New York Central GP20s Renumbered for Pending Merger with PRR

 Greetings All,

NYC GP20s Renumbered For Pending Merger

Here we go again!! As my modeling and operational focus continues to move forward into the late 1960s and early 1970s and the merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads to become the Penn Central Transportation Company suitable motive power of the PRR and NYC are continuing to be renumbered to reflect the NYC and PRR preparations for the merger.

Notable units renumbered are these PRR SD9s renumbered as 6921 and 6924 to reflect their 1966 road numbers. 

New York Central S12s renumbered to #8092 and #8110.

My three NYC GP30s renumbered to the 2100 series, as #2188, #2194 and #2197.

In early September two of my three NYC GP20s were renumbered from the as delivered 6100 series to the merger renumbering that took place around 1965. NYC GP20 #2103 was originally the second #6109 in the fleet and was renumbered 2103 not once but twice.

Brief Prototype Summary

During the summer of 1961 the New York Central took delivery of fifteen GP20s from EMD numbered 6100-6114. The GP20 was the first turbo charged four axle locomotive producing 2,000 HP and first low hood road switcher purchased by the NYC. The NYC units were the only GP20s built without dynamic brakes.

Roster Adjustments

In 1963 GP20 #6109 was wrecked and scrapped. In 1965 GP20 #6106 was wrecked and scrapped. In 1966 both the NYC and PRR began to renumber their locomotives after planners for the pending NYC-PRR merger met and devised a renumbering plan for the locomotives of the two railroads. The 6000 series went to the PRR for their six axle locomotives and the thirteen remaining NYC GP20s were bumped to the 2100-2112 series. 

Model Information

In Locomotive Spotlight #3-2023 (link below) I mentioned that knowing the prototype 6109 was wrecked in 1963 was starting to nag me as my layout operations are now focusing from basically 1965 into the Penn Central merger.

With the prototype 6109 only on the roster for a little over two years having the locomotive running in the Penn Central Car Movements Virtual Ops finally became a non starter for me and I decided to change the numbers on both 6100 series GP20 locomotives.  

The 6109 is ready for renumbering. 

The 6107 is also ready for its new number.

The GP20s cab side numbers have been removed with Solvaset and an eraser. The number boards and cab sides were painted with black acrylic paint.

The cab sides and number boards have been brush painted with Testor's clear gloss.

Newly renumbered NYC GP20 #2109 has been released from the paint shop. The prototype NYC #2109 was the ex NYC #6111.

NYC GP20 #2108 has also been released from the paint shop. The 1:1 NYC #2108 is the former #6110

The 2103 rounds out the NYC GP20 fleet giving me a three engine consist that looks right in consist and is merger ready.

Getting It Right The Second Time

The 2103 is no stranger to prototypical renumbering. In 2014 I renumbered the NYC 6109 #2 as the 2103 using PC style numbers. I was quite proud of this at the time but as time went on and prototypical knowledge grew I learned that the units should have had smaller NYC style numbers and the larger numbers started to annoy me.

In October 2021, a mere seven years later,😉 I added the correct NYC style numbers.

Final Thoughts and Comments

The two newly renumbered Proto 2000 NYC GP20s have been in my fleet for about two decades. The 6107 and 6109 are prototypical as delivered numbers but as my modeling interests went into the late 1960s and I learned their as delivered numbers were changed and the 6109 was wrecked in 1963 The winds of change started to blow.

As for the models themselves all of the GP20s have had their axle gears replaced and since then have been good looking and very reliable locomotives. With all three now in the 2100 series the three units look much better to me when in consist and will make a return to the PCCMs.

Additional reading and Links

Locomotive Spotlight #3-2023

NYC GP20 #2103 Joins the Fleet(February 2014)

More Locomotive Renumbering Projects (October 2021)

NYC GP20 #2108 at Kingston , NY. March 1968

NYC GP20 #2109 at Berea, Ohio. Undated

NYC GP20 #2100 at Elkhart, Indiana. March 1967

Thanks for reading!!! 

See you soon!!!