The Pennsylvania RR’s venerable GG1 was easily the standard electric locomotive for its electrified lines. Between 1934 and 1943, Westinghouse built 15 and the railroad built 124 of them.
The fleet transitioned from the Pennsy to Penn Central and Conrail ownership. Both Amtrak and NJ Transit operated some of those GG1s. They continued in service until 1983, and 15 still survive in museums.
Opening the box
Obviously, the paint scheme really leaps out at you. Back in the Bicentennial era of the mid-1970s, American railroads offered up celebratory paint schemes that ranged from embarrassing to stylish art. In my mind, this paint scheme evokes the image of the Seaboard Coast Line’s salute to the American Revolution – a paint scheme that was my personal favorite from this celebration.
Conrail offered a diesel paint scheme vaguely similar, but the SCL scheme had the Seal of the United States and stars in the striping that Conrail’s diesel design lacked. Conrail also did a design for the GG1, but I’d have to say it wasn’t the public affairs department’s finest hour.
Physically, the heft of this O gauge model may surprise you. This isn’t a fancy plastic-shelled knock-off; this is old school. The shell is die-cast metal, ensuring a very firm grip on the rails.
I am always surprised by how smooth die-cast GG1 shells can be, and you can feel it with your fingertips.
Just like the real thing, the streamlined body doesn’t have the dramatic detail points that a steam locomotive or modern diesel might, but it has all the familiar GG1 reference points we expect.
These include cast-in nose doors with safety bars, headlights, and classification/number boards on the snout. There are jewels on both the front and sides of the number boards too. Of course, the famed Pennsylvania RR keystone herald is right below the headlight.
There are cast-in screens low, on the engineer’s side, and forward and side window openings. The side windows have safety bars to stop thrown rocks from hitting the engineer. The four side doors are full cast-in entrances and have metal add-on steps and handrails. Topside, you’ll find two pantographs, which can be raised or lowered “old-school” (with your fingers).
A key visual attraction is all the hardware on the frame. The wheel arrangement is a 2-C-C-2, which in steam locomotive terms would be a 4-6-6-4.
There are independent two-axle pilot trucks on each end. In the center are two independent three-axle trucks that are powered. The cast-in detail of the truck side frames is solid-looking and evokes the 1930s engineering standards of the Pennsy and Westinghouse.
The pilot trucks have steps, and on the face of the trucks are a number of cast-in elements that represent multiple-unit connections and brake lines.
The execution of the rather complex paint scheme was outstanding. The single gold stripe running along the side (and accent near the number board) was clean and crisp. The red and blue stripes were sharp, and the detail and quality of the Great Seal were perfect.
The four Pennsy keystone heralds (placed on the both noses and the sides)were well done.
RMT also offers a matching separate-sale N5c caboose with an elaborate Pennsy-style radio antenna. Caboose no. 1776 R-W-B is available for $131.95.
On the test track
This is a conventional-only locomotive. During testing, it proved to be a smooth-running electric that was very responsive to speed changes.
The GG1 has a low-speed average of 6.3 scale miles per hour and a high-speed average of 116.8 scale miles per hour.
Drawbar pull was 1 pound, 14 ounces, assisted, no doubt, by the heavy die-cast metal shell and traction tires!
I’d have to say this GG1 is remarkably quiet. I would occasionally hear a faint clicking sound, for example, when reversing, but it wasn’t especially distracting, and it was temporary. The noise of a few cars coupled behind the GG1 and rolling along will certainly mask it.
The headlight is directional (change directions, and the old forward light goes off and the new forward light comes on). Hit the horn/whistle button on your power supply, and you’ll get a surprise. The system launches into a short, digital rendition of God Bless America.
This feature is kind of cute.
When trains are running down the line, many paint schemes often get lost in a blur. However, the patriotic paint scheme of the GG1 really stands out, and the heavy use of white works a lot better than I would have thought.
This traditional size GG1 from Ready Made Trains by Aristo-Craft is a nice product that will look great as the red, white, and blue point of a train made up of the various patriotic cars that have been made over the years.
Products like this help keep the word “fun” in the hobby lexicon.
Price: $425.95 (no. RMT-99215-3)
Features: O-31 operation, die-cast metal construction, two can-style motors, operating couplers
