GP7-9B's

[PRRGuy]

I know the pennsy and the U.P. both had b-units of the GP7 and GP9 models. Are there still any around?

[scharnhorst]

I know the pennsy and the U.P. both had b-units of the GP7 and GP9 models. Are there still any around?

The GP9B's on the PRR transfered to PC then CR to be used for a bit then striped of parts and scraped 8 remained in PC black and were remarked a 9th made it to CR Blue with a logo and number. As far as I can see from the conrail cyclopedia it looks like only 9?? were luckey enough to last as far as early 1980?

I would think that the UP started scraping there B Units as late as the mid 1980's but not sure. This might be a question for the guys on the UP Page.

[Bryanjones]

I know the pennsy and the U.P. both had b-units of the GP7 and GP9 models. Are there still any around?

actually UP and Pennsy only owned GP9B's. ATSF was the only buyer of GP7B's, with a total of 5 such units being built. None of these units exist in B unit for anymore. All of the former Pennsy GP9's were eventually sold for scrap by Conrail. Some of the UP GP9B's were aquired by ICG and rebuilt as cab equiped GP10's during the late 1970's. Several if not all 5 of the ATSF GP7B's were later rebuilt by that railroad as cab equiped units, most if not all upgraded to GP9 specs as well.

Bryan Jones
Brooks,KY

[Tadman]

TRP has a pic of an ATSF GP7B and makes mention of the only five belonging to ATSF in the current issue.

[MR77100]

Conrail retired the ex-PRR GP9B's in January, 1982. Does anyone know when the last one was actually used?

[U-Haul]

The most recent date I could find was the use of 3827 in 11/1979.
http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/emd/gp9b/cr3827cf.jpg

[MR77100]

It looks as though the dynamic brakes have been "blanked" out.

[BR&P]

Another one of those things I dealt with day after day and never bothered taking a photo of.

Local crews called them "mules" because they had to be led around (by another engine). They also were used to provide yard air for the car knockers. When a track was full and together, they would tie a mule on for the inspectors to get their air. Obviously it had to be removed before the track was picked up. Seems to me the two we had were 3809 and 3817 but there may have been others.

[scharnhorst]

I know that Remotley controled B Units have been used in the past this topic gos on but what I'm wondering is.

were there any "Cabless B Units" that could be remoteley controled by some one on the ground in which required no outher locomotive to give it power? Were there any outher Cabless B Units built with operators cab controls much like some of the Lehigh Valleys F Series B Units did?

[rdganthracite]

Back in the early Conrail days and more than a few times I saw the local leaving the Morrisville yard for Trenton with a GP9B leading and either a GP9 or an RS11 trailing. I bet the crews hated that.

[LCJ]

I'm doubtful that there were GP9Bs in the lead on a local. While they did have provisions for operating around the shop for maintenance, they did not have fully functional control stations as found on an "A" unit. No seats, speedometer, toilets, or any of the normal cab features and controls, since, well, they had no cab!

In the PC era we had two decrepit GP9B units coupled up with an RSD12 for hump service in Selkirk. This was before the U23Cs came along. I clearly recall the "B" units were frequently dying from various maladies such as low water or lube oil. They were near the end of their service life at that point.

[rdganthracite]

If I had a scanner I would post one of my photos. The crews were not in the lead locomotive, they were running the train from the second locomotive which had a cab.

What I especially thought was amazing was that these trains were dispatched onto the NEC running beside Amtrak's 100+ MPH Metroliners. When they had a GP9B the locals went out with the B leading and returned with the locomotive with the cab leading. I never saw the Trenton local leave Morrisville with the GP9B trailing.

A few years later one of the ex NH jets was assigned to this run. A 4000 HP high speed passenger electric consigned to local freight duty.