Lehigh Valley's GP9s

[Lehighton_Man]

Howdy all,
Quick short question --
What were the class designations underneath 300 and 301?
Thanks.

[Otto Vondrak]

I can almost read it... ES-??

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=360291

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=705549

[56-57]

Fairly sure it's ESM-18...

-Micah

[lvrr325]

According to the timetable max speeds list, it would be ERSM-18 - Emd Road Switcher with M/U, 1800 HP (1750 rounded up). There is no ESM-18.

[GRSJr]

Definitely ESM18. Originally DRS3.

[scharnhorst]

Howdy all,
Quick short question --
What were the class designations underneath 300 and 301?
Thanks.

Lehigh Valley GP9 Class was
DRS-3

Lehigh Valley GP18 Class was
ESM-18

[scottychaos]

Well, there seems to be some conflicting information out there..

Extra 220 South, issue 77, from 1982, says both the GP9's and the GP18's had these numbers:

Old: DRS-3
New: ERSM-18

And they make no mention of ESM-18.

However, there are several photos that clearly show ESM-18 on the side of the GP9's..
So that is three different numbers in the mix..

Im pretty confidant that DRS-3 is the correct original number for both models..
the iffy part is ESM-18 or ERSM-18 for the later numbers..
photos say ESM-18, some printed rosters say ERSM-18.
(haven't seen ERSM-18 in a photo, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist..in the majority of photos you cant make it out clearly)

Perhaps they wore all three numbers at different times?
we know the numbers were changed twice..they could have been changed three times..
need better photos to straighten it all out..

Also, Extra 220 south did not include any dashes for any of the class numbers, for any LV diesels on their printed roster.
they listed them as DRS3 and ERSM18, with no dashes..
while the actual numbers on the side of LV locomotives always had the dashes, DRS-3 and ESM-18.
Since the locos themselves were lettered that way, we should probably consider the versions with dashes to be the correct nomenclature..

Scot

[charlie6017]

I just read the article in the brand-new Flags, Diamonds & Statues that CMO Chuck Turner
considered the GP-9s (300, 301) and the GP-18s (302-305) to be the same and eventually
had the GP-18s de-rated to be even more similar to the GP-9s. Not sure it helps you guys
here.......if not, we'll file it with the "for what it's worth" category.

Charlie

[RSD15]

Originally the two GP9s were classed DRS3. At sometime both were re-classed as ESM18.
The 300 remained ESM18 until Conrail or at least into 1975.
The 301 for a time wore the wide yellow stripe paint as ESM18 and when it was repainted it received Class ERSM18.
So at the end both were in the red with white strips,the 300 as ESM18 and the 301 as ERSM18.
Charles

[lvrr325]

Just going to state again for the record what I posted previously was taken direcly from a Lehigh Valley employee timetable.

[obsessed railfan]

CMO Chuck Turner considered the GP-9s (300, 301) and the GP-18s (302-305) to be the same and eventually
had the GP-18s de-rated to be even more similar to the GP-9s

Reviving an old topic here, but found this very interesting. Any idea what year the GP18's were de-rated?

[SALSDP35]

CMO Chuck Turner considered the GP-9s (300, 301) and the GP-18s (302-305) to be the same and eventually
had the GP-18s de-rated to be even more similar to the GP-9s

Reviving an old topic here, but found this very interesting. Any idea what year the GP18's were de-rated?

This sounds unlikely. 50 Horsepower? They could vary that much from unit to unit anyway! The D block in the 18's could certainly handle 1800 hp.

As far as considering them the same - they were very similar since the LV's were very late production.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

de-rating the locos didn't have to be an actual, physical act. the motive power dept could easily de-rate a loco on paper, without making any changes to the actual locos. crews determine how much tonnage they can operate, by using the printed ratings for their locomotives. if the timetable says you can only take one ton per horsepower up the hill, that's on you, as a crew, to follow. if the superintendent of motive power says your 2000 hp loco is rated at 1700 hp over a given section of territory, you have to account for that, when calculating tons per hp. try telling that to the trainmaster though, who wants you to drag out of his yard, with 1500 more tons than your consist is rated for.

[D Alex]

Don't forget, if the motor isn't turbocharged (and to a lesser and more variable extent, even when it is...), the horsepower rating is lower at higher elevations.