This week, the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey kicked off the next phase of its effort to restore former Erie Lackawanna and NJ Transit U34CH No. 3372. The locomotive was last used in the mid-1990s and was moved from Passaic, where it was stored for more than a decade, to the URHS restoration shop in Boonton last fall where the group hopes to restore the engine to operation.
The money raised during this phase will go toward stabilizing the exterior of the locomotive, including light metal work, paint removal and the application of a high-grade industrial primer in preparation for the new paint.
“Paint preparation is a big and labor intensive task, making it an ideal project for a large group of new volunteers who are looking to join the URHS team and have a hand in restoring the last surviving U34CH,” URHS President Larry Gross says.
While the cosmetic work takes place, mechanical work will begin inside the locomotive and the group is currently researching options to repair the electrical system in the most effective way possible. The group is also looking for anyone who is interested in volunteering on this project or any other.
Thirty-two U34CHs were built for the New Jersey Department of Transportation between 1970 and 1973 for use on the Erie Lackawanna’s commuter lines out of Hoboken. The locomotives were among the first General Electric units built exclusively for passenger service and some of the first locomotives to have head-end power, now standard on passenger engines. Because of the U34CH’s head-end power, the engines had a unique and constant roar, even when they were stationary.
“It was a revolutionary locomotive and it laid the ground work for the locomotives of today,” Gross says. “It’s unique and the only one in existence.”
The United Railroad Historical Society is a nonprofit organization governed by 15 New Jersey-based railroad preservation groups. The mission of the URHS is to build a railroad museum in the state of New Jersey to house its over 60-piece collection and to raise funds to restore and protect the collection until a permanent site can be acquired.
For more information or to send a donation, visit www.urhs.org.
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we have a 3 Comet I cars. 2 trailers and 1 cab car. its going to take us a while to get 3372 running due to traction motor wires being damaged and cut. 5 out 6 to be exact. But we are hoping to get 3372 fully running, its just going to take a little longer then we thought thanks to the vandals. But 3372 is home now and safe. were going to start on the body work and get some Est. to rebuild or repair/replace the traction motors. For more info go to.
http://urhs.org/blog/help-restore-u34ch-3372/
What is Project U-Boat?
Project U-Boat is the URHS’s effort to restore Erie Lackawanna 3372 to operation. The U34CH is a landmark in locomotive design, and it is a design that is entirely unique to the state of New Jersey. 3372 is the last servicable U34CH left in existence, and it is owned by the URHS of NJ. A recent review of the organization’s motive power revealed that 3372 is the locomotive closest to potential operation, and to make restoration a reality, the URHS needs your help!
HELP US RAISE 3372 DOLLARS!
Phase 2 of Project U-Boat will begin the locomotive’s cosmetic restoration to protect it from the elements. This includes minor body work, light metal repairs, and a new coat of primer. $3372 will cover the costs of all supplies needed as well as several gallons of one of the best industrial primers available. We will be giving the U-Boat a paint job that will last for years!
Do you like get getting your hands dirty? Come volunteer with the URHS and help us restore 3372! If you are interested, click the link below and let us know. There is no commitment and no skills are required to help the URHS restore a piece of history !
About the U34CH:
The U34CH represented a landmark in passenger train operation. It is truly the “last of the first of its kind.” During the late 60’s and early 70’s, passenger trains were nearing the end of an era. Aging equipment, heated by steam, could not stand up to the demands of changing technology. Across the country, these older cars were being replaced with newer, electrically lit and heated cars, powered by car-mounted generators or individual power cars. At that same time, the Erie Lackwanna was dealing with an ever aging fleet of coaches and MU’s that dated back to the late teens and twenties. When the NJ Department of Transportation took over passenger service, they used an ingenious new idea to modernize the fleet.
The result was an order of new “Comet I” coaches from Pullman-Standard, and 32 U34CH locomotives from General Electric Co. This was the first time in the evolution of modern passenger equipment that locomotives and cars were ordered together to work in tandem. The new coaches would be powered by electricity delivered from a new type of generator in the U34CH. The drive shaft from the locomotive’s 16 cylinder motor would go entirely through its main generator, which powered its 6 traction motors, and go into a generator used exclusively for powering the train. This meant that, to power the cars, the engine always ran at a full 960 rpm, the equivalent of full power. This made for a locomotive that was not only powerful and efficient, but exceptionally distinctive, characterized by its consistent roar both stopped at stations and at speed.
The U34CH, and its corresponding passenger car fleet, pioneered “push-pull” operation of trains in New Jersey. Today, all commuter trains in NJ run in this manner. The U-boats represented the turning point in New Jersey railroad history, as they bridged the gap between the first generation diesels from the pre-Conrail era and the modern head end powered passenger equipment of today. The story of New Jersey railroading would not be complete without including the U34CH, which is why the URHS finds it imperative to save the last one in existence.
The URHS knows the U34CH has a dedicated following of railroad enthusiasts who remember seeing these locomotives first-hand. This is why we have called upon you to help us. Many have asked the URHS why this locomotive has not been restored and this is your chance to help make that happen! Please donate whatever you can to help 3372. It has been said that “many hands make light work” and if many contribute what they can, the U-Boat fan-base can make quick work of seeing 3372 in action!
The URHS sincerely thanks you for your support.
If you prefer donations by mail, they can be sent to our Boonton Yard office at:
United Railroad Historical Society of NJ Inc.
104 Morris Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005-1314
C/O Project U-Boat
You can also reach our office phone at (862) 345-6642
The URHS is a 501(c)(3) not for profit educational organization
Thanks to every one that has supported this project from day one to it getting Moved home and all the future support. With out your support we could not do this with out you helping and also thanks to Trains.com for following our progress and continued support.
Thanks,
Larry Gross
President
United Railroad Historical Society of NJ Inc.
104 Morris Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005-1314
http://www.urhs.org
URHS also has a pair of low-door Comet Is that match the U34CH. It would probably not be very difficult to replicate a 1970s/80s NJDOT commuter train, and I hope to see the 3372 screaming out of Hoboken again before too long.