Newbie question......................

[Anonymous]

Greetings. I found this site and have enjoyed reading the threads from train guys with a lot of experience.

I have a question. I purchased this GG-1, a modern, late 70's Penn Central. Its new in box, been displayed but looks never run. I want to match it w/ some passenger cars. What would she have hauled?

I do have a set of NYC passenger cars that I run w/ a NYC F-3. I was thinking some postwar 2531,32....... or perhaps a pennsy passenger of somesort.

Any input would be welcomed. Thanks.

[Big_Boy_4005]

The Penn Central was only around for a few years before Amtrak came along, 5 or 6 if I'm not mistaken. I want to say the year was 1967, and Amtrak came along May 1, 1971. Some cars were relettered to reflect the merger, but I don't think anyone has done a set of model cars lettered that way. I would lean toward the Pennsy origin of the GG-1in choosing passenger cars to go with that engine, though you could pull a mix of cars. That wouldn't be as pretty, but it may be realistic.

[brianel027]

Also bear in mind, the GG1's probably stayed pretty much on what is called the northeast corridor: the Boston, NYC, Washington route and also the Philadelphia-NYC route. Penn Central was obviously the merger of the NYC and the PRR, but Penn Central was also forced to take over the very cash strapped New Haven. Like the Penn Central didn't already have enough problems.

Though I haven't seen many passenger photos, I do know as far as freight is concerned, this period right through the early years of Conrail was one where almost anything was possible. I can recall seeing N&W, D&H, Reading, Reading and Erie Lackawanna units along with the usual variety of Lehigh units at the Lehigh Valley yards in Sayre, Pa.

Penn Central was cash strapped, but also had a fairly aggressive program of repainting the former PRR, NYC and NH equipment into the PC paint schemes. Some were redone in total PC green with black roofs, others styed in their natural silver with a PC green band along the windows. Some stayed in their original paint schemes with only the logos and names painted out. I've seen photos of passenger cars in PRR tuscan with yellow PC logos painted over the PRR.

Of course, you won't find this mish-mish of cars unless you paint them yourself. But certainly running a combination of PRR, NYC, NH, PC and Amtrak cars would not be out of line. Outside of the solid black PC scheme with the all white logo, a white and red PC logo was later come up with to "add color." The Penn Central also had an F unit of some kind in an experimental blue and yellow scheme that is very unusual and attractive also (considering the more common scheme).

To throw another zinger into the mix, when Amtrak first took over, passenger cars came from all over the place. It wasn't unlikely to see an Amtrak train in a real mixed variety of road names, including the newly re-painted Amtrak cars. The floundering Jersey Central had inherited so many cars in various schemes from the Great Northern that some of it's trains were nicknamed "The Jersey Builder" after the GN's "Empire Builder."

To give yet one more option, I can recall seeing a PC unit pulling recently repainted passenger cars of various vintages in Conrail blue. Of course the cars under Conrail paint were in non-revenue service as corporate, inspection and equipment cars. To add more variety to the mix, one of the CR execs didn't like the CR blue on the passenger cars and had them done in pullman green with gold CR logos and lettering.

I find this period from the mid-1960's through the late-1970's an interesting period to model. On a prototypical level, there are lots of exceptions to the rules as far as road names and equipment mixing. This was most certainly one period to model where saying "that's not prototypical" can easily be answered back with "oh yes it is" as far as the northeast US in concerned.

Have fun if this is your time period to model and break the rules!! It's allowed.

[Frank53]

This is the great thing about those pasanger car series emblazoned with "Lionel Lines".

Many nice post war car sets from which to chose, none of which are tied to a line.

[TurboOne]

Welcome to the forum, with the greatest bunch of folks you ever could chat with.

Maybe you can get blank cars and make your own line. Because I live in San Diego, we get the tail end of Santa Fe, and then Amtrack. 1 choice in passenger cars, but I decided to start my own line, that way I pick the colors, and the style. The best part of MRR is you are the president, ceo, and chief bottle washer. What you say, goes.

Good luck.

Tim

[brianel027]

One more thought... the 2500's are the nicer passenger cars from Lionel. If you are running near scale stuff, there are lots of passenger cars to choose from in NYC, PRR, NH and Amtrak. Besides Lionel, there's MTH, Willaims and K-Line though who exactly makes what I couldn't say. This is one way that today is such a great time to be in the hobby: so much selection from several companies.

On the shorter 11 inch type streamliner cars, Lionel has made those in all 4 above roadnames. Besides the past Tuscan PRR cars, there's some different paint scheme PRR ones in the 2005 catalog, 3 for $99. K-Line has made NYC, NH and PRR in their 027 streamliner series which are a little nicer than the 11-inch Lione ones and a little longer... around 13 inches. Plus Williams makes a whole load of roadnames in their 11-inch streamliner series.

And to be fair, Lionel introduced a new version of their shorter p[assenger cars a couple years ago... they're more detailed a around 13 inches long. I know those were made in NYC. Also AT&SF. There's probably PRR, since those 3 are the biggest selling names so it seems.

As Tim sort of mentioned, if you found some beaters that were silver already or a blowout price on some of the newer ones, all you'd need to do is mask off the name plates, paint them PC green and add in decals. Microscale makes very nice and good quality decals. I like their's the most. They make a set for loco's that have a lot of hearlds and PC words spelled out.

[Anonymous]

Wow! Thanks for the input, it's an understatement to say you guys know your trains.

I grew up in the metro NY area. Born in and raised in Ct. about 40 miles from Manhattan. I remember these trains growing up. I still see the NH line cars and engines around the yard in Stamford. Most of the traffic is Metro North commuter cars but the newer diesel/elec engines haul the stuff around and the CT shoreline east as well.

I re-started this hobby w/ my youngest son about 3 years ago, he has always loved construction sites and rail yards. We started modestly but have added to the layout, especially this year. Currently we are running 4 sets, 3 freight and one passenger set bought this year. I can now say I understand the addictive nature of the hobby as I spend a lot of time with it but as others have written here, it keeps me "off the streets".

Thanks again for the ideas, I will post a picture when I get it up and running.

[Anonymous]

I saw several Penn Central GG1's in operation between NYC Penn station and New Haven Conn. on a trip to Boston in 1975. (Amtraks' Turbo Yankee Clipper) I don't remember much about the cars they were hauling, but since it was in the early years of Amtrak they could have pull most anything that ran the corridor. For pre Amtrak cars. The GG1's pulled the cars of many other railroads besides PC &PRR into Penn Station. I've seen Southern, and C&O cars behind them. The choice is up to you! Have fun!