New York Central "Black Beetle" Shirt

The M-497 (nicknamed Black Beetle by the press was an experimental jet-powered locomotive test bed of the New York Central Railroad (NYC) corporation, developed and tested in 1966 in the United States. Two second-hand General Electric J47-19 jet engines (designed as boosters for the Convair B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental bomber) were mounted atop an existing Budd Rail Diesel Car (an RDC-3, part coach, part baggage and mail configuration) body which had received a streamlined front cowling. The construct was then successfully sent on test runs over the existing tracks between Butler, Indiana, and Stryker, Ohio. (The line was chosen for its arrow-straight layout and good condition, but otherwise unmodified track.) On July 23, 1966, the car reached a speed of 183.68 mph (295.60 km/h), an American rail speed record that still stands today.

Even with this spectacular performance (and even though it had been built relatively cheaply, using existing parts), the project was not considered viable commercially. The railroad gathered valuable test data regarding the stresses of high-speed rail travel on conventional equipment and tracks then existing in America. The data was largely ignored, as the NYC was headed for merger with its arch rival Pennsylvania Railroad. The PRR was already heavily involved in the Metroliner project, funded by the United States Department of Transportation.

M-497 continued to serve for Penn Central after jet engine removal and was retired by Conrail in 1977. Engines were re-used as X29493, an experimental snow blower. Like most similar jet engine blowers, it was effective at clearing snow and ice but also tended to dislodge the ballast

My name is Dal Cook and I am the owner of  the family business 'Mohawk Design.' I have had a life-long love of trains and have personally worked for the railroad. Each of my T-Shirt designs have been designed by hand to be as faithful as possible to the actual engines they represent. These T-Shirts are unique to my company and you will find them at our booth at many railroad/steel shows and in fine museums around the country. 

I stand behind my products. If you have any problems please contact me immediately and I will make things right. 

At Mohawk Design, we aren't just in the business of selling T-Shirts.  We live and breathe the stories and legacies of our countries railroading, steamboat & steel mill roots. Dal is personally a member of the NYCSHS.

Shirts are Gildan 100% cotton or Fruit of the Loom 100% cotton depending on availability of shirts from distributors.

Here are some great tips on how to best care for your Mohawk (or any screen printed shirt) shirt:

1. Use cold water. Cold water still gets your clothes clean and it's less harsh on the fabric and print.
2. Do NOT use bleach or other strong detergent products. Use a stain remover on spots but avoid bleach if at all possible.  Standard household detergents should be just fine.
3. Turn your clothes inside out before you wash and/or dry them.  This will help to prevent fading of the printed art.
4. Do NOT put your clothes in a hot dryer.  Setting the dryer to its highest heat settings for screen printed shirts will shorten the life of the printed art.  If you want to be extra cautious, remove them from the dryer before they are completely dry to hang up or lay out to finish drying.  Like hot water, that hot air can shorten the life of your garment.
5. Wash similar textures of clothes together.  Rough materials or items with zippers mixed with your nice cotton shirt can rub the graphics and cause them to crack and peel from too much friction.