp (GP7, 1750; GP9, 2000 hp GP20,RS32, etc.
in the four axle configuration were sufficient to to the job of getting trains
over the road on time and without undue delay. On the Pennsy side, however,
the power requirements for the railroad's freight service were different,
GP30s,35s, U25Bs, C425s notwithstanding, for the topography of much of the
Pennsy system was mountainous and hilly in nature, necessitating diesels with
greater pulling power. This is where the likes of the SD35s, SD40s, SD45s,
U25Cs, U28Cs, U30Cs, and Alco C628s and C630s as well as the various RSD
models came in. That is why the four axle GEs other than the U25B or the GP40
were absent from the Pennsy roster. The GP40 was better suited for high speed
piggyback service than the heavy ponderous freights and bulk commodity trains
the PRR was noted for, which is why the PRR went for six axle road power and
the New York Central did not. Once the merger came, the diesel fleets of what
had been two railroads meshed together nicely once the necessary equipment
additions and modifications had been made. According to an old PRR diesel
roster I picked up off another website, the first ten SD45s of the 6200 block,
namely 6200-6209 were equipped with Locotrol radio gear for remote operation
of midtrain helper power. Whether Penn Central kept the locotrol on these
units I would like to find out. There may have been other locotrol equipped
units on the Penn Central. I would like to find out more about this operation.

Jim Mancuso