Post by alexweihmann on Jun 8, 2007 15:41:25 GMT -5
A friend emalied me some info on todays RR History involving the Penn Central:
On this date in 1968, five ex-PRR GG1 electric locomotives
participated in a funeral procession from New York to Washington DC
for the slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The events occurred just
four months after the Penn Central merger.
#4932 pulled a three-car pilot train that preceded the main train.
#4901 double-headed with #4903 on the 21-car main section. RFK's
remains were carried in PC #120, an open-platform business car at the
end of this train. GG1s #4900 and #4910 ran light behind the funeral
train, to be available as backup power if they were needed.
The tragedy of this day was compounded by events at Elizabeth NJ,
where a crowd of people had gathered on the tracks to witness the
passing of RFK's train. The eastbound "Admiral" from Chicago
approached, and its GG1 sounded its horn as it rounded the curve, but
some people either did not hear it or did not clear the track in
time. Two persons were killed and four others were injured. Penn
Central then ordered all trains on the Northeast Corridor route
halted until the funeral train had passed. RFK's train arrived at
Washington Union Station four hours late.
#4901 and #4903 were eventually sold to AMTRAK and renumbered 904 and
906 respectively; they were later again renumbered 4904 and 4906.
#4904 was scrapped, but #4906 is in the collection at the Age of
Steam Museum in Dallas TX. It has been restored to Brunswick green
PRR livery with a single gold stripe and has been renumbered to its
original PRR roster number, 4903.
Lionel LLC chose to represent the ill-fated PC #4901 in its Joshua Lionel Cowen Series of full 1/48 scale GG1s. Cataloged as #6-18356, it features a large, boxy air intake on each hood just beneath the pantograph. These grilles, and the all-black Penn Central scheme, certainly alter the aesthetics of Raymond Loewy's 1935 design.
Joseph Lechner
On this date in 1968, five ex-PRR GG1 electric locomotives
participated in a funeral procession from New York to Washington DC
for the slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The events occurred just
four months after the Penn Central merger.
#4932 pulled a three-car pilot train that preceded the main train.
#4901 double-headed with #4903 on the 21-car main section. RFK's
remains were carried in PC #120, an open-platform business car at the
end of this train. GG1s #4900 and #4910 ran light behind the funeral
train, to be available as backup power if they were needed.
The tragedy of this day was compounded by events at Elizabeth NJ,
where a crowd of people had gathered on the tracks to witness the
passing of RFK's train. The eastbound "Admiral" from Chicago
approached, and its GG1 sounded its horn as it rounded the curve, but
some people either did not hear it or did not clear the track in
time. Two persons were killed and four others were injured. Penn
Central then ordered all trains on the Northeast Corridor route
halted until the funeral train had passed. RFK's train arrived at
Washington Union Station four hours late.
#4901 and #4903 were eventually sold to AMTRAK and renumbered 904 and
906 respectively; they were later again renumbered 4904 and 4906.
#4904 was scrapped, but #4906 is in the collection at the Age of
Steam Museum in Dallas TX. It has been restored to Brunswick green
PRR livery with a single gold stripe and has been renumbered to its
original PRR roster number, 4903.
Lionel LLC chose to represent the ill-fated PC #4901 in its Joshua Lionel Cowen Series of full 1/48 scale GG1s. Cataloged as #6-18356, it features a large, boxy air intake on each hood just beneath the pantograph. These grilles, and the all-black Penn Central scheme, certainly alter the aesthetics of Raymond Loewy's 1935 design.
Joseph Lechner