To quote Robert Yanosey in his book Penn Central Power : " The PC GP-38 was a ' Clergyman's Special ' of a locomotive: no frills, easy on the gas & repairs, but good dependable transportation. " ( So it was the railroad equivalent of my dad's 1969 DODGE Pickup !!! ) Penn Central would buy almost 500 GP-38 / GP-38-2's.
In another of Yanosey's Morning Sun books, he relates a conversation he had with Erie Lackawanna President Gregory Maxwell, wherein Maxwell told of his deal with Morrison - Knutsen to rebuild 50 EL F - Units to GP-38 specs and horsepower. The clean-up from Hurricane Agnes took away the funding for the " GP-38 In a Carbody " plan.