Greetings All,
Locomotive Spotlight #3-2025
New Haven C-Liner #791
A recent purchase of a New Haven C-Liner shell that I believe is a True Line Trains product that rode on a Life-Like Proto 1000 power chassis led me down the rabbit hole of this rare locomotive. Lets take a look at the prototype and the model.
Prototype Info
In 1950 the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad known as the New Haven purchased two Fairbanks Morse CPA24-5 demonstrator locomotives (4801-4802) that would become New Haven C-Liners 790 and 791. The 790 and 791 were delivered in the NH green and gold paint scheme of that era.
The FM CPA24-5 stood for Consolidation Line - Passenger - A Unit - 2,400 Horsepower - five axles. The trucks were configured with a BB front truck and an A-1-A rear truck to support the weight of the boiler equipment and water used to heat the passenger cars it would haul.
Limited Sales of the CPA24-5
Ten of the somewhat unusual wheel arrangement cab unit locomotives were purchased from Fairbanks-Morse by the New Haven RR (790-799), the New York Central purchased eight (4500-4507) and the Long Island Railroad purchased four (2401-2404).
The New Haven would come back to this wheel arrangement in 1956 with the order of the EMD FL9s. The first 30 FL9s would bump the C-Liners to lesser roles and ultimately an early retirement.
Back To The C-Liners!!!
The Consolidation Line was a series of diesel-electric locomotives produced by Fairbanks-Morse and its Canadian licensee, the Canadian Locomotive Company. Railfans have dubbed these locomotives C-liners, however F-M referred to the models collectively as the C-Line. A combined total of 165 units (123 cab-equipped lead A units and 42 cab less booster B units) were produced by F-M and the CLC between 1950 and 1955.
Orders for the C-liners were initially received from the New York Central, followed by the Long Island Rail Road, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Milwaukee Road and the New Haven.
The Milwaukee Road purchased twelve FM CPA16-4 locomotives (23A,C - 28A, C) that were rated at 1,600 HP and rode on a more traditional B-B wheel arrangement.
The MILW A units were supplemented by six CFB14-4 B units (23B - 28B)
The Model
A May 2025 purchase of three locomotive shells for six dollars including shipping provided a Conrail FA shell, an undecorated Athearn S-12 shell and the True Line Trains New Haven 791 shell.
The 791 shell fit perfectly onto a spare Proto 1000 power chassis.
C-Liner 791 brings a passenger train with plenty of headend traffic to East Bedford Station.
A nice surprise was learning that the New Haven FM C-Liners were capable of multi unit operation with the NH PAs and could be found in both freight and passenger service as indicated in photos from The New Haven Railroad The Final Decades book.
Checkout the 791 in revenue service!!
Final Thoughts and Comments
The New Haven CPA24-5s were destined to become the shortest lived NH diesels with all being retired by 1961. The C-Liners would run twice as many revenue miles as their Alco counterparts before needing an overhaul but the rebuilding of the FM units was very time consuming and expensive.
The four axle 791 is basically a stand in for the prototypical five axle CPA24-5. I didn't find any HO scale CPA24-5 locomotives or parts on ebay so I may have to be content with the discrepancy if I am to run the 791 with B-B trucks.
That said the Proto 1000 power chassis is extremely smooth running, very heavy, has tremendous pulling power and is very capable of handling a heavy train up the grades to Terminal Yard. When coupled to the P-2000 PA this duo can handle a tremendous amount of tonnage.
Additional Reading and Links
New Haven Railroad The Final Decades by Scott Hartley
_(10569052074).jpg)
