The New Haven RR Image Page -- Diesel Builder's Plates

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Diesel Builder's Plates

Back in the old days every steam, electric, or diesel locomotive had a metal builder's plate affixed to it by the manufacturer before it left the factory. The builder's plate presented the name of the manufacturer, the locomotive construction number, the construction date, and sometimes other data. Older builder's plates were heavy and quite ornamental. Today, some manufacturers use a plain adhesive decal instead. All items from the collection of Marc Frattasio.

Here we have an Alco-GE builder's plate from a New Haven S-2 (DEY-5) switcher. This builder's plate is made of cast steel and features heavy raised lettering. The builder's plates on some early New Haven S-1s and DL-109s were made of brass. Immediate postwar Alco-GE diesels such as PAs, FAs, FBs, S-1s, RS-1s, RS-2s, and RS-3s had similar builder's plates made of cast steel or cast iron that differed only in having a different style Alco logo on the left side. Note, I have a spare New Haven S-2 builder's plate that's available for trade for something from the New Haven of equal value that I do not already have. Hint, I can use one of the later style NHRR Alco-GE plates!

Here we have a Fairbanks-Morse builder's plate from an early New Haven H-16-44 (DERS-3) road-switcher. The New Haven's early FM H-16-44s and CPA-24-5 (C-Liner) locomotives were fitted with heavy cast brass builder's plates like the one shown above. The later New Haven FMs, such as the 1600 series H-16-44s and the P-12-42 Talgo power units were fitted with cheaper builder's plates made of stamped sheet steel.

All of the New Haven's Electro-Motive Division (GM - EMD) locomotives, the GP-9s, SW-1200s, and FL-9s, were fitted with this "hot dog" style builder's plate, which was made of stamped sheet metal. This builder's plate came off one of the New Haven's thirty GP-9 (DERS-4) units. Note, I have an extra builder's plate from a New Haven GP-9 that's available for trade for something from the New Haven that I haven't already got. Hint, I can use a builder's plate from an FL-9!

The New Haven's GE U-25B (DERS-7) locomotives were fitted with cast aluminum builder's plates such as the example shown above. The U-25Bs were the last locomotives purchased by the New Haven Railroad before it was absorbed by the Penn Central effective January 1st 1969.

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The NHRHTA web site is © 2002 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster.
For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.

THE IMAGE PAGE

Diesel Builder's Plates

PAST IMAGE PAGES

The NHRHTA web site is © 2002 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc. Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster. For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.

The NHRHTA web site is © 2002 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster.
For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.