Date and Location Unknown Penn Central GG-1 No 4908 and Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 No 4898
Penn Central and Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1’s No 4908 and 4898, date and location unknown in a double head lash-up. GG-1 engines were the icon of the Pennsylvania Railroad electric powered routes through crowded and polluted eastern cities. They were designed to be run in either direction to avoid the time consuming task of turning engines around at the end of their routes, and, most importantly, not to belch toxic steam engine and diesel exhaust fumes in the crowded east.
Penn Central Railroad combined three legacy railroads into one in 1968–The Pennsylvania, The New York Central, and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroads. It was thought that this merger would save these once great railroads, but two years later Penn Central filed the for what was at the time the largest bankruptcy in U.S. History. Thus, three corporate rivals could not be saved. Given this history, the photograph was probably made between 1968 and 1976.
This image was likely taken on a large format camera, probably a 5×7 or 8×10 size. The original print quality is outstanding and will yield extremely high quality ink jet prints.
Image is a high resolution scan of an 11×14 print, therefore the original negative is unavailable for printing. An inkjet print will be provided from the digital file if ordered.
Ernest Robert’s collection of railroad photographs, on loan from his daughter, provides a rare opportunity for rail fans to purchase silver halide photographic prints from many of his large format negatives–some taken by him and others purchased from photographers and collectors. Other collection images requiring digital restoration will yield inkjet prints. Original prints in the collection have been copied digitally under rigorous lighting conditions providing inkjet prints of the highest possible quality.
See coloradoinblackandwhite.com in the coming weeks for many more Ernest Roberts Railroad Photography images.
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