I recently discovered a website that has awesome up to date pictures of the Northeast corridor railroads. It is done by Russell Sullivan at Flickr. It showed pictures of the NS Hertiage locomotives and others. But what puzzled me was he had recent pictures of SD-50's in the EL paint scheme and they weren't hertiage units. I thought EL was long gone. And I was amazed by all the UP, BNSF and KCS locomotives that use the NE corridor. He has GREAT pictures.
The EL folded into Conrail in 1976 and the SD50 wasn't produced until 1981. Most SD50's have been retired/scrapped by now.
There were no original EL SD50's.
The photos are either misidentified as to type and date, or are a second hand engine painted for a shortline that looks like the EL.
It would have been helpful to have had a link to exact photo you were asking about.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Probably NS 1700, an SD45-2, assigned to the Conrail Shared Assets operations. It is commonly seen in New Jersey.
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/621714/
Nittany Lion...thats it, that is the picture I saw.
I model the EL and I love that unit. If it wasn't for the lack of ditch lights and the number being wrong, I'd get an NS unit to run it behind.
Brammy I model the EL and I love that unit. If it wasn't for the lack of ditch lights and the number being wrong, I'd get an NS unit to run it behind.
Yes, EL SD45's were numbered in the 3600 series. In addition, any SD45's that i've seen on the EL had that flared long hood for the dynamic brake fans. Could that be an SD40, not the SD40-2 (short frame)?
E-L man tom Brammy I model the EL and I love that unit. If it wasn't for the lack of ditch lights and the number being wrong, I'd get an NS unit to run it behind. Yes, EL SD45's were numbered in the 3600 series. In addition, any SD45's that i've seen on the EL had that flared long hood for the dynamic brake fans. Could that be an SD40, not the SD40-2 (short frame)?
The NS 1700 is an SD45-2. I believe it is an ex-EL unit. And yes, now that you mention it my SD45s (one Athearn Genesis (3666), one Overland (3668) have the flared radiators.
I do hope Athearn or Scaletrains make this unit someday.
Aside: I do wish the EL hung on until the double-stack trains. Would make my modeling life a LOT easier.
I wish EL was still here today, but....
1972 was the year hurricane agnes hit, forcing them into bankruptcy and wiped out 60-70% of the southern tier in New York. During that time, it was thought EL might be able to reorganize on it's own and there was a propsal for Chessie to get the Marion, OH - Chicago segment. But since the unions on both sides could not reach a compromise, CHESS cancleled the idea. With not other options, EL petitioned, and was acccepted into Conrail at the last minute. Meanwhile EL's creditors decided the railroad was worth more "dead than alive" so an estate sale took place to sell off everthing from the former railroad company. When that concluded, the corporation disposed of it's assets, creditors were payed out in full, and exited gracefully.
Had EL not been attacked by agnes in 72, it certainly would have been interesting to see if NW would have added them to thier NW/C&O system.
ATSFGuyHad EL not been attacked by agnes in 72, it certainly would have been interesting to see if NW would have added them to thier NW/C&O system.
My old hockey coach back in upstate NY worked for the Erie, then EL. He said that a merger with NW was considered but he believed that NW was hesitant to take on the financial liability of the EL. That would have been in the late 60's-early 70's. He later became an executive for Conrail before he passed away about 1993. He started out as an operator (when stations still had operators), on the extra list.
Yes, various sources report that an EL-N&W merger was discussed, but N&W was seriously concerned that EL would drag them into bankruptcy, and ultimately wanted no part of EL.