Penn Central B Unit #4156 Plus...

Greetings All,


For many years my modeled engine consists would not allow for covered wagons to be mixed with cab units. I also had trouble combining Alco, EMD and GE units in the same consist. All that started to change a few years ago as I was exposed to more and more Penn Central photos and videos. Having begun to exchange emails, photos, etc with my friend 1:1 PC Ralph and be privy to seeing his excellent K.P.D. layout really started to give me 'B' unit envy. What I noticed in the K.P.D. and prototype photos and videos was that the PC 'B' units were intermingled with hood units in various trains. Say what! 

This was once inconceivable on my layout but later became a quest to emulate. So over time I have kept my eyes open for a suitable dummy 'B' unit I could buy at a reasonable price for the purpose of stripping and painting it into an appropriate paint scheme for use on my layout. This 'B' unit was sought for use with my hood units as my other 'B' units are draw bar equipped to close couple with other cab units.  In late March 2018 I hit pay dirt at an antiques flea market and bought an Athearn BB dummy B unit for $5.00.

The newly purchased BB 'B" unit in it's original D&RGW colors. Penn Central fans may recall that the PC actually had two B units in this scheme after purchasing an A-B-B-A set from the Rio Grande for trade in value. The PC found these units in as good or better shape than most of their engines so they were put into service in their D&RGW paint schemes with a PC herald added as 721(A) -712(B)-733(B)-754(A).. They were later painted from the bland yellow silver and black into the colorful dip job PC black ;-).

Looking at the 'B' unit I noted this particular unit is boiler equipped. This knocked the NYC out of contention and left the door open for maybe the PRR or PC. Further research uncovered some ex PRR 'B' units in PC paint numbered 4153 and 4156. Hmm. Sounds like a plan!

The PRR had purchased some boiler equipped F7Bs to go with their dual purpose FP7s for passenger train protection and when not in that role helper service over Horsehoe Curve. As a result these units still had a lot of life left in them at the time of the NYC / PRR merger and the later Conrail takeover from the PC. Note the photo of 4153 is dated 1980! 

Here is the newly painted and lettered 4156. The Penn Central numbered these units into their passenger 4100 series while their other B units were in the more freight like 3423-3563 series.

A 1:1 PC Ralph influenced GP38-F7B-GP38 lash up leads a freight train into Terminal Yard 

A close up of PC 4156. I even went as far as to paint the wheel faces with burnt umber acrylic paint.

The 4156 is maintenance based at Collinwood and shows some residual soot after having traversed the tunnels at Galitzen PA.

The newly arrived freight train has some newly painted cars included in it's consist

Hoschton Railway RBL 953911, coupled up to HRC 5913, shows the latest paint scheme for Engineer Ed's freelanced railroad. 

The HRC has some sharp looking rolling stock!

Here's a museum piece! An older E.B.R.R. 40' insulated boxcar. The Patti O Paint Shop refurbished and repainted the car into the original Empire Belt scheme. The New York Central used NYRX reporting marks and the 2700-2799 number series on cars of this type. This was a former CSX Walthers track cleaning car where the shell was in the purgatory box for quite sometime.

The GP38-F7B-GP38s head out of town with a recent purchase at a second hand antiques store, a Like-Like Reading 50' boxcar, heading up the freight consist. The LL car is a pretty good rendering of the prototype. 

The following week the GP38 - FB7- GP38 are back in Empire City heading for Terminal Yard while meeting some Empire Belt U Boats on the famed Empire City viaduct.

Thanks for reading!

And thanks for Reading!

B.T.W. that ITC car is a new purchase also from Life Like and is a pretty good rendering of the prototype as well.