Re: PC: RE:Bicentennial paint

["NEW HAVEN U25B" <ERIE-LACKAWANNA@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ownership plate on U34CH's stated NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,
OWNER. The engines were bought outright by the state and not financed and
leased to EL plus the equipment at $1.00 per engine, per car, per month.
plus maintenance. The paint scheme was not an EL inspired one as silver
stripe was wider than the EL Maroon stripe. NJDOT GP7's and one GP40P where
painted as such as were many E8's. U34CH's were purchased at EL's request
because at the time the NJDOT did not have experience in purchasing
locomotives and bought what EL wanted, a modified U36C with HEP
that reduce HP to 3420, thus classified it as a U34CH. EL figured they could
use the engines on freights over weekends when some lines did not operate
weekend commuter service. NJDOT stopped the practice. Maintenance base was
Elizabethport and not Hornell. What EL did was illegal and not in the
agreeement with NJDOT. There were no leases on U34CH's. They were 100% NJDOT
owned and simply transferred in 1983 to NJDOT's railroad division known as
NJT. Only one FL9 5023 was lettered CR for obvious reasons. Engine 5023 was
the last 100% New Haven RR FL9 on the property in much need of a new
repainting. NH paint was chipping and faded. It was totally sandblasted the
came out of Harmon shops in MTA blue and Yellow indicating MTA ownership as
all other FL9's with white CR name and logo.


> most likely NJ DOT financed their purchase by EL, since they wore NJ DOT
> colors rather than G/M/Y EL colors.   I know from one of the EL books that
> EL wasn't supposed to use them west of Hornell when they did borrow one
for
> frieght work - the idea being to keep them close so they would be where
> they belonged Monday morning.   Also, other than the Bicen unit I don't
> think any were ever lettered Conrail like FL9's were.  It could be that it
> took the original lease to expire before the actual title was transfered
to
> NJT.
>
> Did PC paint anything besides the one buisness car for the Bicentennial?
I
> know EL had it's SD45/SDP45 combo and LV did a caboose, but I'm pretty
sure
> RDG and CNJ went without...    looks like the 2 PC engines that were
> painted were done by Conrail, though.
>
> ----------
> > From: Garrett Rea <Garrett.Rea -AT- worldnet.att.net>
> > To: penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
> > Subject: Re: PC: RE:Bicentennial paint
> > Date: Saturday, February 26, 2000 6:33 PM
> >
> >
> >
> > From: NEW HAVEN U25B <ERIE-LACKAWANNA -AT- prodigy.net>
> >
> >
> > >The U34CH is not CR property and only lettered CR on the upper side of
> long
> > >hood. Engine is also marked with NJDOT logos. A year after the the
> bicent
> > >the engine remained red white blue and had the CONRAIL name painted out
> and
> > >renumbered back to 4151 which is its real number.
> >
> >
> > Would this be the same as CR U34CH 4151, an ex EL unit?  It is shown as
a
> CR
> > unit in 1977, based in Secaucus, working commuter service on former EL
> > territory.  This from CR's 77 roster.  Thirty-two units listed total,
> 4151
> > first of the series.  As N. H, points out, there is a question to actual
> > ownership, as there was a lot of foreign power on CR in those
> > days....however, it is under the "owned" category, not "leased".  Other
> > locos listed that went to NJDOT are not included in the totals active by
> > class, whilst the U34CHs are shown to be CR owned, but the pictured unit
> has
> > NJDOT logos....CONFUSING!
> >
> > GWR
> >
> >
>