GEC's roster thread

[Green_Elite_Cab]

While some of Conrail's electrics were maintained to keep them running for as long as electrification would continue, the GG1s were not so lucky.

The original production run occurred during 1935, and additional runs were built between 1937 and 1943. At 139 units, the GG1s became the mainstay of the PRR's electrified lines. The GG1 would outlast all of it's contemporaries. By 1962, the PRR's once eclectic mix of electric types were retired or being phased out, coinciding with the arrival of the new E44 rectifiers. They became the ONLY power on electric passenger trains. By the 1970s, the GG1s were almost anachronistic, a streamlined steam-era locomotive in an age of utilitarian brick-shaped diesels and electrics. They had become split between Penn Central and Amtrak, with three scrapped.

Even so, the GG1s continued to be frequent sights, with only a handful lost to the scrapper's torch. Many GG1s began to seem invincible. One such GG1 was #4840. This GG1 was the first production GG1, arriving in April 1935. Rivaled in aged only by the prototype #4800, It was re-geared for freight service in the 1940 and would continue to grind its way through nearly 45 years of service. It was among the last standing of Conrail's GG1 fleet, operating up until retirement in December 1979 (a handful more lasted on Amtrak, the last on NJ transit).

Unlike the rectifiers, which could have potentially lasted another few decades themselves, the GG1's days were truly numbered, as planned changes in the type of electricity used on the Northeast Corridor, as well as becoming just plain worn out, forcing their retirement.

The model is a Broadway Limited Imports. It originally was a Penn Central unit, but I removed the paint and installed the Conrail patches (much like the prototype!). Here are some pictures, just to show the span of the GG1's life time.

Here it is upon delivery with Raymond Loewy.



In the 1950s, the 5-stripes were replaced with a single stripe and a large Keystone. Upon the Penn Central merger in 1968, these Keystone were removed and often replaced with Penn Central logos like this



Finally, at the end of it's journey, the Penn Central logos were removed with CR patches. Its days were applied. My model does not do it justice, at this time in it's life, the Brunswick green has faded into a gray, the buff stripe intact but rust stained and pastel. Definite a future weathering project!