In all the pictures that I've seen of the new Athearn PRR Geeps there are no train phone antennaes on the roof. As these units were supposed to be detailed for specific railroads, I find this to be a curious ommision. Am I missing something here? Is there something about the units that reveal they are modeled late in their service life after the train phone system was no longer used? I'm not keen about drilling a series of holes in the most visible place on a 200 buck engine.
Thanks, Werner
IIRC some PRR road switchers didn't have trainphones. The Athearn website lists GP7 8547 and the Fallen Flags website www.rr-fallenflags.org has a photo of PRR 8547 at Northumberland PA in 1958. Doesn't look like it has the trainphone equipment on it.
Athearn models cover PRR Road Numbers 8547-8550.
From "Pennsylvania Railroad Diesel Locomotive Pictorial, Volumn Eight, Early EMD Road Switchers" by Paul K. Withers, page 573:
"Units 8547-8550, delivered in September 1953, were built without train phone, cab signal, and dynamic break equipment for use on the Susquehanna Division, based out of Northumberland, PA."
The Athearn representation is correct as delivered and used by the PRR.
Walter