Conrail E 8's

[Anonymous]

with the sale of conrail, who got the E-8'; CSX or NS???

[eolafan]

While I am not 100% sure about this, I believe NS originally got the E8's and then sold them off to an operating museum or other similar operation. I believe that CSX uses rebuilt and repainted ex-Amtrak F40's for their business car trains and NS is usings cleaned up and very new freight power when they run VIP specials. I have seen pictures of at least one of the ex Conrail E8's on the internet and it is now painted in PRR colors and looks great. If I can come accross the site again I will get it to you so you can look for yourself, but perhaps somebody else can get you there faster than me.

[Anonymous]

thanks , i knew someone would know.
now in assumming that CSX still has the F7's i think its 600 and 601A and B units

[Anonymous]

Nope,the CSX F units were retired a few years back,I think one or more may have gone to a tourist railroad..............

[Anonymous]

thats so sad, but aleast there havent been scraped

[eolafan]

I still haven't been able to find the web site that has the pictures of the E8 being refurbished but I seem to recall the rebuilding was done in Philadelphia and that it (they?) are still in teh Philly area.

[eolafan]

SUCCESS! I knew if I looked hard enough I would find the pictures you are looking for. These E8 units were refurbished at the Juniata Terminal Railway in Philadelphia and are now there in all their "PRR" glory. I suggest you go to www.trainweb.org and you will find lots of pictures of the rebuilding and refurbishing process. You may also want to enter "Juniata Terminal Railway" into your search engine for more information. Jim, Aurora, IL

[Anonymous]

Well, I don't know where they ended up, but I'll just say, I'd give my left nut for the 4022. Around 1974, I was lucky enough to get a very brief cab ride in E-L 833. That, of course became Conrail 4022. I was in Griffith, Ind. and a E-L local was switching some interchange tracks. My cousin had been there all morning watching trains, and around 10, or 11 in the morning this E-L showed up with 3 E-8's and stopped. The head end brakeman steped down, and walked back several cars to pull the pin. Being from Michigan, we had never seen E-units on anything except passenger trains. While the brakeman was going back, we walked alongside the 833, and started talking with the engineer. After some small-talk, he invited us up into the cab. We spent about 30 minutes in that magnificent machine, switching the various wyes in Griffith. When it was time for them to head east, we reluctantly stepped down the side rail. I will never forget that day though.
Todd C.

[eolafan]

Wow, what can I say but "some people have all the luck". I know a little of how you must have felt as I was invited into the cab of a UP Dash9 in SanAntonio while on vacation there last year and it was a real blast, but nothing compared to your experience in an E8 while operating! You need to see the pictures of these two machines, including the ex-833/4022 along side a building in Phila. right after being painted in PRR colors...glistening in the sun in all their glory...a real "must see". Thanks for the memories.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'd sure like to see somebody restore the 833 into the grey, maroon, black, and yellow.
That sure was one sharp looking paint job.
Todd.C.

[DTomajko]

Former CR E-8's #4020 & #4022 are now repainted into their original numbers & paint scheme as PRR #5711 & #5809.They are owned by the owner of the Juniata Terminal Rwy.,(the owners name escapes me at this time!).On Sat.,Oct.5,both units were on the headend of an excursion train from Altoona Railfest that came west to Pittsburgh.The train stopped in the Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminal to pickup a couple of NS and Union Rwy. officials.I had a chance to get an up close look at the beautifully restored units,a great experience despite it being 8:00PM and already dark.By the way,Conrail rebuilt all three units with GP38-2 prime-movers and electrical systems in the 1990's.I would guess that the sound is not quite like the originals,since there is two fewer prime-movers.I also envy that cab-ride in the E-L E-8 and agree on the beauty of the E-L paint,(despite the Brunswick Green and CR Dress Blue in my veins!). DT,Pa.

[Anonymous]

Well, I gotta tell you all. The 4022 is/was the Erie Lackawanna 833. Check your rosters. It is the only surviving ex-Erie E-unit. The other CR E-units may have been PRR units, but I know for fact that 4022 was, indeed, EL 833.
Todd C.

[oltmannd]

The 4020 and 4021 are ex-PRR. They went to Amtrak where they eventually had HEP diesel engine/gen sets put in them. CR purchased them from Amtrak. Bennett Levin (who owns Juniata Terminal) purchased them and the 4022 from CSX and NS and restored them to the PRR single stripe/shadow keystone paint scheme (not the 5 stripe scheme they were born in). They still have their twin 12 cylinder engine configuration and original battery field excitation control system. It was the UP that replaced the twin 12 cyl 567s with a single 16 cyl 645 and GP38-2 control system in their E8s. My latest version of Conrail loco data shows they have 567B engines, but I'm not sure that Conrail didn't upgrade to "C" engines with 645 power assemblies. There may have been a few 12-567C engines made surplus SW1200s being retired. The B engine is a real pain to keep free from water leaks and CR didn't have 567 power assembly rebuild line in the 90s, so there was real incentive to go with the "C" engine (which could take a 645 power assembly)

-Don

[Anonymous]

My question in all of this would be - what kind of airhorns do these E's have! Hopefully, Nathan M-5's, not one-note honkers or Leslies. Does anyone know.

