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 Posted - April 04 2014 : 2:07:56 PM
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I love Pennslyvania and Penn Central because of the GG1's. So when I was doing research I came across this video, WOW I did not know that Penn Central was this big of a mess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmyYqfNYnc
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 3:42:31 PM
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NYC thought of itself as a transportation company and the PRR thought of itself as a railroad. PRR used outdated methods, NYC was a faceless corporation. Neither side was willing to give up what was theirs.
There was a story that NYC was looking to get it's hands into B&O. B&O freaked out, knowing that whatever NYC gets looses its identity and individuality. So, they went to C&O for help, since C&O wouldn't bother too much with B&O's identity.
How PRR and NYC ever thought PC was going to work is beyond me. They all must've been on some strong stupid pills.
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 4:10:44 PM
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yeah The merger didn't last long 5 years or so
But still gotta admit it had a neat scheme & a neat history
I did like the PC logos
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 4:23:45 PM
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My dad worked as a dispatcher for NYC, then PC, and finally retired from Conrail. I remember a quote I heard a lot of during the PC days: "that's no way to run a railroad!"
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 4:56:29 PM
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Man, Penn Central really was screwed up back in the day. No wonders they were desperate for money.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 5:34:21 PM
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It was a depressing time. Trackage was in terrible shape and maintenance was nonexistent. Some GG1's were hauling Amtrak express trains, while others in faded grimy PC black hauled freight or what appeared to be scrap trains. They looked tired and sad compared to our neatly painted models.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 6:33:44 PM
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Alaso the merger was dumb to begin with since both NYC & PRR paralelled each other in lots of places 
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 7:01:13 PM
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quote:It was a depressing time. Trackage was in terrible shape and maintenance was nonexistent. Some GG1's were hauling Amtrak express trains, while others in faded grimy PC black hauled freight or what appeared to be scrap trains. They looked tired and sad compared to our neatly painted models.
Originally posted by NickelPlate759Â -Â April 04 2014Â :Â 5:34:21 PM
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Ya, I've noticed that. It seems trains in the 70s and 80s were not very well taken care of at all.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 8:46:17 PM
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I knew it got bad, but not that bad! I would resign and go work for a better off railway.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 9:24:46 PM
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quote:I knew it got bad, but not that bad! I would resign and go work for a better off railway.
Originally posted by Redneck Justin - April 04 2014 : 8:46:17 PM
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Keep in mind the video was made to show PC in the worst possible light. I don't dispute things were in sorry shape - that's a fact - and I sure heard all my dad had to say from his experience firsthand, but this is the worst of the worst.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - April 04 2014 : 11:45:31 PM
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The late sixties and the seventies were not good times for any of the railroads. The Penn Central bankruptcy was the worst for any business up until that time. They lost over 400 Million {2 Billion in today's cash} in the first three years. One customer complained that he needed a boxcar to ship his furniture in. Two weeks later he got a box car, but it still had the furniture that was shipped by his company four weeks earlier.
Regards, John *****************************
Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make. <> Donald Trump
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 12:25:47 AM
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I know the pre-Chessie System had hard times and Milwaukee never made it to far. I think SOO and CP folded Milw. into each other? Then the 3 or 4 RR's turned into BN.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 02:04:12 AM
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Penn Central Blues. I heard stories about entire trains getting lost and found hundreds of miles off terminus. PC was the Pickett's Charge of the rail industry. But oh how I love this shattered train of fools.
JMcNeal
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 02:08:58 AM
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"The passengers will please refrain, this train has to go down in railroad blues.
Good morning America, don'tcha know my name? I'm the City of New Orleans, and I am going down in railroad fame..."
My phraseology may be a bit battered, please feel free to set the record, the lyrics, straight.
JMcNeal
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 02:15:23 AM
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Come out come out and show us your PC blues. Hey, she went down fighting, right?
In the end, the PC was notorious for lashing sw7's to the head end of a F unit trailed by a reversed U Boat! Am I wrong? Show us your zaniest power lash up PC style in both freight and passenger, in both real and in model versions!
I double dog dare you all!!!
JMcNeal
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 02:16:54 AM
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Come out come out and show us your PC blues. Hey, she went down fighting, right?
In the end, the PC was notorious for lashing sw7's to the head end of a F unit trailed by a reversed U Boat! Am I wrong? Show us your zaniest power lash up PC style in both freight and passenger, in both real and in model versions!
I double dog dare you all!!!
JMcNeal
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 5:44:08 PM
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Merger mania started in the 1950s, originally NYC wanted to go with the C&O and the PRR and N&W would combine.
But because of the ICC and government regulation, plus a recession in 1958, what ended up was NYC plus PRR - bad because they were rivals, bad because in a lot of places they had parallel routes, and bad because the ICC then wouldn't let them rationalize the duplicate routes.
It's interesting that it took Conrail and the bending/changing of the rules to make them profitable enough that CSX and NS came in and essentially made the 1958 merger plans come to fruition 40 years later. For the most part CSX got the NYC and NS the PRR.
