Railroad Forums 

Discussion relating to the Penn Central, up until its 1976 inclusion in Conrail. Visit the Penn Central Railroad Historical Society for more information.

Moderator: JJMDiMunno

 #371416  by scooter3798
 
Yeah, that thing is pretty neat looking. I remember the first time I saw a picture of it I thought it was part of a wreck. I think there was another unit converted with an odd nose, at least it had one, that came out of Altoona's RS3MOD program. The one in the picture went on to be CR 9950.

 #371489  by scottychaos
 

 #371548  by Dieter
 
An Alco nightmare clearly designed by an uncompromising committee....

Shots in Pennsy territory, do you know the heritage of the unit? It looks like it might have been in jade green at some point which would really make it a DoDo. That last shot it looks like green coming through, and the shot of the doors open, it looks like green on the inside of the vents.

D/

 #372172  by scooter3798
 
The PC 5477 is the former PRR 8477. It never wore Jade green but did wear Pennsy Brunswick green. The unit was rebuilt as an RS3M by the PC Juniata shops in Altoona in April of 1972. The unit was later renumber by PC to 9950. It got the 9950 number before Conrail but I am not sure when. The other interesting RS3M that I mentioned in an earlier post is the PC 9951. It was completed by Juniata in July of 1973 and was given just a chop nose, it is also pretty neat looking though. Here is a link to a shot of it

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9951s.jpg

This unit was rebuilt from the PC 5230.

Scooter

 #372205  by Dieter
 
This one's more of a dog face! :wink: The other looks like a Dremel Kitbashing Award recipient. If you guys hadn't shared the shots with us and I came across a model of one of these, I'd think someone was drinking with a Dremel!

D/

 #372371  by scooter3798
 
When is the next company kegger goin' down? I think you might be able to get one out of them then, he he.

 #372500  by traingeek8223
 
The 9950 was actually an ex New Haven unit.

 #372609  by scottychaos
 
PRRGuy wrote:You know (Scot) I'll be that would make for an interesting project in..G Scale :P
it would actually!
hmmm..if I come across an RS3 "beater" at a train show, I will keep it in mind! :P

Scot

 #375504  by lvrr325
 
I'd build one from one of the Stewart shells, they turn up now and again pretty cheap (I saw one at Springfield for like $10). Last I knew Stewart still sold them new, but that was before they sold out to Bowser.

The hood being seperate pieces makes it easier to chop or remove the short nose; an Athearn switcher cab aught to be a cheap way to come up with the EMD cab face for the 9950 although a Cannon cab may be easier to work from. Number boards would have to be dismembered from the nose of an SW1001 or SW1500 shell.

Was this unit wrecked maybe? I know the Dewitt RSD-15/RSD-5 slug set, the radiator end on the RSD was replaced with part of a hood from an RS1 or S-type switcher for that reason.

This is basically the first "DeWitt Geep" even though it wasn't done there, enough were to give the 1200 HP RS2/3 rebuild that nickname. It should have a 1200-hp rated 567-12 from a retired E-unit. I can't remember how many PC built, some got strange extended housings on the hoods (one is visible to the left of this photo: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=197929 ) .

The result is basically a large/heavy SW1200 with GE traction motors and room for a toilet (on units retaining a short hood) so they could be used a little more flexibly. The twin EMD type stacks and small EMD fans give the prime mover conversion away on these units.

They were successful enough the EL did one and Conrail continued to build about 30 more, through number 9999, but they became the units that went in and out of storage first and around 1988 when the B40s came they bumped enough newer units down that I'm pretty sure that's when these were retired as a group. I know the last time I saw one was in 1985, but I was a kid then so I didn't get to railfan much. Amtrak either bought, or built, about half a dozen similar units too.

At least one of every Conrail road that had these got done - LV, RDG, CNJ, Erie and DL&W, and PC. I'm not sure how many are left outside of former LV-211 (actually a PC/PRR unit before that) in Rochester, an ex-DL&W on Housatonic, and 2 or three on the Maryland & Delaware (I believe one each DL&W and Erie and not sure on the other one). At least two of the Amtrak units do exist, and those were PC units originally.

 #381256  by Matt Langworthy
 
scooter3798 wrote:The PC 5477 is the former PRR 8477. It never wore Jade green but did wear Pennsy Brunswick green. The unit was rebuilt as an RS3M by the PC Juniata shops in Altoona in April of 1972. The unit was later renumber by PC to 9950. It got the 9950 number before Conrail but I am not sure when. The other interesting RS3M that I mentioned in an earlier post is the PC 9951. It was completed by Juniata in July of 1973 and was given just a chop nose, it is also pretty neat looking though. Here is a link to a shot of it

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9951s.jpg

This unit was rebuilt from the PC 5230.
Yeah, that loco is pretty cool! She looks similar to the RS-3Us of the GB&W and D&H, except for the tall exhaust stacks.

 #381257  by Matt Langworthy
 
scooter3798 wrote:The PC 5477 is the former PRR 8477. It never wore Jade green but did wear Pennsy Brunswick green. The unit was rebuilt as an RS3M by the PC Juniata shops in Altoona in April of 1972. The unit was later renumber by PC to 9950. It got the 9950 number before Conrail but I am not sure when. The other interesting RS3M that I mentioned in an earlier post is the PC 9951. It was completed by Juniata in July of 1973 and was given just a chop nose, it is also pretty neat looking though. Here is a link to a shot of it

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9951s.jpg

This unit was rebuilt from the PC 5230.
Yeah, that loco is pretty cool! She looks similar to the RS-3Us of the GB&W and D&H, except for the tall exhaust stacks.