New Haven Railroad EP-5 Electric “Motor” #371.
The New Haven Railroad’s electrification went into operation in 1907 for 21 miles between Woodlawn, New York and Stamford, Connecticut following a ban on steam locomotives in New York City enacted in 1903 and effective in 1908. The electrification was extended to New Haven in 1914, 72 miles from Grand Central Terminal. Steam locomotives, and later diesels, covered the remaining 157 miles to Boston until Amtrak completed its electrification around 2000, so a locomotive change was part of the scene at New Haven for decades. I used to stand on the platforms at New Haven and watch as the change was done.
The EP-5s began passenger service between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal in 1955, the last NYNH&HRR electric “motors” designed for that purpose. As with earlier New Haven electric passenger power, they operated on overhead 11,000 Volt AC catenary between New Haven and Woodlawn and then transitioned at speed to 650 Volt DC third-rail power for the remaining 12 miles into GCT on the tracks of the New York Central’s Harlem Division.
By the 1950s, the New Haven needed new electric passenger power and contracted with General Electric for a 4,000 horsepower, rectifier-equipped “motor.” They were delivered during the administration of Patrick McGinnis, whose wife was instrumental in creating the modern red-black-white paint schemes and block-lettered “NH” logo that became symbols of the railroad and subsequently appeared on many of its diesel locomotives.
The EP-5s weighed 350,500 pounds and produced 34,100 pounds of tractive force with 87,000 pounds allowed momentarily. They were geared for 105 miles-per-hour and ran at up to 90 miles-per-hour on the railroad, but the speed limit was 70. On the New Haven, they were known as “jets” because of the loud noise from blowers that cooled the electrical components. The EP-5s suffered from deferred maintenance due to the 1959 closing of the Van Nest Shops (in the Bronx, NY) and the New Haven’s deteriorating financial condition during the 1950s and ‘60s. When the New Haven was merged into the Penn Central in 1969, only six of the ten EP-5s were still running. All ten were scrapped by 1979.
In my opinion, the MTH scale-sized EP-5 is a landmark O gauge model, just as the Lionel version was in the 1950s. My model of New Haven EP-5 #371 was made by MTH Premier (20-2195-1) and was offered in the 1999 Volume 1 catalog at an MSRP of $349.95. As a New Haven fan, this model was one of my first modern O gauge acquisitions and it has been running on my model railroad for 23 years. It has PS1 and a BCR but no speed control. The sounds, including the cooling blowers, are authentic and loud. The PS1 electronics are satisfactory to me and have been trouble-free. Even without speed control, a well-broken-in EP-5 model with PS1 runs smoothly at low speeds, as seen in the second video.
By the 1950s, the precarious financial condition of the New Haven Railroad resulted in trains made up of multiple types of passenger cars, which is how I run model trains behind my EP-5. Attached below are pictures of the three types of passenger cars in the consist of my EP-5 model, including the 1949 fluted stainless steel sleeping car “Shippan Point” by MTH; the 1934/35 Pullman-Standard “American-Flyer” lightweight passenger car #8204 by Weaver Models; and the 1929 heavyweight parlor-lounge car “Flying Cloud,” also by MTH.
MELGAR
