Penn Central Power 2

U30C  #6538 joins the fleet!

I was going to write about the rest of my PC locomotive fleet in this installment but will instead focus on my most recent addition, which was obtained just last week!    I won an eBay auction for an Athearn Blue Box U28C that was never used and still in its original box with all of the accompanying details.    I’ve seen locomotives like this listed for 30-40 dollars but was able to obtain it for $12.50.  Couldn't pass up that deal!

Many thanks to John R. of the New York Central Train Layout blog for alerting me about this sale and also for much of the information that follows.   John is an excellent researcher and provided me with prototype information about Penn Central’s large U Boats.

The new loco is Athearn’s U28C numbered 6533.  Here is the pristine shell in the box after I removed it from the chassis to do some work on it.   

Since I already have one of these units numbered as 6533 (I've had it for many years as noted in a previous post) I decided to renumber the new one as 6538.  At first I thought it would be a simple matter of replacing the last 3 with an 8, but checking my Microscale PC locomotive decal sheets I quickly observed that the Athearn  numbering did not match their style.  

I decided to completely remove the stock numbers and replace all four digits for 6538 using the decal sheet.   Applying 91% alcohol with a Q-tip, I swabbed the old numbers and then followed up by carefully rubbing them off with a pencil eraser.   It took about five minutes work on each side of the loco.  I washed the shell thoroughly with mild soap and water and let it dry for a day before decaling.

 

When I informed John that I had renumbered the locomotive as #6538 he provided some surprising information.    He told me that,  “Certain General Electric units ( 6528-6531) in the U28C series were upgraded from 2,800 hp to 3,000 hp. Five units numbered from 6535-6539 were delivered new to the PRR in 1967 and designated as U30Cs. The bodies of the U28C and U30C are basically identical and best identified by their numbers."

Turns out that my decision to renumber #6533 to become #6538 changed the designation of the locomotive from a U28C to a U30C and upgraded the unit 200 horse power!   I thought that was great!

Once the new numbers were thoroughly dry I installed the handrails.  I find this to be a tedious job and realize why I appreciate F units so much!   It’s been years  since I’ve installed handrails on an Athearn unit…and it occurs to me I didn’t wear bifocals then!   Once that was finally done,  I weathered the units with artist chalks and acrylic paints

   

Here is U30C #6538 fully assembled with yellow safety handrails and weathered.

I like to add printed number boards made with Microsoft Word.    The U’s spot horn hook couplers in this pic but I converted them to Kaydees after this was taken.

        The new unit meets its cousins, U28C #6533 and U38C #6554

6538 and 6533 take it to the road! (Headlights photo shopped)

  

Some more information from John that will be useful for the locomotive card I'll make for the new unit.

GE U30C  3,000 HP  C-C axles

Weight: 395,000 lbs,   Tractive Effort: Maximum 98,875 / Continuous: 85,000

Gear Ratio: 74:18,       Speed: Maximum 70 mph, Continuous 10.2 mph

Coupled Length: 67'3", Fuel Capacity: 4,000 gals, Engine: FDL16

Maintenance Base: Selkirk

The Penn Central boasted some big power and now I'm pleased to have added another large six axle unit to my roster.   I'll be running 6538 at the head end of thru-trains on the Kings Port Division and also include it in power runs back to Selkirk.  

Penn Central Power!

Penn Central Power, the title of Robert J. Yanosey’s comprehensive book illustrating the PC’s locomotive roster…and of which,  ridiculously enough, I do not own copy!  I must try to remedy that situation!

It’s also the title of this latest blog entry, a description of the Penn Central locomotives seen on the Kings Port Division.  In addition to the obvious purpose of showing my locomotives, I have an ulterior motive.  I’ve been intending to work on a series of cards describing my locomotive roster that I may use during operations on the layout.   Procrastination has kept me from completing this project but now by putting it out on the blog I’ve supplied myself with some extra motivation!

                        Here is the engine yard in Kings Port.  It serves both the Penn Central and my freelanced Kings Port & western railroad  (more on the KP&W in a later post). 

                        I installed this card holder several moths ago with the intention of adding cards representing the roster that I might select to determine the power for various trains.  

    

                                           Here is an example of one of the completed cards. 

I’m including information and data about the prototype locos to add some interest.  It’s cool to know that my GP38-2s have 2000 horsepower with a two stroke V-16 engine, for example.   Cards also include a description of how the loco is most often used on the Kings Port Division

In lieu of finding facts for the cards from Yanosey’s Penn Central Power (did I mention that I gotta get a copy!?!),  I’m  obtaining Info from online searches of PC sites including  the “Unlikely Penn Central”.  Its “Scrap Yard “section includes an extensive guide to the PC  diesel roster with photos and information.

http://unlikelypcrr.com/page6/Welcome_files/PCDieselSpottersGuideReid.pdf

Let’s start the first installment of my diesel roster:

 As noted in the card example above, GP38-2 #8038 and #8046 typically run together.   Both are Athearn Blue Box units that I purchased from my local hobby shop in the 1990s, with one being powered and the other a dummy.     #8046 was factory painted and lettered  as PC # 8045.      I  have a second dummy unit that was also factory painted and lettered as #8045 so I changed the last number on one to make them sister units.    #8038  was undecorated so I painted it black and applied PC logos and numbers, giving this unit the orange “C” scheme  for variety.   The powered and dummy consists run well enough to be good for switching but I also assign them to  through-trains.  

 Next up is this pair of RSD-12s that I purchased last year from a fellow modeler.  These Atlas units run beautifully smoothly at slow speeds; perfect for switching.    I’m keeping them in their pre-merger livery since the original owner had nicely weathered them.

U28C # 6533.    Another Athearn Blue Box unit that I purchased in the 1990s.   This unit came with the factory stock PC logo and number.    Sharp eyes will note the horn hook couplers.  I still have several old freight cars that need conversion to magnetic couplers so it’s nice to have a set of locomotives that can pull them.   I use this loco for run-through trains, usually coupled to a dummy U33C.

GP30 # 2212.   This is a Bachmann unit I purchased from WB Klein at a good price a couple of years ago.   It is a nice quiet running loco that I use for way freights and switching.   I toyed with updating the livery to the Penn Central but decided to keep it pre-merger.

GP40 # 3007.  Another Bachmann unit I purchased at the same time as the GP30.   Unlike its cousin,  this unit was a terrible growler.   I tried lubrication, break-in running, checked the gear teeth for obvious burrs, but had no success in making it quieter.    I read about one modeler’s fix of applying electrical tape around the frame under the shell to deaden noise and vibration.   I applied a wrap of electrical tape around the frame and was just able to fit the shell snugly over it.  This did significantly cut the grinding noise to an acceptable level.   The loco runs nicely and is as good a switcher as the GP30 and RSD-12s.

I don’t want to overwhelm this post so I’ll describe the rest of my roster in one or two more future entries.

Here is a link to my most recent YouTube effort that focuses on my engine yard and features some of the above mentioned locomotives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_KtYTJ-A1k 

Thanks for taking a look at my black-dipped collection!