PC: Re: exNYC Diesels

["Terry Link" <trlink@xxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Garrett Rea <>

> I just picked up a pair of new P2K NYC cigar band FA2s ($22 each even) and
> was wanting to have someone contact me to give some aid as to detailing
> these units for PC-era use.  I can find all I need for ex-PRR stuff but
not
> NYC.  I am concerned about horns, spark arrestors, antenna, MU hoses,
train
> control equipment, etc....   When were these engines re-numbered as well?
> Eg NYC 1050 to PC 1350......

None of the PRR FA2s made it to the Penn Central.  The NYC FA2s were
renumbered by adding 300 to the unit number.

Some basic details:
Dynamic brakes - Cal-Scale #461
>From what I can tell, units #1046 to 1087 and #1108-1123 had Farr air
grills - Detail Associates #2701 (B units #3333-3354 and 3365-3372 also had
Farr grills)
MU hoses on front of locomotive- engineer side - 3 hoses - Custom Finishing
#257.  Single air hose on other side.  Detail Associates #1508
Radio Antenna (mounted behind cab door on engineers side) - sinclair -
Detail Associates #1803.
Horns - Pair of standard Alco single chime horns.  Details West #173
ATS pickup shoe - Custom Finishing #229 - Lead truck - rear axle engineers
side.
Backup light - Details West #162
Spark Arrestor - Cal-Scale #439 should be close
Grabs up engineers side of nose.


> Train control questions:
>
> I have an NYC GP20 (P2K also) that I am going to work on at the same time.
> I have seen some NYC locos with what appears to be a "bench grinder" on
the
> front-near side of the cab and nose.  I have found a similar detail in the
> Walthers Wish Book that was called a "motor" and included int the
> train-control parts.  Also, the shoes that went on the trucks, which ones
> are correct?

The Bench Grinder on NYC hood units was part of the Automatic Train Stop.  A
signal from a trackside shoe would energize the shoe on the locomotive if it
past a red signal causing the 'motor' to apply the brakes on the train.
Though much more technical then this, it was simply a device to apply the
brakes.  All mainline locomotives and road switchers had these, though cab
units obviously had them installed inside the car body.
Custom Finishing has #208 as the 'motor' and #229 as the pickup shoe.  They
also have another pick up shoe (#202) which appears to be the steam
locomotive version.  The pickup shoe was mounted on lead truck on the
engineers side.  Some units had the pickup shoe on the lead axle and others
had them on the rear axle - though it appears to be model dependant and not
random.  Exceptions are the multi-purpose road switchers like the GP7/9s and
RS2/3s.  These units had a shoe on both sides of the REAR truck.


As for a NYC list, please see
http://members.home.com/nycrailroad/nycemail.htm for information on how to
subscribe.


Terry Link
Bramalea, Ontario
trlink -AT- home.com