Nostalgia & History > Nice try, but too little too late

When there was still a Penn Central, the aging electric fleet became a concern to management. The 1930s era GG1s were still doing their jobs, but the sand was running through the hour glass. In 1975, PC worked with EMD to design a replacement for its old warriors. GM delivered EMDX 1975. An ugly mess of 6,000 horsepower built as I recall on an SD40-2 frame. No aesthetic appeal whatsoever. It began working out of Harrisburg, and showed up all over the electrified side. A little thing called Conrail threw everything into a state of flux in 1976. A second demo, a 10,000 hp monstor EMDX 1976, showed up as a second trial balloon at that time.Both always seem to be sitting around Harrisburg terminal, and were easily photographed together.  I assume that this was a continuation of the PC quest for moderanization. The changing dynamics of electrical power supply, and more efficient diesels doomed these birds form ever taking flight. I only got to speak with one engineer who ran the 1976/4976 under Conrail. He liked it, but said that it did have a tendency to "slip" as he put it. They both went to scrap heaven as I recall.

Top photo...heading for the Port Road, 1975 passes Day tower at the east end of Enola Yard. Still PC at this point.
Bottom...Conrail renumbered 1976 leads a freight out of Baltimore Bay View yard in 1978

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/18 04:12 by Roadjob.

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Appreciate the background info on these rare EMD models.  I recall the EMD ad graphics run in Trains Magazine extolling their future-turned into a short life-!

I think they look neat. A little boxy perhaps but awesome just the same. Nice shots though no matter how they’re viewed.

I don't believe I've ever seen a picture of the back end before.

Posted from Android

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Thanks for posting these photos.

I thought it looked good when I saw one in Harrisburg.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/18 08:08 by RuleG.

I liked them and was hoping to see a group of blue ones under Conrail. Instead Conrail pulled the plug on all electric freight operations because of various Amtrak fees which is what doomed these. There was nothing majorly wrong with the machines.

RWJ

Ugly or not... I would love to see them running today....

Great action catches. Most photos I have seen are roster photos.
Bob

LV95032 Wrote:
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>Conrail pulled the
> plug on all electric freight operations because of
> various Amtrak fees which is what doomed these.

> RWJ

There was more to it than that.  Economically and operationally the catenary needed to be extended to Pittsburgh and also installed on a number of non-PRR lines in North Jersey following the creation of Conrail.  The issues with Amtrak were only one part of the puzzle.  In the end an economic case could not be made.

Gordon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/18 12:50 by gbmott.

Would have been great if a sizable fleet of these two powerful and and awesome looking motors had been built back in the late 1970's era. Had this had happened, the railroad would probably be in the process of replacing then with newer units.
Unfortunately, the economics for mainline electric freight operation just did not exist forty years ago and do not today.
Don't forget that the Milwaukee catenary was shetdown in 1974, one year before the testing of EMDX #1975 began.
The only common carrier railroad still operating electric freight service in the U.S. is a shortline, the Iowa Traction Railway Company (IATR).
ALLEN
  

gbmott Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LV95032 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >Conrail pulled the
> > plug on all electric freight operations because
> of
> > various Amtrak fees which is what doomed these.
>
> > RWJ
>
> There was more to it than that.  Economically and
> operationally the catenary needed to be extended
> to Pittsburgh and also installed on a number of
> non-PRR lines in North Jersey following the
> creation of Conrail.  The issues with Amtrak were
> only one part of the puzzle.  In the end an
> economic case could not be made.
>
> Gordon

Conrail and basically the US Government was faced with spending so much money all at once to rebuild and bring back the railways that made up Conrail, or at least what was kept. They could have made a case for electrification but there were more immidiate needs such as railway rail, improved yards and locomotives.

I too would love to see catenary through to Pittsburgh and maybe some other lines as well.

Jim

When was the 1976 renumbered 4976 (second picture)?

Thomas Eckhardt
Hurricane UT