PRR GG1 coming to Dearborn!

[GP30M4216]

Published: March 31, 2008 04:00 am

Ford Museum buys local locomotive

By Jake Palmateer
Staff Writer - The Daily Star


COOPERSTOWN JUNCTION, NY - One of two, rare electric locomotives that for years sat rusting along state Route 7 in the town of Milford is getting prepped for one last ride on the rails. A temporary building was erected last week around a GG-1 purchased from the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society by The Henry Ford, one of the nation's premier history and culture museums. The locomotive is being cleaned of asbestos by contractors and will have its transformer removed, said Bruce Hodges, president of the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society.

"I think it's fantastic. I can't think of a better home to go to than the Ford Museum," Hodges said.

The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Mich., has the Rosa Parks bus, the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and Abraham Lincoln's chair from the Ford Theater among its collection. It also includes Greenfield Village, which has nearly a hundred buildings dating from the 1600s to the present, many of which are staffed with costumed interpreters.

The GG-1 purchased by The Henry Ford is one of 16 surviving examples of a locomotive class of the Pennsylvania Railroad that originally numbered 139 engines, said Christian Overland, vice president for museums and collections at The Henry Ford. Most of the GG-1s were sold for scrap, but the one purchased by The Henry Ford, PRR 4909, and a sister-engine that remains with the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, PRR 4917, are among the survivors. The nearly 80-foot-long locomotives weighing nearly 240 tons debuted in the mid-1930s at the apex of steam power and helped usher in a new era in railroad locomotives, Overland said.

That era lasted until the mid-1980s with the decommissioning of the last GG-1s, Overland said. "That's unheard of in the world of locomotives," Overland said.

The GG-1 will be restored to the deep burgundy with gold pinstripes the locomotive was originally painted with as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad fleet, he said.

GG-1s, which were powered by overhead high-voltage power lines, were built primarily for passenger service, but many were eventually used for freight hauling.

The museum will be displaying the locomotive indoors next to one of two surviving Alleghany steam locomotives as a part of its transportation exhibit, Overland said.

"Transportation is one of the things we do," Overland said. "Really our collections are based on everything about America."

The GG-1 will also serve as part of the museum's exhibit on designers. Raymond Loewy, who contributed to the design of the GG-1, was a well-known industrial designer, Overland said. His work includes corporate logos, including Exxon and Shell, the interior of the Concorde passenger jet, several models of locomotives and passenger cars and household appliances.

Overland said the museum is hoping to have the locomotive transported via rail to Michigan by June. But he said the restoration work could take several years and will be subject to successful fundraising campaigns.

The Henry Ford paid $15,000 for the GG-1, Hodges said.

The work on the locomotive is obvious to passers-by on Route 7 because it is occurring a short distance between the road and the CP Rail track. A large temporary building was erected to create a negative atmosphere during the asbestos-removal process, Hodges said. The locomotive's transformer will also be removed by a crane and that is why the GG-1 was moved to where it sits now, Hodges said.

"Their biggest concern is that they need clearance away from wires," Hodges said.

Mike Bissell, who lives directly across the street from where the GG-1 was moved, said he was pleased the locomotive will be going to The Henry Ford. But he said he was concerned about possible health risks associated with the removal of the asbestos and the transformer. The people who live in the area should have been notified of the work, even if the contractor has all the required permits, he said.

Hodges said he agreed that the people in the area should have been informed about what was going on at the site and notifying the neighbors was an oversight.

Amtrak is believed to have flushed out all the PCB-laden oil that surrounded the transformers when the locomotives were decommissioned, Hodges said.

"Since they are going to be putting this on exhibit inside that building, I think they are going to be extra careful," Hodges said.

The Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society had wanted to do the restoration itself, Hodges said.

"The money's just never been there," Hodges said.

But even though the society didn't have a hand in the actual restoration, Hodges said, he was pleased to know it had a role in saving the GG-1 from the scrap-heap by giving it a home for many years.

"We know that won't happen," Hodges said.

The remaining GG-1 in Cooperstown Junction is visible from Route 7 and there is a possibility that it too could be sold for preservation in the future, Hodges said.

http://www.thedailystar.com/local/local ... 40024.html

[John Ryan]

Here she be: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=229719

[MSchwiebert]

Hopefully they'll get a diesel or 2 as well, to complete the history lesson.

[RailCanon]

About 8 years ago, there was a blurb in trains magazine stating that one had been bought. Nice to see it's finally coming. It'll look awesome next to the 1601.

[TrainWatcher]

*Does a gig* I can't wait!!

[Racer]

*Does a gig*

Do you mean like "Giggety" from Quagmire on Family Guy? "He-he, Alright!"

[TrainWatcher]

Yes....

*Continues to Gig* The only problem I see is....

IT MUST BE PAINTED IN PENNSY GG1 EITHER RED OR GREEN WITH THE GOLD BAND!!! That would be proper.

*A thought....*

Can I get her sister?? *WINK* AL-Right!!!!

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Any updates on this

[j32885]

It's nice to see the locomotive finally coming to the Henry Ford Museum, but which railroad and what routes will it be coming over to get to Michigan?

[Big Frank]

Is it coming by rail or is it going to be trucked?

[ConrailDetr​oit]

As said in the article, its Supposed to come by rail probably up the Detroit line to the michigan line to Dearborn.

[i995impalass]

There was an artical one ofthe last issues of Trains, about a museum had too many goodies and a GG1 was coming to Michigan from Cooperstown Junction, NY PG 64 Oct/2008 Trains

[TrainNut90]

i can not belive the gg1 coming to michigan you must be jokin

[GreatLakesRailfan]

i can not belive the gg1 coming to michigan you must be jokin

Why can't you believe that? Because of the electrification that doesn't exist here?

There happens to be a GG1 at the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart. Hopefully the Henry Ford Museum can get their new unit restored quicker than the NNYCRRM will do much with theirs...

[TrainNut90]

i know gg1 on display at elkheart indiana but i never seen at michigan

[i995impalass]

i know gg1 on display at elkheart indiana but i never seen at michigan

I think that's what the thread is about, it's coming to Michigan to be put one display.......over

[TrainNut90]

what kind of town they will put it at michigan do you know

[~Z~]

what kind of town they will put it at michigan do you know

Wow...and the thread title is "PRR GG1 coming to Dearborn!"

Now, while it's going to Dearborn Michigan, my guess for "what kind of town" would be called a Suburb. Is that what you wanted answered, that Dearborn is a suburb?

[TrainNut90]

i like to see that

[J T]

what kind of town they will put it at michigan do you know