50th Anniversary of the New Haven RR being merged into the Penn Central

Happy New Year All!!!

Today, January 01, 2019, is the 50th anniversary of the New Haven RR being merged into the Penn Central. This merger was more of a forced inclusion by the ICC that was fought by the PC. Apparently the ICC would only allow the NYC and PRR to merge if they included the NH which they originally agreed on and then later tried to wiggle out of. Like it or not the New Haven was absorbed into the Penn Central at the stroke of midnight 1969 and things started to fall apart almost immediately.

The Green Frog Penn Central volume 1, part 2 video sums up the day perfectly. The ICC forced merger created a feeling of doom in PC management circles. Why was this so you may ask. Let's take a look at some NH tidbits as the N.Y.C.T.L. breaks out it's NH equipment and welcomes the New Haven RR to Terminal Yard.

I've always been a big New Haven fan and have posted such blog entries as New Haven Daze part 1 and part 2 last year. 

A pair of Fairbanks Morse H16-44s lead a freight train into Terminal Yard on New Year's Day and the N.Y.C.T.L. guys have gathered at Terminal Yard to check out the New Haven power coming their way. The NH had a total of twenty five of these FM units on their roster with 15 making it to the PC roster.

Later this day PC GP7 #5699 leads NH GP9 #1218 and RS2 #0503 thru Bedford NY with a manifest freight for Terminal Yard. The dual purpose 1218 would become PC #7548 and spend it's days between New Haven and Boston. RS-2 0503 does not appear to have made the PC roster. 

The GP9 / RS2 units will find a good home at Terminal Yard.

The doom and gloom felt by the Penn Central management 50 years ago today was probably justified. The New Haven RR was greatly dependant on commuters and intercity passengers for revenue, saddled with an immense physical plant spanning 1,547 route miles and a decimated manufacturing base. The NH holds the distinction of being the first Northeast railroad to enter bankruptcy which occured on July 7, 1961.

Passengers at the Terminal Yard passenger platform admire the majesty of the PA-1 in the beautiful McGinnis paint scheme. The New Haven had 27 PA1s on their roster. All were retired prior to the NH entering the PC. 

A pair of New Haven RDCs call at Bedford Station in familiar commuter service.

The forced inclusion of the NH was a drain on the PC power pool which was still going thru the NYC-PRR merger power shortages. The PC found little in the NH fleet that could mesh well with the PC freight system. As PC infused ex PRR E8s, RS3s and GG1s into the New Haven Region trackside one could witness a parade of derelict ex NH units in various states of cannibalization heading west toward the scrap heap. The NH brought a total of 316 diesels and electrics to the PC. How many actually ran is anyone's guess.

Below we catch a pair of Athearn BB F7As maybe pretending to be FL9s as the NH did not roster any F7s. The NH kind of snubbed EMD by only having three EMD models on their roster. The FL9, GP9, SW1200 and that's it.

The 60 ex NH FL9s would be transferred to the ex NYC commuter lines to better utilize their unique dual mode diesel / 3rd rail electric
operations. All would be maintenance based at Harmon NY. 

An Athearn BB SDP40 in a New Haven fantasy paint scheme lugs an empty coal train thru Empire City. The Connecticut Department of Transportation would later adopt a similar paint scheme for their hood units. 

GE 44 tonner 0815 has been sent to Bedford Park Yard as backup power. The 0815 is one of 27 of these small engines that were on the NH roster. None made it to the PC. The 44 tonner is also 1 of 2 GE diesel models that were purchased by the NH. The other being 26 U25Bs that did make it to the Penn Central

The NH did however purchase some GE Electrics like the EP-5s(PC E40) and E33s which made it to the PC. No catenary, no problem! Former NH GE E33 #305 now PC #4605 is in the paint scheme of it's fourth owner as it rolls thru Terminal Yard.

The E33s were bought used by the NH from the N&W for bargain basement prices after the N&W merged with the VGN and discontinued their electrified lines. The PC sent the 11 ex NH E33s west and based them out of Enola Yard.

One plus was the NH would contribute a large group of 40' freight cars to the PC car stretching program at Holidaysburg PA. Here's a string of empty 40' cars being sent to Terminal Yard for forwarding.

Looking back did the inclusion of the New Haven into the Penn Central on January 1, 1969 hasten the PC's demise? The answer has been debated since June 21, 1970 when the PC filed for bankruptcy, eighteen months after the NH came into the fold. There has been much written on this topic and I'll leave it to the individual reader to decide for themselves.

Special thanks to 1:1 PC Ralph for his inspiring today's blog entry.

Happy New Year to All

Thanks for reading!