Precision National's Lease Fleet


Precision Engineering Co., a long-time manufacturing company, entered the locomotive leasing and rebuilding business in 1963. Precision's timing was excellent; the demand for new locomotives and/or reliable used horsepower was increasing steadily. While the newcomer had an admitted preference for locomotives driven by the EMD's dependable 16V-567 engine, it was not adverse to augmenting its lease fleet with Alco and Baldwin cast-offs at bargain prices (some of which were pressed into service without "PECO" stencils). Firmly establish as an industry leader, PECo changed its name in 1970 to Precision National Corp (PNCX).

Several trackside observers had taken note of the second-hand locomotive market's strength, as well PNC's succes. By the close of the 1980s, competition stiffened, and it began to undermine significantly PNC's industry position. One possible reason for the decline --the PNC lease fleet consisted mostly of first-generation power, while the competition offered mainly second-generation locomotives. Consequently, the Mt. Vernon, Illinois-based PNC declared bankruptcy in early 1997 and closed its doors.

PNCX F7A #717 at Greenville, PA on 21 April 1971 (R. Craig photo)

PECo RS27 #900 at Toronto, Ontario on 15 June 1971 (D.W. Hately**)

PECo FA-1m #89A at E. Peoria, Illinois on 19 October 1969 (Photographer unknown/R. Craig collection)

PNCX 1852 at Clyde, Illinois in April 1980 (Chuck Zeiler photo)


* * * Locomotive Roster * * *

Model (& Bldr) Road Nmbr Color Scheme Bldr date Previous Owner & Note
* * * Road Power (by Builder & Model) * * *
Alco - American Locomotive Works
FA-1m 83C MKT dip red 1948 MKT 83C (re-engined with EMD V16-567)
89A MKT dip red 1949 MKT 89A (re-engined with EMD V16-567)
RS2 / RS3 110 PNC green/yellow 1950 RS3; CofG 110
4001 PNC green/yellow 1940 RS2; BN 4001 < nee SP&S 61
RS27 900 PNC dip black 1962 Alco Products 900
901 PNC dip black 1962 Alco Products 901
BLW - Baldwin Locomotive Works
AS-416 1616 PNC yellow 1955 Norfolk Southern (original) 1616
EMD - Electro-Motive Division/GMC
F3A 64C & 65C PNC yellow 1947 Sold to C&NW ; ex-MKT 64A & 64C < nee MKT 201A & 201C
65A & 65C PNC yellow 1947 Sold to C&NW ; ex-MKT 65A & 65C < nee MKT 202A & 202C
66A & 67A PNC yellow 1947 Sold to C&NW ; ex-MKT 66A & 67A < nee MKT 203A & 204A
68C PNC yellow 1947 Sold to C&NW ; ex-MKT 68C < nee MKT 205C
F7A 70C & 72A PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 255 & 253; ex-MKT 70C & 72A < nee MKT 228C & 209A
73C & 74C PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 230(2nd) & 253; ex-MKT 73C & 74C < nee MKT 210C & 211C
75A PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 237; ex-MKT 75A < nee MKT 226A
76A & 76C PNC yellow 1949; 1947 Sold to C&NW 251 & 259; ex-MKT 73C & 74C < nee MKT 227A & 227C
77C PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 247; ex-MKT 77C < nee MKT 229C
FP7 78A PNC yellow 1952 Sold to C&NW 231(2nd); ex-MKT 78A < nee MKT 121A
79A & 79C PNC yellow 1949; 1947 Sold to C&NW 246 & 258; ex-MKT 79A & 79C < nee MKT 122A & 122C
F3A 503-505 PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 234-236; ex-Frisco 503-505
507 & 508 PNC yellow 1949 Sold to C&NW 238 & 239; ex-Frisco 507 & 508
Several yet unidentified F-units from FEC
F7A 634 GN sky blue 1952 Ex-BN 634 < GN 311C
716 & 717 + PNC yellow 1953 Ex-B&LE 716 & 717 + ten other unidentified B&LE F-units (A/Bs)
6370 + PNC yellow 1951 Sold to C&NW 254; ex-SP 6370
Several yet unidentified F-units from SP
GP7 100 & 117 QNSL gray & PNC G/Y 1953 Built in Canada; QNSL 100 & 117
125 UP harbor mist & armour yellow 1953 UP 125
434 PNC green/yellow 1950 CRI&P 434
460 PNC dip green 1951 L&N 460
531, 37, 39 & 45 Frisco orange/white

Dip Green (#539)

