GG1

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Amtrak GG-1 #915 leads train 430, the Washington section of the National Limited, eastbound at Manor, PA, just east of Columbia on May 11, 1978. With only 2 coaches, it was among the shortest of Amtrak's named trains. Rarely used (and later removed) Manor siding is in the foreground.
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CR 4851 conrail GG-1 at Washington borough Pennsylvania August 29,1976 west rolls through port interlocking passing the eastbound air operated switch to the Columbia port deposit branch the 4851 was built in June 1935
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Perusing through my book Milwaukee Road West (Wood & Wood, Superior Publishing Co., 1972), I have seen all sorts of combinations of pantographs up and down on the MLW's electrics.
 
Back in the 0's I bought an AHM model of a GG1 that I eventually traded it to a friend. Even though I don't model East Coast railroads, I wish I had hung on to it.
 
Looking at the series 1 photo of 4866, I did not know the Pennsy had a silver or white paint scheme. Was that a regular paint scheme or a one-off special?
 
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From the link:
I’m a musician (focus mainly on jazz) and I had no idea Count Basie was into trains. I knew Sinatra and Nat Cole were. Very cool picture.
This came from a page called Rare Jazz Photos
*Others I thought of after posting. Tommy Dorsey, Gerry Mulligan, Rod Stewart and Billy May (trumpet player and arranger for Glenn Miller). Mandy Patinkin too. And my god, I forgot about Neil Young!


I am into jazz and knew that Gerry Mulligan was into trains. I did not know about the others, including Count Basie. That does not surprise me as many of those big bands traveled by train. Some, like Basie's, had their own private cars due to the segregation of the era.

Off topic digression: Rod Stewart has a huge HO layout that he built himself. I see some Pennsy locos and passenger trainin the photos. Maybe he has a GG1 tucked away as well.


 
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I bought an HO scale AHM (Rivarossi) Pennsylvania GG1 back in the mid 70's that I later traded it to a friend for one of his model diesels. I regret that. I probably would never have run it on a layout, but it was a very nice looking model. I cannot remember if it was painted in the Tucson red passenger scheme (my favorite) or the Brunswick green freight scheme.

I have often thought that a railroad museum would be a nice addition to a home layout to display all those models you "had to get" but do not fit into your current operating scheme.
 
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I bought an HO scale AHM (Rivarossi) Pennsylvania GG1 back in the mid 70's that I later traded to a friend for one of his model diesels. I regret that. I probably would never have run it on a layout, but it was a very nice looking model. I cannot remember if it was painted in the Tucson red passenger scheme (my favorite) or the Brunswick green freight scheme.

I have often thought that a railroad museum would be a nice addition to a home layout to display all those models you "had to get" but do not fit into your current operating scheme.
I understand how you feel, I have a couple of Kato N scale GG1s and a Bachmann sound value GG1. but I focus on Lionel O, I just liked them!

The railroad museum is a great idea!

To me the GG1 is the 8th wonder of the world!
 
The GG1, like many of the streamlined passenger trains. steam engines, and diesels of their era, were designed by the best industrial designers of that era such as Otto Kuhler and Raymond Leowry. They blended art with function to create very beautiful pieces of machinery, which I believe is a large part of the appeal of the GG1. .


From the Wikipedia article:
The first designer for the GG1 project was industrial designer Donald Roscoe Dohner, who produced initial scale styling models, although the completed prototype looked somewhat different.[19][20] At some point, PRR hired famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy to "enhance the GG1's aesthetics."[12][19]

Although it was thought until 2009 that Loewy was solely responsible for the GG1's styling, Dohner is now understood to have contributed as well. (Dohner's GG1 designs influenced the modified P5as, which debuted before the GG1 — not, as was thought, the other way around.[20]) Loewy did claim that he recommended the use of a smooth, welded body instead of riveted one used in the prototype.[21] Loewy also added five gold pinstripes and a Brunswick green paint scheme.
[21]
 




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