I used to practice drawing the Penn Central logo when I was a kid until I got it just right.
Of all the railroads to model…why the Penn Central?
In the past, maybe 20-25 years ago, I’d see that question in the model
railroad literature, often expressed with skepticism and sometimes with
disapproval, if not occasional derision. I guess it’s understandable that some folks
would find the PC an odd choice to spend time, energy, and money
modeling. Some wondered why anyone would recreate the
nation’s greatest railroad failure in miniature. Others resented
the PC as the poor end of their favorite classic roads, the New York Central,
The Pennsylvania, and the New Haven; lines with long histories and heritage.
A road weary Penn Central boxcar sits at the Float Yard in West Mill on my layout. Hopefully it isn't lost!
I grew up in Upstate NY, close to the Penn
Central’s River Line (formerly the West Shore Line of the New York
Central) and was almost 9 years old at the time of the Feburary 1, 1968 official
merger date. I have vague memories of some New York Central diesels
rolling across grade crossings while I sat in the car with my Mom waiting for
trains to pass, but as I got a little older and paid more attention to trains
those multi-unit black locos with the mating worms logos WERE
railroading! It’s often been suggested that a lot of model
railroaders prefer to create layouts that reflect their early awareness of
trains. My interest in the PC is certainly a case in
point. When I left New York to attend college in Iowa,
and later moved to Minnesota, I saw plenty of Rock Island, Chicago
Northwestern, SOO Line, and BN railroad action…and enjoyed all of it…but I
continued to be drawn to the Penn Central as the inspiration for my
modeling. It gets in your blood!
A 50 ft. plug door boxcar is about to be loaded at the team track ramp in Kings Port . Hope it stays on the tracks!
It seems that in recent years that there has been a more
accepting response to PC modeling in the hobby community . In fact,
it’s almost becoming stylish to model the Penn Central…or at least I like to
think so! I’m wondering if the more favorable perception of post-1968 merger modeling might have been
influenced by:
1. Articles like the multiple page cover story “Penn Central
was a very COOL Railroad!” in Issue #41
(1999) of The Railroad Press, and “Glorious Penn Central” in Issue #81 (2009)....and...
Thorough coverage of the Penn Central in mainstream hobby magazines seemed rare several years ago. These TRP issues were a great find!
2. Presentations of modeling like Ken Mc
Corry’s huge and beautifully done PC
layout featured as the cover story of the
April 1999 Model Railroader magazine.
Here is a link to a YouTube video of the layout running Pennsylvania locomotives.
I've seen other Penn Central modelers list reasons why the Penn Central is a great railroad to model. I'll include some from Issue #41 The Railroad Press. Some are tongue in cheek:
" 10 Reasons that the Penn Central was a Cool Railroad”
10. Operated a fleet of more than 450 ALCOS!
9. Provided excellent service to Huntsville, Ohio and Belle Centre, Ohio (pop. 796, making 40 round trips to deliver/pick up 56 cars with a 5 man crew in 1973. It only cost $58,000 to make $16,000.
8. Jade Green Cabooses (I've gotta go with that one!)
7. Kept a big fleet of GG-1s in operation
6. Owned more than 50 Baldwins!
5. Three words- Mating worms logo
4. Able to lose a million dollars a day, and keep running trains!
3. Penn Central didn't last long enough for many of its engines to look ratty (hmmmmm...not based on some photos I've seen!)
2. They never owned F40s
1. Standing derailments! Boxcars fell off the tracks while they were just sitting thee, without being touched by another car.
OK...maybe not the greatest endorsement, but the comments about the diverse locomotive roster are certainly valid.
GP9 #7175 crosses Ulster Ave. The PC had a wonderful mix of first and second generation power. And, a unit like this Geep might find itself decorated with the large PC herald as shown, or the small one...or maybe a variation with the Red "P" or the Red "C" or even an Orange "P"!
I could make joking comments about not having to worry about the quality of my track laying or mention how easy it is to model the black-dipped paint scheme, but really, for me its about modeling the railroad I grew up with, and the more I learn about it, its fallen flag pre-merger railroads, the conflicts between the NYC and the Pennsy, etc., just makes it more appealing.
Oh, for you NYC and Pennsy fans...I can assure you that there is still plenty of evidence of heritage on my layout!
Former competitor's cars now share a joint ownership on my Penn Central-themed layout. It's going to be a bright future in the 1970's! Right?
So, why model the Penn Central? Why not!?! :)