1950, 1951 Frisco 531, 37, 39 & 45
562 green/yellow 1951 Frisco 562
570, 576 & 599 Frisco orange/white 1951 Frisco 570, 576 & 599
610, 621 Frisco orange/white 1952 Frisco 610, 621
969-971 PNC green/yellow 1953 DT&I 969-971
1500-1502 PNC green/yellow 1951; 1950 BN 1529; Frisco 527 & 541
1503 & 1504 PNC green/yellow 1950, 1952 Frisco; Frisco 538 & N&W 3471
1505-1507 FEC blue 1952 FEC 607, 613 & 616
1508 & 1509 PNC green/yellow 1950, 1953 FEC 607, 613 & 616
4201 & 4202 PNC green/yellow 1950 CRI&P 4201 & 4202
4204, 4206 & 4207 PNC green/yellow 1952 CRI&P 4204, 4206 & 4207
GP8 1750 IT green/yellow 1952 N&W 3475
GP9 136 & 172 PNC green/yellow 1955, 1957 Built in Canada; QNSL 137 & 172
176, 206 & 208 PNC green/yellow 1954 UP 176, 206 & 208
980 DT&I orange 1955 DT&I 980
1701-1703 PNC green/yellow 1951 C&O 5918, 6019 & 6075
1704 (2nd) PNC green/yellow 1956 Built in Canada; QNSL 158
1706 PNC green/yellow 1957 C&O 6229
1720 PNC green/yellow 1954 UP 172
1750 IT green/yellow 1952 N&W 3475
3403 & 3445 PNC green/yellow 1954, 1955 SP 3403 & 3445
GP10 3419 & 3634 PNC green/yellow 1954, 1957 SP 3419 & 3634
GP35m 2000 & 6528 PNC green/yellow 1964 SP 6548 & 6528
SD18m 1800-1801 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6300 & 6301
1802 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6302
1807 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6307
1828-1830 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6328-6330
1833-1835 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6333-6335
1840, 1843-1845 PNC green 1959 Built from Southern 6340, 6343-6345
1848 & 1849 PNC green 1959 Built from Union Pacific 407 & 416
1850-1852 PNC green 1959 Built from Union Pacific 418, 421 & 427
SD24 6300-6302 & 6304 SR tuxedo 1959 Sou 6300-6302 &6304
6306-6309 & 6311 SR tuxedo 1959-60 Sou 6306-6309 & 6311
6312-14, 16 & 17 SR tuxedo 1960 Sou 6312-6314, 6316 & 6317
6319, 20, 23 & 25-26 SR tuxedo 1960 Sou 6319, 20, 23 & 25-26
6327-6334 SR tuxedo 1959 Sou 6327-34
6335-6347 SR tuxedo 1960 Sou 6335-6347
SD40 / SD40-2 3011 PNC green/yellow 1966 SR
3012 PNC dip blue 1978 SD40-2; SP 8317
3013 PNC dip gray 1966 UP 3013
3021 & 3026 PNC dip gray 1968 UP 3021 & 3026
SD45 9128 PNC dip gray 1969 SP 9128
FM - Fairbanks-Morse
H16-66 1677 CNW green/yellow 1954 C&NW 1677
1699 CNW green/yellow 1955 C&NW 1699
* * * Yard Engines * * *
Alco - American Locomotive Works
S4 139 Mon. Con. blue/yellow 1949 Monongahela Connecting 139
155 Mon. Con. blue/yellow 1949 Monongahela Connecting 155
410 BRC black/gray 1950 Belt Railway of Chicago 410
BLW - Baldwin Locomotive Works
DS44-1000 2280, 2283 & 2287 ATSF blue/yellow 1949 ATSF 2280, 2283 & 2287
EMD - Electro-Motive Division/GMC
NW2 1001 & 1012 PNC green/yellow 1946, 1949 C&O 5288 (PM 63) & B&O 9515
1011 & 1016 PNC green/yellow 1948, 1949 T&P/MP 1011 & 1016
1029 PNC green/yellow 1942 UP 1029
8706, 8711 & 8714 P&LE black 1947 P&LE 8706, 8711 & 8714
SW8 1112, 1114 & 1117 PNC green/yellow 1953 SP 6548 & 6528
1119 SP - scarlet & gray 1953 SP 1119
GE - General Electric
23-Tonner 300 PNC yellow -- --
* * * Notes & credits * * *

Color Scheme Coding

  • ATSF - blue & yellow
  • DT&I - orange
  • Frisco - orange & white
  • FEC - dark blue
  • GN SB - sky blue IT - green & yellow
  • MKT - dip red
  • PNC Black - dip black
  • PNC Blue - dip blue
  • PNC G - dip green
  • PNC Gray - dip gray
  • PNC G/Y - green & yellow
  • PNC G/Y - green & yellow
  • SP - scarlet & gray

Sources:

Major C&NW contribution / additions provided by Ralph Bach and Matt Fischer.

  • C&NW Motive Power Summary (pages 18-19)
  • Extra 2200 South Locomotive Newsletter (issue #62 -- Oct./Nov./Dec 1977)
  • EMD Order Numbers at TrainWeb.com
  • RRPicturesArchives.net

Formatted by R. Craig on 10 April 2020 (revised 3 August 2022)

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