4500 Series MU Cars

Since we're now in the New York Central Forum I'm going to refer to these MUs by their rightful number series -4500s, 4600s and 4700s.

The 4500s had sealed windows and a/c. According to a NYC Car Directory, they had seven ton Frigidaire/Lundy air conditioning units.

One problem was they were much heavier than the 4600-4700s. Seventy-six tons versus fifty-eight.

DutchRailnut wrote:The 1100 cars were newer and had AC the 1000 were older and did not have AC as far as i Knew.

The 1000's were air conditioned as I stated earlier. I did not run them but I rode them plenty, when I covered the Beacon
Job as a pilot, I was relieved at Beacon, caught a Budd Car down to Harmon and an MU to New York. The 1000's were all
over the place at that time.
If you closely look at photos, you can plainly see that the cars had wide windows that did not open.
Noel Weaver+

Since we're now in the friendly confines of the New York Central Forum I think I can get away with asking this.

Noel did they pick you up at the junction? I can remember riding Budd cars to and from Beacon and making unscheduled stops to pick up freight crews. South of the station right where the connecting tracks came along the Hudson main tracks.

They didn't have to stop at CP-58 for me, I usually ran the train down the hill and simply stopped on the platform at the
passenger station and got off. I was not about to get off a moving freight train on to ground that I wasn't sure of and
didn't really know that well either. Nobody had any problem with that either.
In case we were so late that I could not make a connection back to Oak Point the railroad might tell me to remain on the
train to Poughkeepsie where they would have a cab to take me to Oak Point but most of the time I made the Budd Car at
Beacon.
Noel Weaver

Oh I see. Makes sense.

The times I'm thinking of the crews were actually changing at CP 58. On one trip the whole crew got into the westbound Budd car I was in. They were headed home. I heard them talking about what time it had been when they had left Selkirk, saying they had made a good run.

It stands out in my mind because it was the first really nice day of spring and the elderly engineer had picked some wildflowers. He had them with him when he got on the Budd car. I think it was more of a joke than anything else and it was pretty funny.

I don't know how often something like that happened. In fact I think the B&A may've either been blocked or had track out for repairs.

I only remember the remaining 1000 cars stored in North White plains in early 1984 near turntable.
They went to Bridgeport or New Haven to scrapper.

Well they might not have been in service but I guess a few did survive into the Mero-North era after all.

But I can't recall them running for either PC or Conrail once the M1As arrived (and I got home from the Army in 1974). I remember feeling sad as I grew up riding on those old MU cars.

RE: 4500-series ACMU cars ("Air-Conditioned MU", as opposed to the old riveted open-window MUs), at the time, about 1970 or so, they were due for a "mid-life" overhaul/refurbishment, being 20 years old at the time. I remember the truck springs were rather worn out, though not as bad as the NH 4400s in that regard. The 4700s were much newer and needed no major work at that point. With the M-1 cars right over the horizon, the descision was made to scrap the 4500 fleet. Remember-- back then, PC was not being 100% reimbursed for the commuter operation costs (this would only change in 1981-82 with the coming of MNCR), and capital funds (for NEW cars) are always easier to come by than maintenance funds, it seems.

The 4500s were nice cars to ride, especially if you were invited into the lead cab. A big window in the center door and a big window on the "fireman's side" as well, for lots of visibility. The car side windows were also large and un-tinted, whereas the 4700s had little "rifle-slit" windows and heavy green tint.

there are two preserved 1100 acmu's at the danbury railway museum on display in MNCR paint.

those St Louis built cars had a/c, very reliable and good riders. when i got hired in 1973, many were out of service with other former NYC & NH equipment including a non a/c NYC mu in Harmon. the last cars were withdrawn from service late winter/early spring of 1974. the 1037 was converted into a private higher fair club car with carpeting and armchair seats. it did see some service in 1983 with newly formed MNRR.the 1077 was converted by Penn Central in 1974-75 into a supply car from track 72 loading dock at Harmon to GCT replacing a still lettered New York Central fromer troop transport car.

1077 was cut up only a couple years ago. Looked like it had suffered a fire numerous times after being withdrawn from company service. I have photos of it in Croton East Yard before it was cut up.

Does anybody have horsepower figures for the 4500 and 4600/4700 series?

Mike it took me a while to find it but I have a Passenger Car Directory published by the New York Central in 1967.

Both type MUs apparently were rated at 400 HP. Each are listed as having four traction motors of 100 HP apiece.

The 4500s and the 4600/4700s are listed as having both had the same GE-1240 motors.

One advantage of the 4600s, they were a good deal lighter. They weighed 116,000 lbs versus the 151,000 lb. 4500s.