Standard RR of the World Standard

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Thought I would share another of my father’s pictures - this one is taken at Trenton, NJ in November of 1947.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=232815

If there are any Pennsy operations in NJ experts who could tell me more about what this unit would have been doing there at the time, that would be great. I don’t think it was for the Camden train, as my dad has a picture of an E-6 handling that run earlier on the same roll of film.

Thanks for looking,

Charles Freericks

2

Another fun trip into the past, Charles. Thanks for sharing!

3

Thank you for sharing always enjoy the pictures you have posted Larry

4

Having a lot of fun going through my dad’s pics.

5

…Great B/W photograph of our past…I certainly don’t have your answer but my guess would be they were running anything that was available in this time era after WWII…Much power was worn badly.

6

The K4 was waiting for an Atlantic City train such as the “Nellie Bly” to come into Trenton from New York behind a GG1.

7

My guess would be an Atlantic city train to or from New York. Possibly even the Harbor Terminal on the Jersey side.

8

Thanks for the answers!

9

Agree it was for a NYC-Atlantic City train. Incidentally, the “Standard Railroad of the World” slogan had various meanings according to former Pennsy VP I knew. One was that it set the standard for all railroads, a second was that Pennsy did everything on a standardized basis (or what passed for a standardized basis in its day), and a third was that it allowed no individual thinking among its officers and employees.

10

I think my dad would have agreed with the last item, based on his brief tenure with the Pennsy. He went in very excited about working for the railroad and left very disheartened. Interestingly though, he was still fascinated by the Pennsy and talked fondly of it in many ways until his death.

11

I would also vote for it being power for the Atlantic City train. However, it could have been used on the Camden train on the day the assigned diesel had a problem the consist was longer than one or two cars. Also, on occasion, the Camden train used just a doodlebug, a gas-electric car converted to diesel-electric, hauling one trailer, usually a P-54 short-distance coach. Do you have a picture of this combination?