# PRR E44 and Erie Builts...



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Here a couple new additions to my PRR family. Both were products of the locomotive plant in Erie, PA.

The top three pictures are of a Pennsylvania General Electric E44. They were heavy freight engines used on the PRR electric lines in the east. They survived through Penn Central and into Conrail before Conrail abandoned all their catenary on their various freight lines...

The second set of three pictures are of a Fairbanks Morse "Erie Built". They had that nickname as they were built for FM in the General Electric factory in Erie, Pennsylvania. This was before GE had their own line of large locomotives. They were primarily freight locomotives.

Both models are MTH products. Both were apparently display engines and have no miles on the odometer and a few minutes on the chronos, but covered with a bit of dust! I installed BCR2s in each locomotive. 

The pans on the E44 can be used to draw power, but they are strictly manual...no automatic operation like on their GG1s and other big electrics. It is a PS/2 3 volt controlled engine

The Erie builds are nice engines, but the A unit suffers from the fragile design of the MTH PRR radio phone antenna brackets. About 5 were broken off upon delivery. I repaired them using tiny dollops of epoxy. I wish they were made of brass like the Lionel brackets. The smoke works great on both the A and B units. They teather together and both are powered. This locomotive is also a PS/2 3volt controlled locomotive...

Tom


----------



## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

Very nice. :thumbsup: You are assembling quite a collection.


----------



## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

Nice engines, Tom. As I mentioned in another thread, I have the MTH E44. Great running engine. I do not have any Erie Builts. Beautiful engine. Enjoy your toys.


----------



## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

Good looking engines Tom. You can get brass stanchions from Precision Scale. Not sure if the new owner is taking orders yet. If you are able to download their catalog they are listed under "H" for handrail stanchions.

Here you go.

https://www.precisionscaleco.com

Pete


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The man is out of control!  You are trying to single handed keep the O-scale market in the black!


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The man is out of control!  You are trying to single handed keep the O-scale market in the black!


Well, the "used" market at least. I only have a few "new" engines. Hobby money was good this past week...lol!

I had bought some HO and OO stuff quite a while a go. I went though a long dry spell and now I am kind of making up for it... 

Honestly, I know many of you guys have or have had many of the same engines I have purchased and posted about. It is all new to me, so I may post about stuff that is "old hat" to you more experienced guys. I appreciate the interest you all show in my new ventures. Thanks!

Pat, Thanks for the kind words. I wanted to post about both engines here as they were both products of Erie, PA. 

Pete, thanks for the lead about the stanchions. I replaced a set on a MTH F3 recently and they look so darn high, even though they were for EMD engines.

Tom


----------



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

RPR is well on it's way to being the _Standard of the World _ again.

at least at Tom's house!


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

cole226 said:


> RPR is well on it's way to being the _Standard of the World _ again.
> 
> at least at Tom's house!


I just need to build the PRR New York Division in my basement now! Lol

Tom


----------



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

Krieglok said:


> I just need to build the PRR New York Division in my basement now! Lol
> 
> Tom


That's called selective compression Tom. :hah::cheeky4::cheeky4:


_your enjoying yourself, that's the main thing._


----------



## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

Very nice locos Tom, but I really like that E44.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Randy, there will be a lot of compression going on when I build my layout!

Thanks Denny. The E44 has that boxy look we all love! They used to run two or three together on the bigger freights. That must have been impressive to see.

Tom


----------



## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I saw it on MTH website. The price wasn't bad. If I go to York this October, I'll look around for one. Maybe Gryzboski's, Charlies Ro, Nicholas Trains or Train World will have one.


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

I had seen E33s made by MTH, but I didn't know they made an E44 until I saw one up for auction. They don't seem to common, especially in the used market. Nicholas Smith does have a PS/3 version in Conrail paint though...

http://www.nicholassmithtrains.com/...-ELECTRIC/CONRAIL-E44-#4426-W-PS3/MTH2056841/

Tom


----------



## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I saw that and the price.


----------



## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

Although there are PRR models of E33s, the PRR only had E44s - a higher hp version of the E33.

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

PatKn said:


> Although there are PRR models of E33s, the PRR only had E44s - a higher hp version of the E33.
> 
> Pat
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


The E33s were from the New Haven right? I have seen them in PC black I suppose because the PC absorbed the New Haven...

Tom


----------



## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

E33's were ordered by Virginian to augment their fleet in VA, but were retired at the NW takeover because the line was one-wayed to increase capacity. They were sold to NH, which was low on money, and needed new motive power. They developed 3300hp, and were absorbed by PC and later CR.

E44's were designed to replace the P5, P5a, P5b, delivered around 1963. They were 4400 hp, and later upgraded to 5000 by conversion of the rectifier. They were ordered by PRR, also operated by PC and CR, as well as a few for MoW at Amtrak - the last preserved E44 was in Amtrak MoW silver for a while, but is now in PRR colors. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

Okay I want a E44. I like the look of it a lot.


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Pat, I didn't know that the NH E33s were ex-Virginian RR. Interesting! We had a few E44s here at NJT when I first hired out. As far as I know, they never turned a wheel for NJT. 

Denny, I thought I saw the PRR version E44 at the Nicholas Smith site, but now I can't find it. They do have the Conrail version though...

Tom


----------



## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I saw the Conrail. I like the price too. I looked on Just trains of Delaware and they only have a Conrail too about the same price.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

PatKn said:


> Although there are PRR models of E33s, the PRR only had E44s - a higher hp version of the E33.


A fake? Time to toss my NTH PRR E33!


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> A fake? Time to toss my NTH PRR E33!


That or paint it in PC black!

Tom


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Maybe I'll just keep it and pretend it's an E44.


----------



## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I remember when the E33's first came to the New Haven Railroad in 1963.

I was a kid, 13 years old, living in East Norwalk, just across the river from South Norwalk. The New Haven line was visible from the windows of our house.

One weekend I bought a ticket, took a ride to New Haven (nobody cared if a 13-year-old bought a ticket and rode the train on his own back then), and walked over to the shops there.

They had a few of the E33's around, one in the paint room, and one still in "Virginian" colors (I think that one was used for parts and never got painted). I was able to go up and climb around on it, went into the cab and looked around. Nobody else _-in-_ the shop in those days to chase a kid away.

Can't do things like that any more!


----------



## Krieglok (Sep 7, 2013)

Ahh....the good old days before lawyers ran the show! 

Nice recollection. It must have been pretty interesting to see a Virginian locomotive so far north! The New Haven paid somewhere around $300k for the whole fleet from the N&W.


----------

