@PRRronbh posted:I am curious! Why do "New York Central Fans" all of sudden have an interest in the P&LE A2a's that were NOT and never were NYC engines??? Yes NYC management "forced" the P&LE management to order 10 of these A2a's that were "designed' for PL&E's needs of of heavy tonnage drag engines with max speed of 50 mph when they wanted diesel at the same time the NYC was going over to diesel. The seven A2a's that the P&LE did get (cancelling the other three) never "RAN" on NYC rails until the NYC leased, I will say that again LEASED them from the P&LE in late summer 1955 for their Southern District. These P&LE A2a's sat one P&LE storage tracks since mid-summer 1953 with no PM and one of these Berks died within a month
These P&LE A2a's worked their way under load fromALCO's Schenectady, NY plant Delaware & Hudson and Erie freight trains to Youngstown, Ohio. The Erie made delivery at interchange near the Himrod Tower. The A2a's were serviced for a working trip to P&LE's McKee Rock, Pa permanent base.. So never "RAN" NYC rails until the NYC leased them from the P&LE owners. Unless you want to count the time turning the A2a"s at Youngstown before the longer turntable was built. For that period the A2a's were cut off and stored at the engine terminal until at least three were ready. They were then put together as a single train for turning through the Eire RR wye at Himrod TowerThen taken over the NYC's Ashtabula-Youngstown Main Lines the third leg the wyeback to the P&LE.
So again why the NYC Fan interest in the P&LE A2a engines that were never a NYC engine?
Ron
I can understand your love affair with the P&LE, ….BUT it was a red headed step child of the Central proper,….so until the time the P&LE could get away from the Central in the doom days leading up to that nasty merger, …the P&LE was a “told” railroad,….they were told what to do by the Central proper,….hence the big “New York Central Systems” herald on the side of the tenders,……and only tiny P&LE markings on the bunker tops,……the phrase “who’s your daddy?” comes into play here,….fortunately for the P&LE, they had enough revenue traffic to stem off the doomed mergers, and stand on their own two feet when the mergers failed miserably,…..they were even owed bunches of money by the Central, and managed to collect it, I believe,,…
Pat