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Posted - April 05 2014 : 10:16:19 PM
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quote:I know the pre-Chessie System had hard times and Milwaukee never made it to far. I think SOO and CP folded Milw. into each other? Then the 3 or 4 RR's turned into BN.
Originally posted by Redneck Justin - April 05 2014 : 12:25:47 AM
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it was FOUR railroads that became BN: CB&Q, GN, SP&S & NP Frisco joined in 198o
C&S joined in 1981 but its been part of CB&Q since 1908
Which is why you'd see C&S on BN & CB&Q locos  & the high bridge in Cheyenne has C&S still on it!!
My opinion on the 1980 bankruptcy of Milwaukee Road is BN mega merger was the cause 
Don't forget Rock Island "crumbled" in 1980 too
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Posted - April 07 2014 : 12:28:49 AM
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Penn Central still played an important part in American railroad history by operating freight and passenger service to the best of its ability. It was created to keep service intact while waiting for better days. Those days arrived and service improved. Also, model fans liked the attractive green paint scheme it came up with. It's legacy is part mess and success.  Gone but never forgotten. 
Edited by - wks on April 07 2014 01:26:44 AM
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Posted - April 07 2014 : 11:00:51 AM
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Richard,
It is not beneficial to revise history. The Penn Central debacle was a unique combination of incompetent management, out of control unions, and government regulations. The result was a unmitigated disaster. Con Rail was only better because the company could be bailed out with tax money.
Regards, John ***************************
Radical changes in world politics leave America with a heightened responsibility to be, for the world, an example of a genuinely free, democratic, just and humane society. <> Pope John Paul II
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Posted - April 07 2014 : 12:48:55 PM
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Chessie was just the consolidation of C&O, B&O and Western Maryland; they were doing reasonably well in the 1950s and 1960s. That's why the NYC wanted to merge with them in 1958.
Another part of Penn Central's problem was they were forced to take in the New Haven and run all kinds of money-losing commuter trains.
The Milwaukee Road was affected by merger mania, too, they more or less let the maintenance go in an attempt to merge with the CN&W, then demanded to be included in BN, neither of which worked out and the concentration on this instead of on running the railroad, wrecked it, as first they scrapped the electrification for the cash, then abandoned the entire western extension, only in the end to be bought out by Soo Line.
Rock Island was in a similar position; it's merger with UP wasn't allowed to happen and it eventually fell apart, to have the pieces picked up by various other roads. That combined with the ICG shedding extra routes resulted in the SP reaching Chicago, before becoming part of UP.
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Posted - April 08 2014 : 12:36:33 AM
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quote:Con Rail was only better because the company could be bailed out with tax money.
Originally posted by JRG1951Â -Â April 07 2014Â :Â 11:00:51 AM
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The irony is that in creating Con Rail from the wreckage of northeastern railroading, the federal government implemented the route consolidations, service cutbacks, etc., that it prohibited the private railroads from doing, in order to make the system viable. (Can you say "hypocritical?")
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - April 08 2014 : 10:15:20 AM
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quote:
Rock Island was in a similar position; it's merger with UP wasn't allowed to happen and it eventually fell apart, to have the pieces picked up by various other roads.
Originally posted by lvrr325Â -Â April 07 2014Â :Â 12:48:55 PM
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True but in a bizzare twist UP ended up owning moar RI than ever
Edited by - microbusss on April 08 2014 10:16:29 AM
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Posted - February 16 2020 : 7:28:58 PM
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Not model trains but a treasure trove of Jade Green.
Can watch these for hours from the comfort of your home.
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 Posted - February 16 2020 : 8:13:05 PM
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PRR + NY Central = One big zest!  
Still a favorite with many railfans around the globe.
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 Posted - February 18 2020 : 12:28:24 AM
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Some nice photos of a misunderstood railroad from the internet.
A little paint goes a long way. Not my photos.
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Posted - February 18 2020 : 11:54:13 AM
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| BNSF has repainted the high bridge in West Cheyenne now!
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Posted - February 25 2020 : 3:09:55 PM
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Some interesting Penn Central videos and its predecessor PRR.
For those long days and nights with nothing to do. Not my videos.
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Posted - February 26 2020 : 7:15:00 PM
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When the PC declared bankruptcy, it was the biggest one in the history of this country at the time. It took Conrail a decade to report a profit. The one thing that helped kill PC is the fact the railroad spent more time and money in other business ventures and investments. Never paid much mind for the railroad until it was too late. The biggest fault was that 2 bankrupt railroads merged together and tried to stay alive.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - February 27 2020 : 05:43:45 AM
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I watched them all. A very interesting array of lash ups
and rolling stock . Although only a few decades ago, it
feels like a millennium.
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 Posted - February 29 2020 : 7:35:06 PM
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Before and after pics of a heritage unit. Not my photos.
Kind of reflects the look of the PC units in the early 1970s after they worked up a sweat of miles running.
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Posted - February 29 2020 : 7:51:19 PM
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quote:
Before and after pics of a heritage unit. Not my photos.
Kind of reflects the look of the PC units in the early 1970s after they worked up a sweat of miles running.
