SPOTLIGHT: GE U14C 916

 

Locomotive 916 (General Electric 41850 of 1979) is a rather interesting locomotive, 
with an interesting history.

In my early years of researching Philippine diesel locomotives I was with the mystery of where 916 came from. In official GE listings (which many local fans chose to ignore), there was no 916 delivered to the Philippines. Everything suggested that units delivered were numbered 901-915 and 917-922. 

The gap in the numbers also was quite the mystery.

 In subsequent visits I was lucky enough to have meetings with 'Philippine National Railway' officials who had an interest in such things and went on to unravel these mysteries.

The mystery 916 begun life as the first 908, but during the course of operations it was involved in an incident that involved the killing of the son of an officer (I was told of military background).

Obviously being a bit deranged, the officer started to blame the locomotive (not uncommon there when peoples family are killed due to their illegally trespassing)  and would routinely throw things at it whenever it passed.

This eventually escalated up to the use of a grenade, which meant something had to be done. This something would lead to the renumbering of 908 as 916.

With the second series of U15C locomotives being delivered after this renumbering, we are also given the reasoning for the 916 delivery gap. It would be safe to bet that the last delivery would have otherwise been 916-921.

Before moving on to some photos, it may be worth noting that U15C 904 was later renumbered 908. Presumably the officer was no longer a threat, however I have not yet found out why this numbering took place.

916 graced the third version of our 'Philippine National Railways: Fleet Update' which is compiled occasionally for the benefit of PRHS members.

They are free for download here.

1999: Back where it all began.

After a meeting with then PNR employee Edward Manapol, I was granted permission to have a look around Tutuban/Tayuman yard for my first ever time.

As luck would have it, both 916, and the second 908, were in attendance on the day.

Photo: Brad Peadon

916 sitting just outside the Tayuman locomotive shed in Manila. At the time she was still wearing her gold PNR disk and nose stripping.

The gold whiskers would later become red, while she will soon be in the Magno-era orange following her current rebuild at DESCO.

Photo: Reynante Bulaon

916 sitting in the soon to be redeveloped Caloocan Railway Workshop.

Photos: Brad Peadon

916 with a couple of flats at 10th Avenue.

Photo: Mark Chua

-------------------------------------------------------------------

These images are all detail shots I took in Lucena (Quezon, Philippines) back during a trip in 2009.

The detail shots were for a planned modelling project, one that has not progress much in the fourteen years since :-)

Photos: Brad Peadon

The next stage of her existence will soon commence, with DESCO currently rebuilding her. It is expected she will come out in the current orange livery.

PNR 900 Class Appreciation Group

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

Thank you:

Mark Chua, Reynante Bulaon & Tramway John Coyle

--------------------------------------------------

Check out the Facebook page of

'Phil-Hist Investments'.

A heritage partner of the Philippine Railway Historical Society. 

Celebrating 20 Great Years

Of The PRHS.

Another look at PNR's heavy haulers, the 900 class.
Both a beautiful looking locomotive, and an amazingly reliable one given the conditions they sometimes find themselves in.

919 thought to be the last operational locomotive to wear the 'Philippine 2000' livery.

My first visit to one of my favourite locations.
Tayuman Locomotive Shed.
921 and 916 still exist and are operational. The later was originally numbered 908.
904 would later carry the 908 number.

917 at the original Alabang station.
It was later replaced by a new station on the other side of the level crossing just visible in the background.
Ones asawa, and her cousin, are seen standing in the middle of the perway.

~~ HISTORY REDISCOVERED ~~

G'day one and all.

Last weekend I started a extensive cleanup/downsizing of the railway collection in preparation for a pending move of residence. Have also collated all the records of the RIHSPI(ANZ) for disposal as parted of a long drawn out process to wind up everything officially.

In one box I found a number of long misplaced shots that I have been looking for. Their disappearance leaving a big gap in my early photography of the Philippine railways.

Below are a few shots from this collection that may interest.

Ooooh so much has changed.

2532 had the distinction of being the very last in the reverse version of green and yellow.

Her days are certainly numbered in this shot at Caloocan Workshops.

2509 also had seen better days by the time I came across her. Wearing the more standard green/yellow scheme, this bunch of scrapping wiped out all but one wearing these colours, the survivor still exists to this day.

921 (919 at other end) is seen at Tayuman station. They were being used on the shorted Caloocan and Espana shuttle services. The early 2000s would see both the livery and these services end.

Argueably one of the better liveries worn by PNR diesels, the red with yellow lining was not a long survivor. Introduced around the time of the new 5000s, it was worn also by a few 2500 class and all surviving 900s.

At this time, only 5010 survives in the livery, but is stripped at Caloocan workshops and the first of her class considered beyond economical repair.

When I took this shot I had no idea it would lead to many years of trying to find out the history behind 916. No builders lists include her, no record of her having actually been delivered actually exists.

2007 finally revealed the answer we had been looking for. She was originally U14C 908 and had been renumbered after the killing of an army persons son. This sad occurance leading to revenge attacks on the locomotive whenever seen.

Interestingly enough this discover lead us to another, as yet unsolved, mystery of why there was still a 908. While we know the second one was 904, we are not sure how she came to be renumbered. Yet....

The second 908 (originally 904) during her final moments of life. She would soon go to Caloocan, where she would sit of many years, slowly being robbed of parts, until her rotten carcus was finally scrapped in 2009.

Another photo I have clearly shows here U15C Phase One origin, with the large radiator grill at the end of the long hood. The original 908 had the smaller grills associated with the U14C and Phase 2 U15C of Philippine National Railways.


These were indeed great times to be a fan of the Philippine National Railways.

Employees were friendly and the system so open to those with an interest. Sadly it is not so today and visitors to the main railway yard can be expected to be treated with suspicion by security guards - railfanning still appearing to be considered a highly unusual past time.

However much opportunity still exists to shoot modern railcars around Manila at the local stations, or a more friendly atmosphere down south in Naga. That alone makes the trip still worthwhile.

~~ NATIONAL LUCENA WEEK ~~

A second selection of shots from our 2009 photo survey of the railway yard in this lovely town.
If a regular railway service is again instituted in this busy place, one could think of no better a way than to spend a week around here photographing.

Hopefully PNR can see the need for, at the VERY least, an hourly service to replace some of the endless bus journeys that clog Philippine roads and make them more dangerous.

The need is obvious, but then again, obvious isn't always that obvious to those it should be obvious too.

Note: Views expressed here are solely those of the blog author and do not reflect the thoughts of the PRHS, the PNR (who the author loves), the local Lucena government, the Cub Scouts of Argentina or any railway interested prudes.

~~ LUCENA STATION AND YARD ~~

A PHOTOGRAPHIC THROSBY

PT1

Hello one, hello all, and welcome to part one in a series looking at Lucena station and yard in June 2009.
Yes I recently had the pleasure of visiting this lovely Luzon city and while there shot off around 300 photos of the local rail, scenery and hornbag related stuff.
One hopes you enjoy the selections spurted forth in coming days.

The platform of this remarkable looking little station!

Lucena Locoshed!

Yet another beautiful Pinay passes Lucena station!

Residents of the Lucena locoshed are bewildered by the railway interested Aussie.

More Lucena fun and excitment shortly.