Lionel pw-2340g

2340 GREEN FIVE STRIPE GG-1 - 1955 ONLY

 

The 2340 was available in 1955 only. It was available in tuscan as part of the congressional streamlined passenger set, and in green as part of the 2253W freight set. This green GG-1 was commonly referred to as 2340-25. The prototype GG-1 electrics on the Pennsylvania Railroad revolutionized expectations of motive power on the rails. It was designed to haul a twelve car passenger train at 100 miles an hour with fast acceleration and braking. A total of 57 engines were delivered between 1935 and 1943. Once in service, they were a shining example of efficiency. They outlasted everything else from its time - by far - through the Pennsylvania Central era and into the 1970's. Some even survived to join the fleets of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. The last GG-1 ran on October 29, 1983 on the New Jersey Transit. This engine was most definitely a premium offering. It came with two vertically mounted Pullmor motors, Magnetraction, coil-couplers on both ends, four PRR Keystone decals, headlights at both ends, two pantographs with seperately applied insulators, and a horn (requires a D cell battery for operation - not included). The stripes on this loco were applied with a rubber stamp using a paint with traces of real gold. Originals have variations in the color and intensity of the stripes as originally applied. The stripes have a grainy texture, which is a characteristic of the rubber stamping process. Further, the stripes could be relatively easily wiped off from handling. Many GG1's have lost most of their stripes, especially in the center, as it was common for people to pick up the item with one hand from the cab. Five stripe GG1's with intact original stripes are very difficult to find for the reasons metioned above. The stripes on many units have been counterfeited. However, the counterfeits are relatively easy to detect because of their non-grainy, fully uniform appearance. In an attempt to correct Lionel's mistake of using rubber-stamping, counterfeit stripes are typically made with silk-screening. This process makes the stripes look a lot bolder and without the graininess. Counterfeits are worth much less than units with original stripes. The bottom of the body around the pilot trucks typically is dinged up from the pilot hitting that area. This really is a tough engine to get your hands on!

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