PA 17

[tj48]

Does anybody know the history of #17. Why did this unit lose its Alco grill such as #18's in favor of (to me anyway) an EMD style looking grill?
PA #17 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=489696
PA #18 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=662988

[Mem160]

I think it had something to do with a cab fire. Then it was rebuilt.

----> Mark

[Benjamin Maggi]

That was done (if I remember correctly) by the Sante Fe before the D&H acquired it in 1968. It was changed out to Stainless Steel to better match their streamlined trains. When the D&H bought it with the others, it was the only one so equipped and they never bothered to change it to match the rest.

From the Bridge Line Historical Society's website:
"An interesting feature of Delaware and Hudson's PA #17 is the different grill work behind the cab. Originally the unit had the same trim and grill work as the other units, but shortly before the unit was sold to the D&H, Santa Fe modified it to match newer PA-2's."http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/pa1_pa4.html

[Champlain Division]

Apparently somebody at Santa Fe considered the Farr Air Grills on the PA-2s to be "more modern." The F-7s and E-8s all had Farr grills, so perhaps someone in operations had the idea of mixing EMD with ALCO power on passenger trains and wanted them to more closely match. Can't say as I remember ever seeing any pictures of PAs mixed in with Fs or Es on the Santa Fe though. The Grand Canyon and the Fast Mail seemed to be the PAs normal haunts, IIRC.

[tj48]

Apparently somebody at Santa Fe considered the Farr Air Grills on the PA-2s to be "more modern." The F-7s and E-8s all had Farr grills, so perhaps someone in operations had the idea of mixing EMD with ALCO power on passenger trains and wanted them to more closely match. Can't say as I remember ever seeing any pictures of PAs mixed in with Fs or Es on the Santa Fe though. The Grand Canyon and the Fast Mail seemed to be the PAs normal haunts, IIRC.

I'm sure it didn't matter one bit to the Santa Fe but I think by changing the grills on #17 it really took away a big piece of its classic Alco design.
Thanks for all your responces.

[Champlain Division]

Detracting from the "classic Alco design" seems to be the majority opinion. Frankly, however, I've always thought the #17 was the prettiest PA of all. In fact, I even kitbashed an Athearn PA into a #17 based on a Southern PA-3 article I have.