The East Penn Traction Club

Tom Piccirillo's Somerset County Traction System Photo Gallery

85-ton GE 8/19/2020

The latest motor to emerge from the shops of the O scale Somerset County Traction System is this 85 ton, 1600 hp GE unit that is quite similar to those on the South Shore Line. The model started out as a bare bones shell that someone had scratch-built and sold at a model flea market. The modeler was an excellent craftsman, but didn't take the model to completion. The SCTS shop superintendent drools over this kind of opportunity to add power to the railroad. The motor was rebuilt from the rail head up, including rebuilding the All-Nation spur gear drive transmissions, adding a new Holland motor, cleaning up the car body, adding rivet detail, roof top detail, handrails, decoder and stay-alive circuitry. Some spruce green paint and homemade decals finished the job. Photos by Tom Piccirillo

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