Prototype Equipment

By 1975, Erie Lackawanna's locomotive fleet had been modernized, with the replacement of many of the first-generation diesels by second-generation four-axle and high-horsepower six-axle power. The Alco FA-1s were gone, as were most FTs, and the Trainmasters. The EMD GP-35s, General Electric U-25Bs, and Alco C-424/5s had been added, and the SD-variants and GE U-33Cs and U-36Cs were handling the high-priority traffic. Interestingly, though, most of the Alco RS-2/3s were still in service, and switching duties were still handled by the Alco S-2/4s and EMD SWs and NWs.

Photos, equipment acquisitions and disposition lists, and discussions of locomotive features are thoroughly documented on George Elwood's site. A direct link to his locomotive pages is below:  
George Elwood's EL Locomotive pages

Rolling stock was also in transition in 1975. 40-foot boxcars were nearly obsolete, 50-foot and longer cars were typical. 60-foot boxcars were being introduced, and 100-ton capacities were common. TOFC (trailer-on-flatcar) was growing quickly, and COFC (container-on-flatcar) traffic could be found more and more frequently. The open autorack on flatcar was still in use, although installation of sideshields in response to the rise of vandalism had begun.

Still, in some ways the EL was stuck in the 1950s: they still used mainly solid-bearing trucks, and the largest coal hoppers were 70-ton capacity. Cabooses ranged from modern steel bay-window road units to older Keyser Valleys Shops-built hacks constructed on recycled tender underframes.

As with the locomotives, George Elwood's site has a comprehensive summary of the EL's rolling stock, including photos:
George Elwood's EL Freight Equipment pages

Inter-city Passenger service had been discontinued on the Scranton Division in 1970, although there was still a significant commuter operation in northern New Jersey, and a small commuter operation (two trains, I believe) from Youngstown to Cleveland.
George Elwood's Passenger Train and Equipment pages

Model Equipment

Commercially-available HO Scale locomotives and rolling stock have become very reliable over the last several years, and many EL-prototype locos have been released that are well detailed and very smooth, strong-running models. We've benefitted from enhanced manufacturer awareness of detail variations between railroads and their willingness to supply models that include these variations -- while simultaneously providing the models as ready-to-run units with minimal modeller preparation required! The most recent example is Athearn's production of the SD45-2 with the oversize fuel tank, an EL-only detail. Perhaps there's hope for an EL version of the SDP-45!

The following list of models currently and previously available is not meant to be a comprehensive review, but to show the depth of models out there now. Modelling the variety of equipment running in 1975 is getting easier every day!


Erie Lackawanna locomotive models:

Kato SD-45
Kato GP-35
Athearn Genesis SD45-2
Athearn Genesis F-3, F-7, F-9 both A and B units
Athearn PA-1
Atlas U-33C
Atlas C-424/5
Atlas/Kato RS-3
Atlas/Kato GP-7
Atlas/Kato C-424 and C-425
Atlas/Kato S-2 and S-4
Stewart U-25B
Stewart F-3 A and B
Proto 2000 GP-7 with Torpedo Tubes
Proto 2000 SW-9
Proto 2000 PA-1
Proto 2000 E-8 (Lackawanna, but easily relettered)


Other equipment relevant to the Scranton Division model:

Central of New Jersey SD-35 by Altas
Reading Baldwin VO-1000 by Stewart
Reading SD-45 by Kato
EL/New Jersey Transit U-34CH by Atlas


Caboose availability has been improving, but with the exception of the bay-window road caboose, most available models are brass. The recent Athearn EL bay-window caboose is nice, but to get the more unusual cupola-style cabooses (cabeese?) one must go brass. Overland recently imported the transfer caboose, and has historically produced the steel cupola caboose, the "Keyser Valley" caboose, and the bay-window caboose. Railworks also did the "Keyser Valley" caboose, in several versions, including the modernized version appropriate for 1975.


Rolling stock offerings have been steadily improving as well. The rise in popularity of detailed, ready-to-run models makes modeling 1970s-era railroads much easier! The recent offerings of 50-foot and larger cars help flesh out the roster, and AccuRail's open autoracks filled a huge gap for the 1970s. Newer models of TOFC equipment show promise, and manufacturers in general seem to be placing a greater emphasis on accuracy of paint schemes. Several manufacturers have been working with ELHS members to ensure accurate schemes. It's a good time to be modelling the 1970s!