MRL 377- ex-PC 6235?

If this is the wrong place to post let me know.

Looking up some info about MRL 377 rrpicturearchives says it is the former PC 6235 and was built in 8/1968.

The CNW roster on UtahRails.net says this SD45 was built in Jan 1968 retired 27 Aug 1986 by CNW and scrapped by St. Louis Auto Shredding.

I am guessing that MRL 377 is not PC 6235, but would anyone know what is its heritage?
http://utahrails.net/cnw/cnw09.php#6562-sd45
This photo appears to show some purple near the middle radiator fan.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=417566
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPi ... x?id=31378

hmmm..good catch!
I also have MRL 377 listed as PC 6235:

http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychao ... /index.htm

I probably got that from the same RRarchives source.

but there is a big problem with that!
because PC 6235 was a SD40..not a SD45,
and MRL 377 is clearly a SD45.
therefore, MRL 377 cant be PC 6235.

This page:

http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1/6 ... wPost.aspx

says MRL 377 was originally Atlantic coast Line 1031 and ended up a CSX unit before MRL.

that makes a lot more sense than the PC info..which is clearly wrong.

thanks,
Scot

hmmm..interesting!

turns out PC 6235 was a SD45 afterall..
somewhere my PRR/PC roster data is off for the SD40 and SD45 series..

PRR SD45s were 6200-6234, and became PC SD45's 6200-6234.

then I have PC SD40's (not SD45's) starting with PC 6221..
clearly some numbering conflicts there.

corrections are in order.
stay tuned.

thanks,
Scot

Ok..I fixed it.

http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychao ... /index.htm

Six SD45's were built for the PRR, but delivered to PC because the PC merger took place before the units were delivered, these were PC 6235-6239.

So..MRL 377 *could be* PC 6235 afterall!
or it could be the ACL unit..

now we need to determine the true heritage of MRL 377.

thanks,
Scot

Remember this picture though because there is some purple near the middle radiator fan.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=417566

ok, it looks pretty cocluusive to me..
multiple MRL sources say 377 was a ACL unit, not PC.
so im going to consider the PC data incorrect.

History lesson Time!!

The MRL purchased 10 SD45s from VMV Enterprises in March 1995. The numbers were as follows; 8905, 8907, 8910, 8918, 8924, 8925, 8929, 8936, 8940, & 8941, all ex. CSXT numbers. Only three were renumbered and painted MRL blue & black including 8907 changed to 377, 8910 to 378, and 8929 to 382. The VMV SD45s spent 10 years roaming the MRL in Helper sets, LM/ML power, lease units to other railroads like the BNSF & NS, and even made a stop over at the I&MRL before it's demise.

The first sign of trouble for these units came in 2001 when 8936 (along with many other I&MRL units) was sold to the IC&E. In February of this year four more units 8907 (now painted 377), 8910 (now 378), 8918, and 8940 were sold for parts to Progress Rail. Today only five remain, MRL 8905, MRL 8924, MRL 8925, MRL 382 (8929), and MRL 8941. I hope the MRL fat cutting stops for a while, I think the VMV SD45s are probably my favorite on the system.

Mr. MRL

from:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... ?3,1403223

The only problem with the ACL theory is that the ACL and Seaboard units originally has nose-lights..
and MRL 377 did not have a nose light.
the PC units came without nose lights.

but lights are easy to fill in.

so the ACL theory isnt 100% proven, but most MRL fan sources seem to agree on the ACL theory.

Scot

Thank you all for the information. I may come back if another SD45's history does not make sense.

A bit off topic, but no MRL forum exists. Is MRL retiring its SD45s because they are being replaced with SD70ACes or are the SD45s being retired due to mechanical problems?

International Day Against Homophobia

I posted a question about MRL 377 here:

http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/606 ... wPost.aspx

There are several sources that say 377 was the ACL SD45.
one source that says PC 6235 went to C&NW and was scrapped.
and only one source that says MRL 377 was PC 6235 (rrpicturearchives.net)

I have weighed the evidence, and concluded that the info that says MRL 377 was PC 6235 is incorrect..and I removed PC 6235 from the survivors list.

of course, this could also be wrong!
but unless something else comes up, im considering PC 6235 no longer with us.

Scot

Thank you for all your help.

Have you compared serial numbers?

uhaul wrote:Remember this picture though because there is some purple near the middle radiator fan.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=417566

Okay, but the ACL scheme when they were delivered was black with yellow stripes, they went to that about 1959. It could be argued that's some CSX blue I suppose, if it was repainted to that early CSX scheme with the blue upper cab, roof, and trucks.

I was on one of these former ACL units when it was in transit to M-K to be rebuilt for SP in/around 1994, and it was in the CSX solid grey scheme. (ironically, the ALCG that picked it up at Mountaintop to bring it to Gang Mills so it could go to Hornell, had a pair of CSX units for power that day).

Having looked at the shots of the MRL unit I would have to say with almost complete certainty that it was not a PC unit. There are some features which just don't add for it to have been a PC unit. The first thing was that the PC units were built with cab signals which required a box mounted on top of the battery boxes just forward of the cab on the engineers side. Because of this factory applied feature the grab irons on the side of the nose were moved from the normal position on the engineers side to the firemans side of the nose. The MRL 377 has the grabs on the engineers side. This is not to say that they could not have been moved, but this is extremely rare. Most often even if the cab signal box is removed the grabs are left on the firemans side, look up some pictures of some of the ex Conrail units still running and you'll see what I mean. Also there is no "scar" left on the engineers side of the nose from the removal of the cab signal equipment. The next thing that jumped out at me was that the 377 rides on Flexicoil trucks which have the low mounted brake cylinders (at least when built any way). However the PC units, including the ones built with the 6235 were built with the later design high mounted cylinder Flexicoils. Again it is not to say that the trucks could not have been swtiched, but you are looking at a VERY slim chance of that happening, especially when going from high mounts to low mounts. As a matter of fact I have never heard of this happening. Finally upon closer examination of some of the shots of the 377, I am pretty sure that there is a patch on the nose where the nose light would have been on a ACL/SCL unit. It isn't really apparent at first because of the nose striping, but if you look close, it's there. So with that in mind I am most definet that it is not the PC unit, as was since unearthed, and with the plate on the nose, and the low mounted brake cylinders (the ACL units had these) I think that ACL 1031 is the way to go.

Scooter