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  • Pennsylvania RR E8A 5805

  • Discussion of Electro-Motive locomotive products and technology, past and present. Official web site can be found here: http://www.emdiesels.com/.
Discussion of Electro-Motive locomotive products and technology, past and present. Official web site can be found here: http://www.emdiesels.com/.

Moderator: GOLDEN-ARM

 #1506204  by SSW921
 
This topic popped up in the Classic Trains forum a week ago. See "Pennsy E8 Crunched at C.U.S. ? Details anyone?" Well there is an ICC accident report. The destruction of the first 5805 is documented by the Interstate Commerce Commission. See the Chicago Union Station report for March 10, 1954. The ICC wreck database is here, it's not complete, but shows many of the serious wrecks over the years: https://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net/Contents" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Sign up for this DOT database is free.

Online photos show a 20 month old E8A with a broken underframe. In 1954 terms that means the unit is a write off, because EMD did not repair underframes until later. In historical terms there is no problem because there were 74 Pennsylvania E8As and 74 matching EMD serial numbers. The first 5805 was EMD serial 15669 built in July 1952 on order 6354A. The history of the unit goes on to renumbering to PRR 4270, PC 4270, and finally to NJTR 4270, renumbered on paper only as this unit was a parts source at the Elizabethport Shops. A serial number inventory of units will not reveal this kind of repair if the serial number was not changed.

But now there is a roster anomaly of 74 unit numbers, 74 serial numbers, that were built on 75 underframes. Besides the photo and the ICC report the repair is undocumented. No confirming information has been found on where the repair was done. A repair of this nature will easily cost three quarters of the cost of a new unit or more.

Ed in Kentucky
 #1546607  by GOLDEN-ARM
 
SSW921 wrote: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:21 am Here is a linked 1959 photo of the 5805 at Louisville. Note the difference in grills between the two E8As. See http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=5314349

there is no picture at the broken link you posted.
 #1604960  by SSW921
 
Illinois Central had two E9As on order in the spring of 1954. See EMD order #2062 at http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/19300.htm The original serials of the IC order were 19371-19372. When IC experienced a wreck in May 1954 a wrecked E6A was quickly traded in to EMD for one of the E9As already on order. The other E9A became PRR 5805 2nd.

Ed in Kentucky