General Electric U34CH

32 units built 1970-1973

(EL 3351-3382) (CR/NJT 4151-4182)

1 unit rebuilt from CNW U30C in 1978

(MTA/MNCR 4183)

The Erie Lackwanna Years 1970-1976

The General Electric U34CH is a 3600 hp (3430 hp for traction) passenger diesel locomotive. The 32 initial locomotives numbered 3351-3382, were built by GE for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and operated by the Erie Lackawanna Railroad with push pull equipment constructed by Pullman Standard later referred to by NJTransit as Comet I's to replace EMD E8's, Alco RS-3's, Stillwell and Boonton (Wyat Earp) coaches in suburban commuter service out of Hoboken, New Jersey. The U34CH preceeded the U36C in GE's catalog. The U34CH was the first GE locomotive to use steel crowned pistons to develop 3600 hp and was the first entire class of commuter locomotives with shaft driven HEP(Head end power for passenger car lighting and climate control). It was this shaft driven HEP that used 170hp and made only 3430hp available for traction. To show their NJDOT ownership, the U34CH's were painted in a dark blue and silver paint scheme and were often called "Bluebirds" by rail enthusiasts. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) maintains the State Highway system in New Jersey. ... The Erie Lackawanna Railroad (AAR reporting mark EL) was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. ... The Pullman Palace Car Company, owned by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid to late 1800s through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. ... New Jersey Transit Arrow III at West Windsor, NJ Hudson-Bergen Light Rail vehicle at 2nd Street station New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) is a statewide public transportation system serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. ... E8 may mean: The E8 lie group in mathematics. ... RS-3 can refer to one of the following types of diesel locomotives: ALCO RS-3 MLW RS-3 This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ...

The Conrail Era1976-1982

On April 1, 1976, the Erie Lackawanna which had been bankrupt since 1972, was merged into Conrail. The U34CH's were assigned new numbers 4151-4182. Only one U34CH however would recieve Conrail lettering. 3351 was involved in a wreck in 1974 and was sent to the GE apparatus shop in Cleveland, Ohio to be rebuilt. It returned painted in a Bicentennial paint scheme with Conrail lettering and the number 1776. The Conrail lettering and number 1776 did not last long. On December 2, 1976 the Conrail lettering was removed and it recieved its intended number 4151. The 4151 remained in its Bicentennial paint until March, 1978 when it was repainted into an incorrect NJDOT paint scheme. The painters accidentally used the Erie Lackawanna hood unit masks, and thus the unit received a thinner silver stripe placed higher on the hood. The other U34CH's showed little change from their EL days and continued to operate on former EL lines out of Hoboken, New Jersey. They continued to wear their EL "Bluebird" paint scheme sans EL markings with their new numbers. In 1978 one final U34CH was built for the MTA, later Metro North Commuter Railroad as part of their commitment to Port Jervis service. The new U34CH numbered 4183 was rebuilt from a Chicago North Western U30C. It too was painted in the "Bluebird" paint scheme but with an MTA, later Metro North Commuter Railroad logo on its nose. The Erie Lackawanna Railroad (AAR reporting mark EL) was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. ... Conrail, officially known as the Consolidated Rail Corporation, is an American railroad company. ... Conrail, officially known as the Consolidated Rail Corporation, is an American railroad company. ... Conrail, officially known as the Consolidated Rail Corporation, is an American railroad company. ... MTA can refer to one of several subjects (with the most common referents emphasized): Transportation authorities The Metropolitan Transit Authority, a governmental or quasi-governmental body in each of several areas: Metropolitan Transit Authority, now the Maryland Transit Administration — Baltimore, Maryland Metropolitan Transit Authority (Boston), now the Massachusetts Bay Transportation...

U34CH 4164 is painted in NJTransit's "Disco Stripe" paint scheme at Suffern, NY 7/1991 (Photo by John Eric Durant)

NJTransit Takes Over 1983-1990

Conrail operated commuter service on behalf of NJDOT until January 1, 1983 when NJTransit took over all commuter rail operations in the State of New Jersey. The U34CH's having been owned by NJDOT were conveyed to NJTransit. Many of the U34CH's would remain in their "Bluebird" paint scheme with only a silver patch and NJTransit logo painted on their noses to indicate NJTransit ownership. Eight U34CH's, 4154, 4157, 4158, 4160, 4164, 4167, 4176, and 4178 were repainted into NJTransit's "Disco Stripe" scheme. The U34CH's continued to operate primarily on former EL lines out of Hoboken, New Jersey. New Jersey Transit Arrow III at West Windsor, NJ Hudson-Bergen Light Rail vehicle at 2nd Street station New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) is a statewide public transportation system serving the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

