Penn Central SD40 #6102

Greetings All,

A reversal of railroad history locomotive project to report this weekend with some interesting prototype tidbits at the end.

Penn Central SD40 #6102 has joined my PC Fleet in an ironic reversal of railroad history. The Athearn BB unit started life as Conrail SD40-2 #6408. Purchased used in 2011 it sat in a sort of locomotive purgatory as the planned PC to CR layout theme never materialized beyond a few CR engines.

Fast forward nine years and CR #6408 is out of the box and under the fluorescent lights as it's fate is considered. After running it in consist with PC 6282 and seeing they m.u.ed very well together on my straight DC layout the die was cast. The Conrail SD40-2 would travel back in time to pre-1976 and become a PC SD40 unit.

Penn Central SD40 #6102 is fresh out of the Patti O Paint Shop. The 6102 is one of 65 SD40s ordered by the PRR in early 1966. It was maintenance based at Enola Yard.

Coupled up to the 6282 and ready for assignment. PC SD40-2 #6282 is another used BB engine and one of the first PC units that I painted back in 2012.

The 6102 and 6282 are called out for a steel beam and bridge girder train that's been on the layout for awhile that needs to get out of town and delivered to its consignee.

Extra 6102 heads out of the Terminal Yard tunnel.

Check out the train heading thru Bedford below.

Several days later the 6102 returns to Empire City coupled up to SD45 #6190. The SD45 that became PC 6190 came my way courtesy of friend and fellow modeler John Bruce. Thanks John! 

Catch the 6102 and 6190 in action below

In a preferred PC lash up for helper service the 6102 and 6190 drift down the slide to add some muscle to a freight train. Seems the 6,600 HP of the combined units was just right for this work.

The 6102 and 6190 help the 6282 and freight train up the slide. That's some serious head end power!!!

This 9,600 HP consist is fast becoming a favorite of mine! 

In another weird twist of fate Penn Central 6102 would become Conrail 6355. Number 6102 would be would be assigned to an ex Reading SD45. And here they photographed together in South Bend IN on April 10, 1978.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1345577

The PRR/ PC 6102, later CR 6355 would later be rebuilt to SD40-2R specs and renumbered again as CR 6979.

But wait there's more: CR SD40-2R #6979 was conveyed to Norfolk Southern in 1999 and renumbered again as NS 3436.

That wasn't the end of the story for our PC 6102. It was rebuilt again! NS 3436 was rebuilt as an SD32ECO and got at fancy black and green paint scheme. It was renumbered again as NS 6213

And in the final twist of fate NS 6213 has the State of Georgia (where I live) on it's long hood.

All this from a simple repaint using random engine numbers!

Here's a short compilation of the the above videos on youtube. 

                                                           

Thanks for reading and watching!!!
On Monday I'm going to start posting a multi part car cards and waybills series. So join me then as I fumble my way thru adding this operating concept to the NYCTL!

See ya then!!!