Has a GG1 ever been restored to running order?

[kevikens]

God alone knows how many GG1 s I rode behind or paced along side US route 13 in my father's car (yes you could get that Nash Ambassador up over 90mph). I always thought that the G was the locomotive that won WW II for the US. Considering how much wartime traffic was carried by the Pennsy and how much of that traffic wound up on the electrified lines of  Eastern ports  for overseas shipment I can imagine no single locomotive that did as much for the war effort. In addition to all that critical freight think of all the military and government personnel who moved on that Washington NYC corridor almost always pulled along by a G. The Pennsy worked those motors almost to death. They could and did haul enormous passenger and freight consists day in and day out with the sparsest of maintenance. Nothing seemed capable of  halting the GG1 ( ok, the occasional fine snow flake could short them out) until the DEP was created. They could easily excede their rated horsepower and could move a lot faster than the PRR would ever like to publically admit. I don't know if any of your readers ever heard this story but as I got it there was an engineer working for NJT on the North Coast Line where the last G's served out their final years in the early 1980's. He was undoubtedly as close to retirement as his former pennsy motor because he and his engine went out in a blaze of glory. As the G hauled commuter train joined the NEC near Rahway it encountered a NYC bound clocker pulled by one of the new AEM 7's easily doing 100mph plus. I guess the old guy wanted to show that Swedish meatball what the old girl could do and opened her up. The two drew along side each other and the G stayed with the AEM 7 all the way through Elizabeth to Newark. Shortly after this both the engine and engineer ended long distinguished careers. In my mind the Pennsy and the GG1 are forever linked as the railroad and locomotive that made the rail industry the major means of moving people and goods in the mid 20th Century America. As for restoring one to running condition there is a gentleman named Bennet Levin who beautifully restored two former PRR E8s that have run excursions of PRR varnish here in the Northeast. He owns a rail car rebuilding plant that sits right along side the NEC in Philly, the Juniata Terminal. If anybody could restore a GG1 it would be this person. I wish I could persuade him to try. Anyway I nominate the GG1 as the most significant locomotive to ever move a train in America and if any locomotive deserves to rise from the scap heap and run again it's the G.

[penncentral2002]

Although it would be wonderful to see a GG1 running again, I'd just settle for seeing some of the preserved GG1's getting at least comestic restorations.  For example, the one at the Virginia Museum of Transportation would look great with a fresh coat of paint.  The B&O Museum should realize how many people on their train rides comment on the GG1 there - maybe they would treat it better then if they realized how popular it was (especially given its unique history).  Would love to see it restored (if only comestically) and put on display at Union Station!

[alphas]

I saw thousands of trains being hauled by them in my time.   I preferred the solid yellow stripe Pennsy went to rather than the original.   The solid stripe really brought out the colors in the keystone design and definitely got your attention.   Whoever had them changed to the Penn Central worms design should have been required to spend the rest of their life cleaning up the graffiti on all railroad equipment.

[zugmann]

There are 2 at the PRR museum in Strassburg.  One is inside and is really nice.  The other is outside and is rusting quietly.

There's 3 if you count the one they own at the Harrisburg Amtrak station.  But I hear the 4800 is getting a new coat of paint, and one of them is getting a fixed and repainted interior.  (I think 4935, but don't quote me)

Now, can we find a home for the two at Cooperstown Jct? 

[motor]

I was at the train station in Matawan NJ when it departed on it last trip.

My son said there is one at the RR Museum of Penn in Strasburg PE. He sent me a T-shirt from their with the GG-1 on it in PRR colors.
[

 

There is.  I saw it when I visited the RRMofPA 18 months ago.

My first AMTK ride (PHL to NYP in 1973) was pulled by a black GG1 with Penn Central markings.

motor

[StillGrande]

The one is Stasburg PA is very nice looking. The Pennsy hit a home run with that loco.

Adrianspeeder

There are 2 at the PRR museum in Strassburg.  One is inside and is really nice.  The other is outside and is rusting quietly.

[Anonymous]

As Tom said, 4935 looks great in Brunswick Green:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=61935

Dave

 

The RR Museum of Pennsylvania has three GG1's in its collection. Number 4935 is on display in the rolling stock hall. The 4935 has had a complete cosmetic restoration to its as-built 1943 appearance, including very shiny coat of Brunswick Green paint with the original 5 gold stripes. It was first restored in 1977, and donated to the museum by Russell Wilcox in 1983. If you think you don't like Brunswick Green, pay this motor a visit and it'll make you a believer. (Note that an electric locomotive was a 'motor' to PRR man.)

The 4800, the prototype, aka "Old Rivits" is on display in the outside yard. It was owned by the Lancaster Chapter NHRS until donated to the museum in 2000, which explains why the 4935 had dibs in the spot inside. It was the only example with rivited rather than welded body, hence the nickname. I believe this engine is still wearing Tuscan Red with five stripes (somewhat faded now). I think most fans like this paint scheme best, though only 10 units ever wore it, and the 4800 wasn't one of them. Interestingly, this engine one of group re-geared for freight service. It went to PC, then Conrail, and wore both a unique Bicentennial scheme and Conrail Blue.

The museum's third GG1 is 4859, currently on display in the Amtrak station in Lancaster, PA. Read more at http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/gg1.htm.

The 4877 was last operated by NJ Transit and was restored to Tuscan Red a few years before its retirement. Its now owned by the United Railway Historical Society, and is in storage in NJ Transit's Hoboken yard. Another unit is on display next to the fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY, and last I knew there was one at the National Railway Museum in St Louis.

Tom

[screamingman13]

Back to the topic of running a GG1, here's my idea of the best resteration:

1) Change the transformer coolant from mineral oil or PCBs to silicone oil or liquid glycol, the same coolant as used in the Acelas.

2) Repair any frame defects or other rust/corrosion problems.

3) replace what is probably cloth-insulated wire with rubber insulated wire.

4) Who said anything about a HEP plant, we're talking about excursion runs, not a full-time return to revenue service.

5) Upgrade cab signaling, although the NYC-DC line hasn't changed much, probably still has the position light signals (yes it does, i've got a picture of it, next to an E60)

I also heard that there is a 25Hz line somewhere in the Gulf Coast region, or what about the electrical outfit in Arizona, the NEC isn't the US's only electrified line.

[art11758]

Dave wrote:
I believe some of the old 60Hz to 25 Hz rotary converters are still in use by Amtrak, but most substations use efficient rectifier-inverter electronic converters.

I think they just removed one of those from Sunnyside yard in the last two or three months. There were several structures beside the LIRR tracks that were razed and one of them had what appeared to be a large electric motor inside it. Could that have been one??

[emdgp92]

QUOTE: Originally posted by msernak

No Amtrak GG1 was ever painted for MOW. There were several E44's painted Silver and black for MOW. Can anyone confirm if the E44's ever ran for Amtrak?

Here's an E44 in 1987:

http://www.geocities.com/su_carbs/trainpix/e44.jpg

...and the one in Strasburg in 1992:

http://www.geocities.com/su_carbs/trainpix/e44.gif

The one at Strasburg has since been moved inside the museum, and painted in its original PRR colors.

[StillGrande]

QUOTE: Originally posted by spbed

[My son said there is one at the RR Museum of Penn in Strasburg PE. He sent me a T-shirt from their with the GG-1 on it in PRR colors.

Originally posted by CHPENNSYLVANIA
[

There are 2 there. One inside in display condition. One outside rusting away.

Dewey "Facts are meaningless; you can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true! Facts, schmacks!" - Homer Simpson "The problem is there are so many stupid people and nothing eats them."

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