The 2059 Project

Greetings All,

Welcome to my 2059 Project

The scope of this project was to take a trio of surplus TYCO C430s and convert them into one usable non powered free rolling unit to be numbered 2059 that I could place into a four unit Alco C424 & C425 consist. 

In PCCM 59E  I included Penn Central Alco C430 #2059 in the four unit Alco lash up assigned to PC Train BP-41. 

I mentioned that New York Central RR fans would know the significance of the 2059. For the record 1:1 PC Ralph did email the correct answer. So what is the significance you ask? 

Here is the answer from an article in the New York Central Historical Society 4th quarter 1977 Headlight magazine

Which brings us to the year 1967, the last full year before the Penn Central merger. During that year EMD delivered 55 GP-40's, GE 60 U30B's, and Alco 10 C-430's, all on a trade-in basis, which further decimated the ranks of the first generation road fleet. Ironically, the Alco C-430's, the Central's first Alcos in five years, were also the last pre-merger units delivered, presaging the end in the coming year of the New York Central as an independent railroad and of Alco as a locomotive builder.  
Charles M . Smith 
Mechanical Engineer - Locomotive
New York Central System 1963-1968 

So my theory is that the NYC Alco C430s being the last premerger units delivered and the 2059 being the highest road number that the 2059 would be the last NYC locomotive delivered. I could be wrong on this but not have been able to confirm the theory further either way.

My 2059 project came about when John Bruce sent me the Penn Central Alco C630 #6324 shell and 1:1 Sir Neal sent me a couple of boxes of old TYCO, Mantua and IHC engines to help me get the 6324 onto my roster.  A couple of TYCO / Mantua C430s like this CB&Q C430 were a pleasant surprise for future projects.

Age had taken its toll on some of the units. The TYCO C430s have been around since 1966! 

So what exactly is an Alco Century C430? The Century C430 was a four axle 3,000 horsepower diesel locomotive that rode on Alco's new Hi Adhesion trucks. It offered an incredible tractive effort of 68,220 lbs but it was too little to late for the iconic locomotive builder with the Class 1s 'standardizing' their fleets with EMD and GE products. Here is the 2059 talking things over with the 6324.

One of the compromises of this project was the TYCO trucks do not resemble the Hi Adhesion trucks that came on the prototype. In fact the trucks are the same as the trucks TYCO used on their C630s. The fuel tanks, air tanks and horns were different as well. But I gotta admit from normal viewing distance it doesn't bother me at all.

The 2059 in it's prototypically sparse PC paint job brings out the NYCTL train men and 1/87th scale Alco Joe is thanking Sir Neal for making this project possible. This all Alco lash up is now one of my favorites featuring C424 #2415 (The one and only) C430 #2059 and C425s #2417 and #2422. The three powered units are smooth running Atlas/Kato yellow box units.

I was originally planning on painting the engine as NYC 2059 with the NYC ovals on the cab sides and the numbers below that. Seeing how the front truck assembly locks into the shell right under the cab side where the numbers would need to go had me opt for the more utilitarian Penn Central 2059. 

So there it is an inexpensive project that pays homage to the last NYC engine albeit in PC paint. Bowser did produce the PC 2059 and other NYC and PC C430s in it's executive line with and without sound. I don't see myself paying the $199.99 price for the basic unit though.

The four unit Alco lash up was featured in this short video in PCCM 59

The ex NYC 2059 made it onto the Conrail roster as CR 2059 but it does not appear to have received a CR blue paint job. The 2059 was still on the roster in 1980 but it is in the Collinwood Deadline on 07-04-1980. It is reported on RR Pictures Archives that the 2059 was scrapped.

The ex NYC/PC C430s #2050, #2053, #2054 and #2056 were sold to the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR

The ex NYC/PC C430s #2050, #2053, #2054 may still be in service today on the Western NY & Pennsylvania RR. The #2056  may still survive today on the Western NY & Pennsylvania RR.

Thank you 1:1 Sir Neal!!!!

Thanks for reading!!!