Greetings All,
Locomotive Spotlight #9-2022
Penn Central RS11 #7068 / ex NYC #8008
Welcome to another installment of the locomotive spotlight series!!!
Prototype Information
In the summer of 1957 the New York Central received nine DL701or RS11 locomotives from online builder Alco numbered 8000-8008. These road switchers were the first NYC road units to be delivered without the famed lightning stripes. The locomotives featured Alco's 251 prime mover, 1,800 HP and rode on B-B trucks.
Alco erected six more RS11s for the NYC numbered 8009-8014 at their Schenectady NY plant. This is where the NYC and Alco story gets interesting. One story has it that the NYC was so disgusted with the new Alcos they cancelled the order midway through and refused to accept the last six units that were painted, lettered and numbered for the NYC.
Another story has it that the six units in question were built on a verbal order from a non named NYC official and the NYC board later refused to purchase them. The orphan units languished at Selkirk for more than a year until they were purchased by the Delaware & Hudson RR and repainted as D&H units.
This occurred at a time when the NYC was chronically short of locomotives as NYC President Perlman cut all locomotive orders in half when taking office in 1954.
1957 was also the year that the Central's Chairman Robert R. Young and PRR Chairman had several meetings to discuss a possible merger of the two railroads.
1957 was also the year that Chevrolet introduce the classic 1957 Bel Air.
Whatever story or part of the story you choose to believe the nine New York Central RS11s (#8000-#8008) were renumbered as NYC #7600-#7608 in preparation for the merger with the Pennsylvania RR.
The nine NYC RS11s joined thirty eight PRR units and fifteen NH RS11 locomotives giving the Penn Central sixty four units. The NYC and PRR units were set up to run long hood forward. The NH units ran short hood forward and were also equipped for passenger service.
Model Information
In the great train store haul of June 2022 I purchased a second hand Atlas-Kato RS11 painted as SP #2911 for the purpose of repainting into a Penn Central or New York Central unit.
After checking my railroad library and various websites I chose PC #7608 as my target locomotive which was the last RS-11 received on the NYC.
After stripping the model in 91% alcohol the newly painted RS11 shell, handrails, cab and number boards dry in the sun on the Patti O Paint Shop.
Penn Central RS11 #7608 emerges from the Terminal Yard shop.
Engine hostler Wet Willie proudly shows Alco Joe the newest Alco unit in the New York Central Layout's engine stable.
Here's the four unit set passing RA Tower with a long freight train of
The newly painted 7608 makes its first revenue run.
Here's another reason I went with the PC 7608 paint and lettering. The engine looks good and adds muscle to road freights running with my Penn Central Alco Centuries which are also Atlas-Kato models.
Here's the four unit set passing RA Tower with a long freight train of
boxcars being evaluated for use in my Car Card & Waybill Operations.
Additional Reading and Photographs
Ex NYC 7608 in NYC paint at Kingston, NY in March 1968.
Penn Central Alco RS11 #7608 leads a train of empty coal hoppers featuring four RS11s and an RS3m at Rochester NY in 1975.
Conrail RS11 #7608 still in PC paint leads a train thru Rochester in 1977. Power consists of a leased Mopac RS3m and two ex PC GP9Bs.
The 7608 would be converted to a slug unit in 1979. Here it is as Conrail MT-4 #1006 at Buckeye Yard in 1996.
With the break up of Conrail the 1006 was conveyed to Norfolk Southern, repainted into NS 901 and still working the area around Buckeye Yard in 2006.
In 2007 Norfolk Southern 901 was photographed in coal train service in Petersburg, Virginia.
Final Comments
The Alco-Kato RS11 is a fine running model and fills a need for a PC unit to be used as both local and road power in the virtual ops PCCMs or my own actual ops.
Thanks for reading and watching!!!
See you soon!!!
A very nice job creating a faithful model of RS11 #7608! As always, I admire your ability to work with those tiny font Yard Base decals that go under the cab window The newest Alco on the N.Y.C.T.L. looks terrific on the point of BT-27 and in the mix with its big brothers the Centuries. I'd heard the story that the Central was so unhappy with the RS11s that they refused part of the order. Thanks for the history of the NYC/ PC RS11s and number 7608 in particular. Personally I was sad to see it ended up being a slug but better that then completely scraped. Nice to see another installment of "Locomotive Spotlight"!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Ralph!!! The NYC RS11s had an interesting story and those maintenance based decals are a pain to cut from the sheet an apply. I try to avoid them whenever possible or give it two attempts. If it doesn't work at that point , oh well.
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