PAN UP A history of east coast Electric trains: when GG1s and P5As ruled the rails of the PRR

[@Reaper1770]

So it seem like we have a tie for a vote with no one voting for the southern pacific daylight suprisingly? So ill be doing the hiawatha, 20th century and then the broadway.

[@GeorgeRuffner-iy7bm]

I could not find all this information when I was a kid. But I loved my GG1 anyway. I'll be 80 in February so I'm glad I can update this great great subject. 21:43 🙈🙉🙊😎🇺🇲

[@scottroland6577]

Isn't this a video about the PRR's electric locomotives, and not west coast steam?

[@riroo8275]

Hey, quick note here from a native Philly foamer: The Penn Central didn't merge into Amtrak in 1971, but when Amtrak formed it took over the Penn Central's intercity passenger trains. (Commuter trains were instead subsidized and later operated by agencies like SEPTA, NJT, LIRR...) Rather, the Penn Central's demise came in 1976, when the entire Northeast rail network merged into Conrail.

[@Reaper1770]

Yeah i show have clarfied that a bit better. I know the passenger routes were taken over by amtrak. penn central got taken over by Conrail in 76. Totally my fault in not being clearer about that.

[@aceadman]

I’m enjoying your work. Nice storytelling. Many thanks. 😊👍👍

[@Reaper1770]

Thank you it means alot

[@Reaper1770]

I gotta say that doing the GG1 was hard to do for a smallish video becuase i'm pretty sure i missed a fair few things and i'd like to come back to it in the future to properly cover it in its own dedicated video. I love the GG1 and i think it sounds incredible. As usual would love to hear some facts of things i missed or just fun information i should know about.

[@stephenkeever6029]

While standing next to the Northeast corridor tracks of the PRR it was exciting to experience the GG-1 speeding by. They were relatively quiet until they got up on you with a sudden surprise of a monster appearing from out of nowhere! And then as they passed you by, there was a tremendous feeling of power grinding on the tracks. They were scary and beautiful.

[@williamwintemberg]

I have many fond memories of the GG-1 as I grew up in a town between Philadelphia and Wilmington. The tracks literally cut the town in half. Although they never stopped at the station, they were indeed noticed due to their beauty and quiet speed. If one chose to walk the tracks, special attention was paid because they were so quiet at speed, it was possible to have one sneak up on you. Don't ask how I know this.

[@Reaper1770]

Oh honestly, i know the feeling. Electrics have that nasty habit to litterally sneak up on without you noticing. I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I'm just finishing off editing my next video so hope you enjoy my next video on the New Haven RR

[@DubGathoni]

18:07, The Milwaukee Road didn't go bankrupt till 1977, but the writing was on the wall by 1972, even with the scrapping of the Electric operations.

[@Reaper1770]

I love the Milwaukee road but like all the best looking railroads, it was very badly managed

[@stephenkeever6029]

Excellent research and enjoyable history of the the East coast electric trains on the PRR!

[@Reaper1770]

Thank you. I feel like i missed out on so many things about the GG1, so i may come back and have a special video dedicated to the GG1

[@scottroland6577]

I can remember watching the GG1's on the Trenton Cut-off from overlook at the Militia Hill park between Fort Washington and Flourtown PA. That location is a mile of so railroad west from the old connection of the Chestnut Hill Branch of the PRR to the Cut-off. I can't remember the name of the interlocking, but I'm sure that someone will know. Great work on the video. Thanks!😃

[@Reaper1770]

Hey thank you it means alot

[@carlwolfe8009]

Thanks for electric loco history. Electrics are the most interesting to me of all forms of power.

[@Reaper1770]

Not a problem, i'm gonna be delving into more electric locomotives from around the world. My next video is on Germany most powerful prewar electric locomotive

[@railwayjade]

Those Baby GG1s (P5a) and R1 is so cool looking!

[@Reaper1770]

Im hoping someone makes a model of the baby GG1 in Ho scale. Id love to put one next to my actual GG1

[@railwayjade]

@@Reaper1770 I believe Broadway Limited makes the Boxcab version. So maybe you can try source a shell of a GG1 and cut it down or maybe 3D print a body to put on the chassis?

[@Reaper1770]

I have thought about that but paying 300 just to replace the shell.

[@railwayjade]

@@Reaper1770 for modelling our South African railways that is what makes it expensive. One needs to buy a Roco locomotive (has the correct wheel base for the one loco and spoked wheels) and then also a specialist made shell - so I understand completely about it being very expensive in an already expensive hobby lol, I feel your pain! :) Looking forward to your next video

[@Reaper1770]

It used to be like that for australian models but with auscision and SDS a majority of modern diesels are now covered. It just to be people would hack a proto 2000 or atlas model to convert it into a nsw 42 class. And thank you im tempted to maybe break up the electrics with a new video on passenger trains

[@Filip7370]

This show is amazing, and You need to push it further to present the more interesting locomotives in even more details later once this series will be finished. Just one practical note, please try and read Your script 2-3 times before it will erase those pauses when You are not sure what will follow the line and it is audible in the video. Keep the work tho, it's great!

