Comparison

[tatans]

I've always thought the GG-1 was a bizarre looking locomotive(in a good way) and a great many people probably have never seen one including myself, I noticed that very few topics on this MR forum seldom mention this type, so I went to ebay and hunted through 10 pages and not one GG-1 was for sale, this would be about proportionate to the forum topics. Is there a reason this loco is not more popular??? or is this just my imagination, also I'm fascinated by steam switchers,0-4-0's, 0-6-0's, ladderbacks etc. these little goats also never seem to get enough space on the forum, am I just getting a little picky here or are there actual statistics to verify my ramblings???? or is there really not that much interest in the above types????

[NZRMac]

I just searched ebay and found 28 GG1's for sale HO scale. And 9 in ebay stores.

I've never taken a fancy to them, but I didn't really like steam loco's till I got one!!!

Ken.

[jeffshultz]

The GG1 was only used by three railroads - Pennsylvania RR, Penn Central (which was the merging of the PRR with the New York Central) and Amtrak, who inherited some of them from PRR/PC.

And they were limited to a fairly small geographic area.

[MisterBeasley]

When I was a youngster, I had a Lionel GG-1 in O-guage. It was a monster, but a great looking engine. That's one problem - they are particularly long engines, and require large-radius curves for realistic operation. They are also electric with pantographs on top, so prototype modellers without overhead wires aren't interested. Beyond that, I suspect they were used largely for passenger service on the electrified inter-city lines, so they're less interesting to freight buffs.

Still, whenever I see a picture of a GG-1, I think how I would use it in the great Layout of the Future, when space, time and money are no longer constraints.

[West Coast S]

I've always thought the GG1 that was cut in half was kinda cool. Just the thing for those with tight curves. And, before it get's brought up, there was one modified in this fashion, cut right behind the cab.

Dave

[jimrice4449]

The nice thing about discussing asthetics is there can be no "right" or "wrong"...everything is too subjective. Personally, I think the GG-1 is a masterpiece of industrial design. It was "born" in the same year I was and I just wi***hat I'd aged as well! As for why so little mention there could be a number of reasons; only used by one RR, limited geogrphical area, and the fact that it was electric would require catenary to be accurate. Mine always runs w/ a bunch of baggage cars to hold all the batteries. LOL.

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffshultz

The GG1 was only used by three railroads - Pennsylvania RR, Penn Central (which was the merging of the PRR with the New York Central) and Amtrak, who inherited some of them from PRR/PC.

And they were limited to a fairly small geographic area.

And Conrail. Conrail ran them in freight service for a few years.

--Randy

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimrice4449

The nice thing about discussing asthetics is there can be no "right" or "wrong"...everything is too subjective. Personally, I think the GG-1 is a masterpiece of industrial design. It was "born" in the same year I was and I just wi***hat I'd aged as well! As for why so little mention there could be a number of reasons; only used by one RR, limited geogrphical area, and the fact that it was electric would require catenary to be accurate. Mine always runs w/ a bunch of baggage cars to hold all the batteries. LOL.

Good Idea, I got the IHC and BLI version, all I need is a layout to run them on. I rode from Trenton N.J. to New Brunswick N.J. behind one many years ago, very much a good memory.

[Anonymous]

I think the model gained a little popularity when BLI produced a model in 2003. Trainworld ran
a coupon discount special on these two pound/ babies with sound in February for $120.00.

I jumped in and bot the Amtrak and run my Budd Amtrak cars (DC). I also bot the optional side
kick( separate $26.00 manual sound control)

The first GG1 was built in 1934 and operated between New York-Philadelphia/Harrisburg-Washington electrified region for 49 years. It also pulled secondary passenger fleet, mail trains, freights & coal drags.

The model is a good performer and IMO, "Great Sound".

[Rotorranch]

That thing was really in use till 1983??? [:0]

I always liked the look of that thing! Raymond Lowey was a heck of a designer!

If I only had catenaries! I loved the way those things sparked when I was a kid!

Rotor

[dgwinup]

My favorite....after the PA 1's.

Darrell, quiet...for now

[tatans]

NZR--Ken: I should have explained I only looked under Brass HO, there were 2, I guess by the replies the small geographic area these monsters roamed in left a lot of people never to see one. I guess the other question is, if you have a catenary system it must be a beast of a job just to install the electical system, or do I suspect a lot of layouts do not use the catenary poles? One last question, just what kind of a sound did these giants make when running by at speed? thanks .

[SpaceMouse]

I got to climb in one at the Altoona RR museum. It was monster.

Recently one of the club members heard of one for sale. After a lengthy discussion about what it would take to get it to run with generator conversions etc. He decide not to pursue it.

[dehusman]

There is nothing like a pair of G's on the point of a Florida train doing 90 mph . They were a truly inspired design. They ran as mainline engines for over 50 years.

Dave H.

[davekelly]

Growing up on the Jersey Shore and going to school in Philadelphia I saw bunches of GG1's. In my opinion, it was a beautiful locomotive. There used to be a small soft cover book entitled "The Remarkable GG1" or something like that (I don't seem to be able to find it right now). After reading that, I totally fell in love with the things.