Re: PC: E8 Windows

[KEMACPRR@xxxxxxx]

The exterior panels of both the E-7 and E-8 units were a material called metal
/wood. It was a sandwich of a plywood type material with a thin sheet of sheet
steel on both sides. The wood would pick up moisture and rot out the steel
especially around the portholes which usually leaked around the gasket. When
the panel needed replacement a blank piece of steel or metalwood would be used
thats why the replacements seemed random they only fixed what needed to be
fixed.  The E-7 at Strasburg has the replacement numberboards the PRR put on
to replace the original small side number boards.The PRR used these on the E-7
and BP-20 units.  Seems the block operators in the towers had a tough time
seeing the unit number as the train rolled by. As far as I know all the NYC
E-7's with the exception of the first order came delivered with the larger
angle EMD number boards. All the PRR E-8's came with these as did all the NYC
E-8's.   Hope this helps. By the way Cary makes the PRR replacement number
boards if you want to do an ex PRR UNIT. 
                                      Ken McCorry