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From: "Paul R DOT Tupaczewski" paultup AT comcast DOT net
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2011 11:41:02 -0500
Subject: The mystery of EL 6311
"6311_wrecked_nose-Bill_Weibel_coll.jpg" - image/jpeg, 900x600 (24bit)

Hi folks,

I was going through my photo collection trying to find a picture, when I
noticed something weird when looking through my F-unit photos.

It appears that former DL&W 631A (built as an F7A) "morphed" during its EL
career, and it's frankly baffling me. Of course, a lot of this deals with
"trusting dates on photos", as Randy Brown recently pointed out, but here's
what I'm talking about:

I have several photos that show this in EL paint as an F7A, and I even went
through my photos (and checking various books), and the photos of this unit
in the standard F7 configuration are dated:

5-63
8-64
9-64
6-66
4-67
8-68
4-72
8-72

Now here's where the mystery lies: At some point it looks like the 6311 lost
its horizontal-slit stainless steel grille to an older F3-style
"chicken-wire" grille (there's even a slight framework around that grille
that seemed to indicate it's an add-on). From photos and books, here are the
dates I find with the chicken-wire grilles:

4-71
9-72
9-73
7-74
8-74

That first shot is in "EL In Color, Vol. 1" by Larry De Young, page 42 by
Harold Zeitler. The F7 configuration shot dated 8-72 is a Dave McKay shot is
in "Trackside in Western Ohio" by Steve Timko, page 25. The 4-72 dated shot
is also in "EL In Color, Vol. 1" on page 116.

Soooo..... this brings up a few questions:

* Which photo dates are incorrect? (or more specifically, when did the 6311
get the F3-style grilles?)
* Why DID the 6311 get those grilles?

I've attached a Bill Weibel collection photo of the 6311 after a wreck
(ouch!) - anyone know what the cause of this was? Date? And did the 6311
ever run again (doubtful)?

- Paul


6311_wrecked_nose-Bill_Weibel_coll.jpg

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