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RE: (erielack) EL U-boats

Bill K. wrote:

> GE.  I forget which (of U33 or U36) but three were then 
> rebuilt by GE as cabless remote control units of some sort 
> that were shipped to China.

It was a trio of U33C's - I remember 3307 was one of them, can't remember
the other two. They had their cabs removed and replaced with a hood piece
(kinda reminded me of how EL converted the B65 and B66 slugs), and were
painted solid black (probably not a bad idea since they were to be used at a
mine in China!)


> Was it the ELHS who got GE to 
> let them restore the EL lettering on one for photos before it 
> was cut up/rebuilt?  In any case, current status of those 
> three is unknown.  But I want to say they were from the N&W 
> financed group.

Yes, it was the ELHS. I think it was the 3318 that had its paint touched up
for a convention. It was scrapped about 2 weeks later. 

> EL stopped paying on the lease on the C425's, which is why 
> they didn't go to Conrail.  The leaseholder (seems like it 
> was a bank on these) reposessed them and cut a deal with BCR 
> instead - not sure if BCR bought them outright or leased to 
> buy, though (DMV might have an answer for this?).  But they 
> worked their way west to Canada just before Conrail.

It was a bank who leased the C425s. The units made their way west in March
of 1976 (I have a photo in my collection of a quartet of them leading a BN
train across a bridge in Washington!) I'm fairly certain BCR bought them
outright.

Odd fact: The #2457 was repainted into a clean coat of EL GMY just DAYS
before it was shipped west! If it's going out, it's going out in style!

	- Paul

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