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Discussion relating to the PRR, up to 1968. Visit the PRR Technical & Historical Society for more information.
 #736296  by chnhrr
 
I enjoy scanning the eBay section of brass HO locomotives and cars, since I come across things I have never seen before. One of these was an example of a PRR Lima Hamilton T-2500. I am electric loco fan, but this diesel has caught my imagination. What is the history of these units? I have the feeling they did not prove a great success for the railroad. Did other railroads use this type of diesel and are there any left preserved?

(Photo courtesy of B. Laws)
 #736378  by Statkowski
 
According to The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide, J. Pinkerpank, 1973, Lima-Hamilton made 22 such beasties (no model number) between May 1950 and September 1951, all for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Their road numbers were 5671-5683 and 8943-8951. Some had trainphones; some had dynamic brakes.

Baldwin Locomotive Works took over Lima-Hamilton Corporation in 1951, and B-L-H subsequently produced some 24 more 2,400-h.p. transfer locomotives, model RT-624, with the PRR getting 23 of them (road numbers 8113, 8724-8731 & 8952-8965).

Other users of Baldwin center-cabs included the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Minneapolis, Northfield & Souther, the Trona, the Saint Louis-Southwestern, and the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic.

Succesful? I would argue they were.
 #736410  by ex Budd man
 
These (and the Baldwin version) were built as transfer engines to move long cuts of cars from one locale to another. Being center cab connfiguration they didn't need turning and were not intended as long haul road power. They were an early attempt at a high power unit without having to MU two or more diesels together. If one looks closely at the photo there are no MU recepticals or hoses, but I think PRR (ever practical) did install them years later.
The EJ&E unit were reengined by EMD, I saw these when I did basic training at Great Lakes in 1968. As a matter of fact EMC built a similar loco in the thirties.
 #736653  by chnhrr
 
Were these units used in the East like Harrisburg or Philadelphia or where they just used in the Midwest? I remember coming a across a picture of a transfer loco that the I.C.R.R. used that had similar characteristics.
 #737071  by Allen Hazen
 
I *think* PRR used some of its center-cab transfer units in pusher and transfer service in the East, even into Philadelphia, but I don't know if these were Lima or Baldwin versions.
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I'm not sure how great an idea these units were. EMD built (well, had built: I think it was before they had their own plant) one experimental or demonstrator centercab, and then went for that market with "cow and calf" switchers.
 #738709  by JimBoylan
 
I remember them as helpers on the Main Line West from Philadelphia to Bryn Mawr and East from Paoli to Bryn Mawr. Others tell of them being used East and West from near Downingtown. Once I saw one on a Schuylkill Valley branch freight train.
 #779023  by PRSL2005
 
The Lima T-2500 PRR Class LS-25 http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiag ... &sz=sm&fr= (L Lima S switcher - 25 2500hp) or with MU LS-25m were keep on the west end of the system, and never came east.

The BLH RT-625 PRR Class BS-24 http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiag ... &sz=sm&fr= or with MU BS-25m for the most part were keep on the east end of the system.