Transit Bandit!! U34CH 4180 recieved the silver paitch and NJT logo on its nose. Unfortunately with poor surface preparation, the silver paint did not hold up vey well and most of it would wear off. This is how many U34CH's appeared in their final years. The 4180 is seen at Waldwick, NJ 7/1994 (Photo by John Eric Durant)

The U34CH's Final Years and Disposition 1990-1996

By the 1990's the U34CH's were starting to show their age. Conrail's Juniata shops began rebuilding former CNJ EMD GP40P's (4100-4112) and nineteen EMD GP40's to be numbered NJT 4200-4218 into EMD GP40PH-2B's for NJTransit to replace the ailing U34CH's. During this time, one NJTransit GP40PH-2 numbered 4148 was involved in a wreck and was rebuilt by Conrail Juniata Shops as a GP40PH-2B numbered 4219. Metro North Commuter Railroad also recieved one GP40PH-2B (4190) to replace U34CH 4183. At this point the U34CH's were taken out of service as they suffered major mechanical failures. Two U34CH's 4154 and 4158 were leased to Septa and one unit, 4154 recieved Septa's blue diesel paint scheme. The U34CH's were retired from passenger service in August of 1994 and the United Railway Historical Society (URHS) ran a "Farewell to the U34CH" excursion. A few U34CH's were used on work trains until replaced by EMD GP40-2's (4300-4304) rebuilt from GP40's in Conrail's Juniata Locomotive Shop. Nine of the U34CH's (4154, 4155, 4159, 4161, 4165, 4169, 4170, 4174 and 4183) were scrapped. Nineteen U34CH's (4151, 4152, 4153, 4157, 4160, 4164, 4166, 4167, 4168, 4171, 4173, 4175, 4176, 4177, 4178, 4179, 4180, 4181, and 4182) were sold to Conrail and then sold to GEC Alstom and were shipped to Mexico. Of all the units shipped to Mexico, five U34CH's (4160, 4166, 4167, 4176 and 4180 renumbered A243) are know to have been in operation, with one U34CH, 4167 being in service as late as 2003. However since the Mexican railroads have been privatized with many older locomotives being scrapped and replaced by new power, it is uncertain if any are still in service south of the border. Two U34CH's (4158 and 4162) were sold to Conrail and then sold to RMDI. They are reported to still be in Pittson, Pa. One U34CH (4156) was sold to Conrail and its whereabouts is unknown. One U34CH's (4163) whereabouts is unknown. One U34CH, 4172 was donated to the United Railway Historical Society (URHS). It is currently stored on the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway in Passaic, NJ. All U34CH's were off NJTransit property by 1996. alternate logo The Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, more commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines, or CNJ, was a regional railroad with beginnings in the 1830s that lasted until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail. ... A DM&E GP40 running long-hod forward. ... For the abbreviation SEPTA, see SEPTA. A septum, in general, is a wall separating two cavities or two spaces containing a less dense material. ... An HO scale (1:87) model of a GP40-2, painted as Chessie System GM50. ...

Sources

Hoboken Terminal, The Unnoficial NJTransit webpage: http://www.hobokenterminal.com George Elwood's Fallen Flags (EL page): http://gelwood.railfan.net/el/loco/u33c.html Conrail Cyclopedia: http://crcyc.railfan.net/

Diesel locomotives built by GE

Industrial and switch engines 60-ton boxcab, 100-ton boxcab, 600-hp centercab, 1000-hp centercab, DEY-2, EN-6, 25-ton, 35-ton, 43-ton, 44-ton, 45-ton, 50-ton, 60-ton, 65-ton, 70-ton, 80-ton, 95-ton, 100-ton, 110-ton, 125-ton, 126-ton, 128-ton, 1800-hp transfer, 2000-hp transfer, U6B Universal series: UD18, U18B, U23B, U25B, U28B, U30B, U33B, U36B, U23C, U25C, U28C, U30C, U33C, U36C, U50, U50C Passenger locomotives: U30CG, U34CH, P30CH, Genesis series (P40DC, P32AC-DM, P42DC) Dash-7 series: B23-7, B30-7, B30-7A, B36-7, C30-7, C30-7A, C36-7 Dash-8 series: B32-8, B32-8WH, B39-8, B40-8, B40-8P, B40-8W, C32-8, C39-8, C40-8, C40-8M, C40-8W, C44-8W Dash-9 series: C40-9, C40-9W, C44-9W AC series: AC4400CW, AC6000CW Evolution Series: ES40DC, ES44DC, ES44AC