[@Reaper1770]

Yeah i've been making sure that im just clearing up those mistakes a bit better now. Its funny you never notice the little mistakes until you listen to it back. Its part of the plan to go back to redo a few of the locomotives especially the GG1 and a few of the more iconic locomotives. At the moment i'm working on a video about the twin cities Hiawatha. So i'm adding a bit more detail regarding consists so that a modeller might be able to reference when recreating the train for their layout

[@Michael-py8ti]

I can't wait for the ep5s on nynh&h

[@Reaper1770]

I've got a model of an EP5 and they just look gorgeous especiallg in New Haven paint

[@dk50b]

5:42 Newark side of Dock Bridge, with former Public Service Electric & Gas Dock Substation on left. 14:51 Baltimore Penn Station.

[@Reaper1770]

Hey thanks for that, wasn't too sure of the location of the bridge

[@briansmith8385]

Thanks for this video. I hope to see more electrification on USA rails in the future. But I noticed an error two minutes into the video were 25 KV AC is noted. The voltage was 11 KV at 25 Hertz.

[@Reaper1770]

Yup thats me just making a silly mistake and not noticing. Hope you enjoyed the rest kf the video

[@scottroland6577]

I believe that the voltage and frequency was changed in late 1983 from 11k to 25k and the frequency from 25 Hz to 60Hz. That enabled Amtrak to utilize commercial electricity generation without phase conversion, but (I believe) was the literal end of the GG1's as they were only compatible with 11k volts @ 25 cycles. Would someone else please confirm or correct this statement? Thanks😃

[@briansmith8385]

@@scottroland6577 From Wikipedia North East Corridor Electrification Overhead line: 25 kV AC at 60 Hz (Boston-New Haven) 12.5 kV AC at 60 Hz (New Haven-New York) 12 kV AC at 25 Hz (New York-Washington) I do question the accuracy of "12 kV AC at 25 Hz (New York-Washington)". Why would they raise the voltage but keep the frequency at 25 Hz? Google "Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system" for a Wikipedia article. Thanks

[@briansmith8385]

@@scottroland6577 The C-C GE E60 was supposed to replace the GG1s, but It had a tendency to detail at high speeds so it was used for freight trains. It could run on: 11 kV 25 Hz AC 12.5 kV 60 Hz AC 25 kV 60 Hz AC So the GG1s were retired not because of 25 Hz since the replacement E60 could use 25 Hz. The GG1s had a long and successful run but became obsolete. After the E60, the much more successful EMD AEM-7 took over and could also run on 25 Hz power. Of course, using 60 Hz power makes supporting electric trains a lot lot simpler.

[@railfan475productions3]

what I would give to see a GG1 run

[@Reaper1770]

To be honest i'd fund a new GG1 with modern day control equipment. It would be so hard to fix the frame issues with the preserved ones but i think it wouldn't be too hard to get a GE or siemens to build the internals for a new GG1

[@jaminova_1969]

I got to see the GG1's at LIC / Sunnyside Yard and at Pennsylvania Station as a little girl. They were enormous!

[@Reaper1770]

Even in model form. Im amazed how big it is compared to some of my steam engines. It just wows me how big it is. I would have loved to see them running in person.

[@rwboa22]

​@@Reaper1770 I got to see " 'Ol Rivets" at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA. It, and the other GG1s are big compared to the later AEM-7 and ACS-64 locomotives. As for those that want to see an operating GG1, that engine, like PRR T1 5550, should be built from scratch, albeit with modern controls and PTC.

[@johnchambers8528]

⁠Most engineers today would not be intrerseted in operating a GG-1 since the cabs were so cramped and had limited forward vision due to the operating cab being so far back from the front of the engine. That is one of the reasons that the wayside signals were also displayed inside the cabs so the engineer could clearly see what it was showing to them. Today’s modern electric and diesels are much more comfortable to run and have great visibility as well as the latest controls and can run just as fast or faster than the old GG-1’s.

[@binarydinosaurs]

I've been a fan of the GG1 ever since I discovered them decades ago,, do preserved ones still run? I see you mention frame issues so I guess main line is out of the question?

[@Reaper1770]

Yeah unfortunately the frame issues mean that basically the cost to repair the frame outweighs just making a new one and at that point you're halfway to building a locomotive. The other issues is that the transformers and control gear had to be replaced or cut out

[@johnchambers8528]

The other main issue was the coolant used in the transformer was considered a hazardous material and could not be used in latter times.

[@Thesecret101-te1lm]

Great video! The design is really far out, especially before it got it's paint job.

[@Reaper1770]

I think the riveted body style just has so much character