PRR 7048
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7048 at the Horseshoe Curve in October 2011 | |||||||||
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The Pennsylvania Railroad 7048 is a preserved EMD GP9 diesel electric locomotive. It sits on static display at Horseshoe Curve near Altoona Pennsylvania.
History
In the 1950s, the Pennsylvania Railroad began to purchase EMD GP9 4 axle diesel locomotives. At the same time, other railroads were purchasing GP9s as well. The Pennsylvania Railroad operated their GP9s in a long hood forward style. This was different because other railroads were operating them in a cab forward design. For years the Pennsylvania Railroad GP9s ran in dark brunswick green. In the mid to late 1960s, the Pennsylvania Railroad began to paint out the "Pennsylvania" on their locomotives and were just adorning keystones with the letters "PRR" intertwined. In 1968, when the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad to form the Penn Central, the 7048 was repainted into Penn Central livery (black with "PC" worms and "Penn Central"). For the whole 8 years of Penn Central, GP9 #7048 was used as a freight train diesel. In 1976, the government created freight railroad, the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) assumed operations from the bankrupt Penn Central. (Penn Central had filed for bankruptcy in 1970.) In the Conrail years the diesel was painted in two schemes before retirement. One was Penn Central black with a white "CR" indicating Conrail and not Penn Central. The 7048 was also painted in Conrail's blue and white scheme with the white wheel on white rail logo.
Retirement
In 1986, when Pennsylvania Railroad class K4s 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive number 1361 was successfully persuaded by a Pennsylvania representative who convinced Conrail, to move the steam locomotive so it could be rebuilt to handle excursion trains. To fill the space where 1361 once occupied, Conrail decided to put a diesel there. They chose GP9 #7048, and before being sent to the curve, she was repainted into the Pennsylvania Railroad's dark brunswick green scheme with "Pennsylvania" on the sides and keystones as well.
Current location
The 7048 sits at the curve on a short piece of stationary track, protected by a 10 decimeter fence. The engine was given a fresh coat of paint in 2005.