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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) | |||
| 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
Sources: Major C&NW contribution / additions provided by Ralph Bach and Matt Fischer.
Formatted by R. Craig on 10 April 2020 (revised 3 August 2022) | ||||