KEARNY, N.J. — NJ Transit unveiled three heritage locomotives Saturday at its annual Family Days event at its Meadows Maintenance Complex, and is scheduled to debut the locomotives for the general public on Tuesday. The three locomotives are GP...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/10/05-nj-transit-reveals-heritage-locomotives
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
In my opinion, these are really well-done.
There is one additional thing, though, that I wish they had added: a heritage unit in the color scheme of the U34CHs, either the 'blue' with heralds or the disco stripes. That was just as historic (and arguably much more successful) than the schemes being commemorated, even if from a more modern and less nostalgically celebrated era.
Not too late, perhaps, to start a campaign for more heritage... even as we recognize and celebrate what they've given us.
As I posted about this on the Newswire page, this is an significant act to improve employee morale after years of dealing with bad management and political hacks. Now, if they'll only bring back Hoboken Festival next year!
I read the "Newswire" article myself, and man, I sure didn't see this coming!
VERY wise move on NJT's part, both to build up public image and employee morale, and as I said isn't it amazing that a color scheme intended for a PRR diesel so many decades ago translates so well to a modern locomotive?
And you bet, I'd love to see a revival of the Hoboken Festival! I've got a rail video with a Festival from the 90's, and it sure looked like a lot of fun! What a shame they dropped it.
I wonder what the goal was with all the black paint.
Leo_AmesI wonder what the goal was with all the black paint.
You mean on the 'chamfer' of the Vergara-styled Erie-Lackawanna unit?
I think it's supposed to be stylistic, like the 'blades' on an Audi R8. I suspect it looked much better in the side and end elevations than it does in 3D.
It should make the unit look lower and sleeker 'in real life' though. Which reminds me: I had not realized just how low and streamlined an ALP46A looked until I saw it next to a familiar old Geep ...
NJT chose the heritqge schemes for the three locomotives for practical reasons. But look! The choices are correct symbolically as well!
All NJT operations that came from PRR were under electric power, except the Broker, which did use steam and then diesel through to Jersey City. Most trains, the NEC, were only electric. Thus, PRR heritage on a straight electric.
NJT operations that came from EL were partly electric, Morris and Essex, and partly diesel, Boonton. Thus EL heritage on a dual-mode.
All CNJ was diesel, so CNJ heritage on a diesel-electric.
daveklepperAll CNJ was diesel, so CNJ heritage on a diesel-electric.
And not just 'any' diesel-electric, one whose history goes back to the very beginning of 'modern' approaches to commuter service on the CNJ, which has had more lives than a cat, and which continues to serve at least as effectively now as for CNJ originally.
Forgot to note that the Erie componant of EL was also diesel. although the suburban Stllwell coaches were designed for easy conversion to mu cars.
And the PRR gold pinstipes were first used on GG1s before the diesels.
It may be a bit of a stretch but NJ Transit had a heritage unit on the roster back in 1982. GG1 4877 was repainted in tuscan red with pinstripes around that time. Admittedly, the repaint was not sponsored by NJT but it still looked great.
CSSHEGEWISCHIt may be a bit of a stretch but NJ Transit had a heritage unit on the roster back in 1982
I do think at least part of the 'choice' of Tuscan five-stripe is a 'hommage' to Big Red. I am still not quite sure why the locomotive was restored 'back' to Brunswick green...
Maybe we can look forward to a less-excruciating commemorative song this time around?
"YES, get rid of the "Elvis" sideburns." I saw this in the comment section, exactly what my heart wants to say.
Jones 3D Modeling Club https://www.youtube.com/Jones3DModelingClub
4877 originally got the tuscan red as part of its assignment to the re-equipped "Congressional" in about 1952. 4935 was repainted back to the Brunswick green which was the standard color for PRR electrics.
Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't Amtrak have a GG1 painted in "Tuscan Red" with pinstripes around the same time as that NJT GG1 was done in "Brunswick Green?"
The Amtrak repaint was paid for by railfan organizations, again, if I remember correctly.
You've got them transposed. 4877 in Tuscan red was an NJT locomotive and 4935 in Brunswick green was Amtrak power.
Ah, thank you, I knew there was an Amtrak "G" in an historic scheme.
Flintlock76Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't Amtrak have a GG1 painted in "Tuscan Red" with pinstripes around the same time as that NJT GG1 was done in "Brunswick Green?"
Look at the numbers for your answer. 4935 was selected by Friends of the GG1 in part because it was the only Amtrak GG1 to retain its original PRR number (never put in the 9xx series, which ended with 929, or the sequence prepended with 49xx from 4930 up).
4877 is an earlier series, and was among the last operable NJT units. (As I recall, it was the one that failed in the 'last days of the GG1' and needed to be ignominiously retrieved)
(Very strangely, I remembered 4935 being in Tuscan when restored back in the day, and this even after watching Loewy sign the thing on the return of the inaugural trip. I had to be advised, somewhat sharply, that she'd always been in green.)
Yeah Mod-man, I was sure 4935 was done in Tuscan myself. You're right, it's strange you and I would remember otherwise.
I've got a color photo of it in one of my railbooks somewhere, I'll have to start looking.
Anyway, here it is courtesy of Flickr, under the wires n' everything...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chuckzeiler/27889523716
An up-date on those Jersey Transit Heritage units, specifically the PRR and EL locomotives.
The question was asked why the chamfer along the side was left black. I just found out those ALP's weren't repainted, they're wrapped. Those Pennsy and EL schemes are decals on steroids! No matter, they look great just the same.
However, the GP40 in the Jersey Central scheme is a repaint.
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