Two Alco C425s join the Penn Central Fleet

Greetings All,

We return to 1/87th scale layout normalcy today and get back to more layout friendly motive power lash ups for my N.Y.C.T.L. With other virtual ops railroads like the A.P.R.R., K.P.D. and L.F.N.W. recently adding motive power I thought I'd do the same to keep the engine consists interesting and the trains rolling in and out of Terminal Yard.  

Here's the 1/87th scale backstory; Power shortages at Terminal Yard (probably from all that 'wasteful dispatching') have resulted in the Penn Central Movement Bureau transferring two Alco C425s from Conway Yard to Terminal Yard.

Some prototype info: The PRR Alco Century 425s were built starting in October 1964, featuring B-B trucks, a turbo charged 251C motor and 2,500 HP. The C425's 57,200 lbs of tractive effort were the most of any four axle diesel of the time. Well built and rugged the C425 was not very successful with only 91 units sold. The PRR buying 41 and the NH buying 10. The NYC, so disgusted with their RS-11 purchases between 1957 and 1960, cancelled their order midway thru and then passed on the C420, C424 and C425 offerings. The NYC did purchase 25 of the 35 Alco DL721s aka the RS-32 built in 1961 however.

Model Info: Both C425s are Atlas/Kato yellow box units that I purchased used on ebay. Both arrived in factory PRR paint and ran very nicely right out of the box. A drop of oil here and there and they were running silky smooth just like I hoped they would.

The Atlas C425 as PRR 2419 undergoing initial testing. The spartan PRR paint scheme made the repainting quite easy. A little decal setting solution and an eraser took care of the keystones and the road number. 

After a thorough rinsing the units were painted as Penn Central 2417 and 2422. With PRR 2419 available commercially I left that number available should I add another unit. Below the 2422 is drying and awaiting some Testor's Dullcote and reassembly.  

The Penn Central C425s retained their PRR road numbers. The 2417 awaits assignment at Terminal Yard. 

 2422 is also ready for work.

Older brother C424 #2415, also ex PRR, at the Terminal Yard Engine Facility is the third Alco Century series locomotive on the roster.

The Century trio made their debut in P.C.C.M. 44F with a high priority freight train passing the site of a recent derailment. 

Here they are back at Terminal Yard in charge of a Trail Van Train. The PC used the TV prefix on it's high priority T.O.F.C. trains.

The trio on the Empire City viaduct with the TV train in tow. This is a far cry from Power Pool B and Mingo Junction where they'll live out their final days in mineral service.

I started noting the 20' containers on chassis in photos dated around 1976 so they may have run on the actual PC. In 1973 the PC was hauling 40' SeaTrain containers on chassis in Train TV-16.  

C425s sandwich the PC's one and only C424 back at Terminal Yard

The Centuries couple up to some coal hoppers. A harbinger of things to come. Check out the brown double door boxcar with mismatched doors in the background. 

To quote 1:1 PC Ralph nothing says Penn Central like a brown boxcar with jade green doors or a jade green car with brown doors. I've always wondered how this happened. Why wouldn't you match the cars with the doors?

Aha! Now we know the answer. Green Team vandals have entered Terminal Yard and are caught green handed painting the two doors jade green. They're actually 1/87th scale idiots as they completely ignored the fact that this was a New York Central car!

The two C425s with the C424 make a nice three engine consist that runs efficiently, quietly and is powerful enough to haul pretty much any train I assign to it. I'm very pleased with their performance.

All three of the prototype locomotives made it onto the 1976 Conrail roster. 
PC 2415 became CR 2474 and went on to other railroads and lived a long life.
PC 2417 became CR 2417 and was retired on 03/19/1979.
PC 2422 became CR 2422 and later CR 5061. It was retired on 03/16/1979 

Thanks for reading!