[eolafan]

From the photos I have saved as my screensaver, they sure look like M5's as they have three horns on the front and likely (although I don't know for sure) one rear facing. Definetly NOT a one note honker.

[Anonymous]

For what I hope was a very short period, Conrail mounted Hancock "whistles" on at least 2 of the E-8's. These contraptions had origins on the New Haven. and were meant to mimic a steam whistle.
I would hope that wherever these engines wound up, they would be fitted with their proper "voice". As for 4022, ex EL 833, that would be a "Nathan M-3". I believe that the ex PRR units had "Leslie 3 chimes".
Todd C.

[eolafan]

You really brought back some childhood memories of growing up in the Bronxville, New York area. The NYC FL-9 units that came through Bronxville station very early in the a.m. had Hancock whistles installed on them and would blow them as the station was on a curve and to warn anybody on the platforms (the trains assigned FL-9s were all expresses and did not stop south of White Plains back then, all other trains that made the local stops south of White Plains were assigned MU third rail electric cars). The sound of the Hancock whistles while in bed at 5:30 a.m. with the windows open stays in my memory even forty years later!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, so much, James and Todd for the horn/whistle info on the E's. I sure would like to see more info in the forums on types of airhorns found on specific locos. To me, these are the "soul" or "voice" of the loco, a living
thing as far as I'm concerned!

[Anonymous]

I share a similar interest in horns. Might I suggest checking out Yahoo groups. We have a few sites there for horn collectors. " Train whistle"
and "Horn and whistle".
Hope to see you there!
Todd.

[eolafan]

Yes, I agree, and they are also musical instruments that are made wonderful when in the hands of a talented engineer. At least that was the way they were when horns had cords to use when "playing" them, now they are actuated by buttons on the engineer's "desk", but with some practice, even these can be used to great effect. There is nothing like the sound of a well used train horn while you are dozing in the middle of the night when the air is clear and dry!

[mccannt]

CSX got two, NS got one. I'm not sure if Bennett Levin got both his units from CSX or one each from CSX and NS.

The finished products, all done up in Tuscan Red, are beautiful. I had the oportunity to travel into Philadelphia by train twice this year, in May and in October, and both times I saw the Es in the Amtrak coach yard at 30th Street Station. They're quite a contrast to Acela Express power cars, Genesis unit and to rest of Amtrak's current motive power.

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm.... 3plus 1 equals four, I think? So how could it be a five chime???

[eolafan]

As Curly used to say, "Oh, a wise guy, heh?". In order to put this question to rest, I have e-mailed the Juniata Terminal directly and asked which model air horn these units have and will let everybody know as soon as I have heard back from them.

[oltmannd]

He has all 3! The 4022 is just sitting in CR paint - although there was some rumors about it becoming EL 833 or Erie 833 again.....

[Anonymous]

Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!!!. Hey, Moe, I wasn't trying to be rude. Just letting you all know what I know. Or, at least what I believe to be true.
I don't post replies, unless I have knowlege of the question. We are all in this forum to exchange info., and have fun.
Todd C.

[eolafan]

Woo, woo, woo, remind me to mirda ya later!!! Seriously, no offense taken. We'll hopefully see an answer from Junaiata Terminal soon and close this one out.

[Anonymous]

Well, ALLRIGHTY then! ha, ha, ha. BTW, I have just finished restoring a very old Nathan M-3, and she sounds great! Nice "sideline" hobby to get into, horn collecting. There is quite a following out there too. If anybody wants details, I'll share what I know.
Todd C.

[Anonymous]

Csx got 2 and Ns got one they were all sold to Bennet Levin's Juniata Terminal company. 2 were redone in their original PRR colors and the former Erie engine was still in its Conrail scheme as of last summer. The 2 Prr's were at Railfest in altoona this year all restored pulling excursion cars. MrCNJ

[eolafan]

Note for those who were wondering what model horns these units use. I contacted the Juniata Terminal and they tell me they are using K3's. They say the PRR used M3's but that parts for the M3's are too hard to get. Sorry for the delay. Jim

[Anonymous]

James, thanks much for that update.