Originally posted by wks - February 29 2020 : 7:35:06 PM
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yeah I agree
with today's decals I wonder if a red P or C would hold up under weather conditions
cause PC used paint then & it would quite often fade to a pinkish-red color
Edited by - microbusss on February 29 2020 7:52:02 PM
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Posted - February 29 2020 : 8:31:57 PM
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Posted - March 19 2020 : 12:15:00 PM
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The colors would certainly come in handy late at night.
Florescent safety procedures to reduce crossing accidents.
Little hard on the eyes though.
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Posted - April 05 2020 : 8:35:44 PM
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I videotaped my Penn Central set in action today.
Reminds me of the troubles Penn Central had back in the day.
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Posted - April 05 2020 : 9:06:27 PM
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Always great to see vintage trains at work, especially my favorite, the PC, in Tyco. Fine looking and running
consist, there WKS. I'm going to repost one of my early videos, "PC Expresso." One of my first
passenger coaches was a Tyco obs coach. Loved it then, love it now.
https://youtu.be/kbpTeRFVGIk
and another, "PC Kinda Mood."
https://youtu.be/OrargBXfhIg
You spurred an idea for a new video, WKS, thank you for posting.
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Posted - April 06 2020 : 07:44:07 AM
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Now that is something, I'm not sure what kind of thing, but it definitely is something!
Hmm ...
Ya know ...
That color is not overly far from what one would apply Illinois Terminal decals over ...
quote:
Originally posted by Chops124Â -Â February 29 2020Â :Â 8:31:57 PM
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“There are a thousand things that can happen when you go light a rocket engine, and only one of them is good.” — Tom Mueller, SpaceX, 2012
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Posted - April 06 2020 : 09:58:22 AM
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After seeing WKS pleasant little video of a vintage Tyco PC
train, I stayed up most the night doing this:
https://youtu.be/w7SgMclBaoM
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Posted - April 06 2020 : 10:54:06 AM
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Another excellent video Jeff. Well worth the wait.
Some photos of my Penn Central equipment.
Tyco classic model trains are great.
Some call Penn Central a colossal mess.
We proudly call Penn Central a thankful bless.
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Posted - April 06 2020 : 11:40:49 AM
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Two of several reasons the PC might be worth liking:
1. it was the railroad of my youth.
2. At the time of the merger, every effort was made to not do mass layoffs.
Whether this was the Union or, less likely, the kindness of management, it
struggled to maintain the livelihoods of many people. In today's age,
a merger typically ends up with many people dumped on the street and left
to figure it out.
https://youtu.be/sVSLTqhSb4w
Edited by - Chops124 on April 06 2020 11:47:39 AM
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Posted - April 11 2020 : 05:49:36 AM
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Some videos from the internet that would interest Penn Central fans.
Check out Ralph's other videos. His work is remarkable and enjoyable to watch.
The fourth video has a link to his layout and his friends layouts with detailed scenery.
Classic commercial from 1969 which was taken on the River Line next to the Hudson River in New York.
Tunnel shot in Kingston and last part of the video with the caboose at Bear Mountain.
The video appears to cross sell both the automobile and the railroad at the same time.
Edited by - wks on April 11 2020 06:00:23 AM
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Posted - April 11 2020 : 06:12:50 AM
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A video which shows an alternate reality which could be set in 2020.
If Penn Central had survived it would be great to watch all the various equipment.
Equipment from two classic railroad companies.
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Posted - April 11 2020 : 08:01:01 AM
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Some of the best model rail films ever. Was that Plymouth
Auto Train advert for real? The narrator’s voice over was perfect-
“apparently the New York Central arm rests were better...”
Where did you find this??
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Posted - April 24 2020 : 5:48:01 PM
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Some cool videos I found on the internet.
Model train layout showing a Penn Central buddy. The New Haven.
Next on the list is the prototypes on parade.
Transition time from Penn Central to Conrail.
Transition fun back in calmer times. Some people look at the depressing news. Others like us look at cool train videos.
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Posted - April 25 2020 : 12:11:41 AM
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Very interesting videos. I didn't know about the heavy piggy back service,
for one thing. Interesting lash ups from many roads.
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Posted - May 17 2020 : 5:08:45 PM
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My friend Jeff is at it again.
Drives his wife batty.
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Posted - May 17 2020 : 9:52:29 PM
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While talking Penn Central, dig the Chicago brakeman, or maybe conductor's 1978 bell bottom jeans!
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/736439/
“There are a thousand things that can happen when you go light a rocket engine, and only one of them is good.” — Tom Mueller, SpaceX, 2012
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Posted - May 18 2020 : 08:21:28 AM
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quote:
That's hilarious!
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Posted - May 31 2020 : 09:59:39 AM
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Cool mint Penn Central models are still out there to be found.
Bought at a New Jersey train store early this year.
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Posted - May 31 2020 : 1:56:01 PM
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A truly remarkable set, also that a box car was added to the mix, truly
inspired!
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Posted - May 31 2020 : 5:30:10 PM
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*drools*
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/rpmodelrailroads
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rp_model_railroads/
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