PC GP38 2010 Project

 Greetings All,

Here's a GP38 project that Penn Central fans might find interesting.

In August 1970 five GP38s (2010-2014) were ordered by the Pennsylvania Reading Shore Lines, a New Jersey RR owned by the Penn Central and Reading Company. They were delivered by EMD in November of 1970 but the PRSL never got them. What happened?

On or about November 14th, 1970 the five brand new Pennsylvania Reading Shore Lines (PRSL) EMD GP38s (2010-2014) were delivered in PRSL paint to Blue Island Yard for the trip east. 

Due to the bankruptcy of parent road Penn Central on June 21st, 1970 the PRSL was unable to get financing and EMD withdrew them.

Apparently the financial credit of the PC was better than the PRSL and the units were quickly sold to Penn Central. Within a week, by November 21, 1970, all five were in spartan PC dress. That's how the PC ended up with these five GP38s numbered 2010-2014. 

This project was started on September 27th, 2020 when I purchased this Atlas GP38 shell with the dynamic brake blister removed.

The power chassis will come from this Atlas Yellow Box model that I bought about fifteen years ago for repainting. However the prior owner did such a great job on it I don't have the heart to repaint it.

The Penn Central lettering and numbers have been stripped from the model and it has been painted with rattle can gloss black.

The 2010 retained the original yellow PRSL numbers and I've included them on the model. The number boards were removed for painting and the lights masked with painters tape.

The decal work is done and the 2010 will spend the weekend in the Solvaset phase of the project. I chose Penn Central 2010 as my target engine for this project because of the five ex PRSL engines I think the 2010 was the only one to receive the large PC herald.

PC GP38 #2010 has joined the fleet! According to research by Jim Six and other modelers the five ex PRSL / PC 2010 - 2014 units had dual controls, extended cabs and paper air filters. 

The number boards were a challenge as the 2-0-1-0 were all separate numbers. A Kadee #37 underset shank coupler brings the model to the correct coupling height.

The rear of the GP38 also received the 2010 in the number boards and a Kadee #37 underset shank coupler.

1/87th scale PC Ralph checks out the newest PC engine in the Terminal Yard engine facility. Ironically the ex PRSL units were maintenance based at Pavonia Yard and often seen in the PRSL's Camden NJ facilities.

 

1/87th scale Sir Neal has stopped by to check out the 2010. These five units spent most of their time in Southern NJ but look to have traveled thru the PC system as the 2010 and 2013 were photographed in Riverdale IL in 1975. Others have been photographed in PA. 

The 2010 partners up with PC 7675, another Atlas Yellow Box Unit. The 7675 was the first GP38 purchased by the Penn Central. This is the lash up I envisioned when I began this project.

The 2010 and 7675 lead a train out of Terminal Yard towards Selkirk. This simple paint project has been quite rewarding. Maybe because I saved the RDG shell for future use and put in use a good power chassis that sat idle for years. Or maybe it's the uniqueness of these ex PRSL units...

For my fellow Penn Central fans the PRSL was not the only PC subsidiary to lose new motive power that fateful week in November, 1970. But that's a story for another project and blog post.

Above information provided by Penn Central Power by Robert Yanosey, Penn Central Bi-Annual by Robert H. Reid, Classic Trains Summer 2016, Volume 17, Issue 2 and trainweb dot org.

Decals from Microscale set # 87-21 and K-4 Penn Central Diesels

Fellow modeler and virtual ops participant ATJOE1972 used a more accurate Athearn GP38 shell for his PC 2010 project in March 2018.

Thanks for reading!!!

See ya soon!!