I’m looking for color photos of Penn Central E7s. I have a Life-Like E7 that I want to do up as an “interim” PC unit. In other words, one still in Tuscan Red, but with white worms on it. I have the PC Power book, but all the Es in there are in black and white…very difficult to see what the actual color is. Thanks in advance!
Found one!
Page 77 in the Don Ball Book: America’s Railroads, 2nd Edition.
A pair of beautiful Penn Central E7s hauling the “Rustoleum Limited” crossing a bridge. The lead E7 is a single head light unit, #4210. On the nose are the 45 degree angled “box” number boards. (Same type as a typical F7). The body is Tuscan Red, no doubt!
Bear with me, here goes!
On the engineer’s side, the white Penn Central logo is easy to place. Just below the first rectangular horizontal grill are two vertical body lines that run to the bottom of the body (just above the rear axle and 2nd leaf spring) The worm logo fits perfectly between those two vertical lines. The bottom of the white worm logo on a model E7 would be approximately "1/32 above the line of rivets on the bottom of the body.
The white numbers, 4210, are immedietely below the rear horizontal radiator grill. There is a body line just below the numbers. You will see this body line on your E-7, below the radiator grill, just above the rear vertical grab irons. The numbers would be about 1/32" above this body line. The number 4 would be centered above that pair of grab irons. That’s what it looks like in the photo, but the train in is at least 150 feet away.
I hope this helps.
Here’s the weird part (Penn Central was alway strange!). The 2nd E7 is number 4225. It is back to back with 4210. There is NO WORM LOGO at all on the fireman’s side! Just the number below the left rear radiator grill, same position as on 4210 but on the fireman’s side.
I have fond memories of the Penn Central as I grew up in New York City in the 60s and early 70s. Though I was a child, I so remember well that view of the PC as I lived on a 3rd floor in an apartment, just below the Bruckner Expressway (Bronx). Across the street in big, wide ditch was that 4 track main line!
Now look what you did! You got me interested in
you may find a photo of it at www.rr-fallenflags.org
CWClark,
Man! What a website! Thanks for that link. It’s going to take me months to explore all of those photos!
Peace, amigo!
Tony,
it took me months just to get through the SP stuff alone…that’s where i found a picture of my grandfather working on the railroad …it’s LOADED with pictures…chuck
Thanks for the info!
I poke around the fallenflags site regularly. They do have quite a few E units up there…however, since they’re all black and white photos it’s difficult to tell what colors they are. Quite a few PC E units ran around in PRR and NYC colors for awhile after the merger…some never got repainted black at all!
EMDGP92,
You can check Ebay from time to time for Don Ball books. The info and photography are excellent.
CWClark, which photo on the fallen flags site has your grandfather in it? I’ll take a look at it.
High Greens!
Try the book " Penn Central Railroad" by Peter E. Lynch
You can also try :
http://pc.smellycat.com/[:)]
I encountered some on my one and only trip to horseshoe curve that were so decrepit and soot encrusted it wouldn’t matter what color you painted them!
I have a picture of a PC E7 for you. Please email me at richardtrains@comcast.net