PREORDER Rapido HO 43111 GE U36C DC CR 1776

The U34CH was the very first new American commuter diesel engine for a new era of commuter railroads. As private freight railroads divested themselves of passenger service, the remaining intercity passenger rail service went into Amtrak by 1971. Commuter operations ultimately became independent, run by states, cities, and regional authorities. In the early 1970’s, this often began with an agency helping to fund new equipment or maintenance for decrepit freight railroad service.


This was the case with U34CH, which were funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to operate on Erie Lackawanna Lines west of Hoboken, New Jersey. The first units arrived in 1970 alongside NJDOT funded Comet 1 cars, making for a completely new refresh of commuter service on these lines.


The U34CH were also the first shaft-driven HEP locomotive to be made. To do this, they were actually the first 3,600hp U36C models made (before any freight orders) and derived HEP from the prime mover driving an auxiliary alternator, leading to a nominal rating of 3,430hp. The true available horsepower at any moment depended on the total HEP load of the train being hauled. All GE U-series units have a large empty space in the hood behind the cab, on U34CH this was conveniently used to house the additional HEP equipment.


As delivered, units came in an appealing “bluebird” two-tone blue an silver scheme with EL heralds on the nose. On weekends, EL even borrowed them for freight service! As EL was folded into the Conrail merger, one wreck rebuild – 1776 – became a bicentennial unit initially with Conrail lettering. By 1983, Conrail fully exited commuter operations, and the equipment and service on the west of Hoboken lines transferred to NJ Transit.


Some U34CH kept Bluebird paint for the rest of their service career, while others received a silver nose with an NJ Transit Logo. Certain units got full NJT “disco stripe” repaints, a striking look on a U-boat. The fleet survived into the early 1990’s, making it the last complete operational U-series fleet in the United States. In the 2020’s, the United Railroad Historical Society revealed a fresh repaint of 3372, the only surviving unit, which the organization is working to completely restore.


U34CH Features:
Headlights and rear lights
Marker light (U34CH)
Lit numberboards
Walkway Lights
Step lights
Three-color class lights
Full traction motor casing details
Metal brake chain on engineer’s side
Detailed underbody piping and conduit
Separate grab irons
Rapido’s innovative dead straight metal side handrails with plastic stanchions
Detailed cab interior
Lighted control stand
Heavy, die-cast weight for heavy hauling
5-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels
Sound-equipped units feature ESU Loksound V5 decoders