Railroad Forums 

  • Trying to identify a couple more locomotives (probably EMDs)

  • Discussion of Electro-Motive locomotive products and technology, past and present. Official web site can be found here: http://www.emdiesels.com/.
Discussion of Electro-Motive locomotive products and technology, past and present. Official web site can be found here: http://www.emdiesels.com/.

Moderator: GOLDEN-ARM

 #1277935  by Michael Barera
 
After receiving some much-appreciated help from Will Davis in identifying diesel locomotives photographed by my Dad and Grandfather in the 1960s and 1970s (http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 6&t=156532), I'm going to post the remaining four photographs with unidentified locomotives to see if anyone can identify them. These are all quite challenging, and I certainly don't expect any of them to be identified, but if someone can identify (any of) them I'd greatly appreciate it. Here they are, with all the infomation I know about them:

An Ann Arbor Railroad freight as seen from the Federal-Mogul Building on Research Park Drive in Ann Arbor, Michigan, circa mid-1960s. They look like Geeps to me, and based on the Ann Arbor's roster at the time (http://www.thedieselshop.us/AA.HTML) it appears that (if they are indeed EMDs) they must by GP35s:
Image
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 5_3-29.jpg)

A Union Pacific train departing from Union Station in Chicago, Illinois in October 1967 (Will already had a look at this one and thinks it is either an E8A or an E9A):
Image
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 7_3-30.jpg)

The Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited in Montana in June 1969:
Image
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 9_3-33.jpg)

A Chessie System freight passing nearby the Chessie Steam Special at Plymouth, Michigan in July 1977:
Image
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... _10-25.jpg)
 #1277982  by scottychaos
 
Yep. three Ann Arbor GP35's..everything fits.

As you said, UP E8 or E9..dont know if there is enough detail in the photo to tell which.

Northern Pacific passenger F-units. EMD F7 or F9 units. (NP used both in passenger service)

Chessie - first one is difficult..but based on the smooth sides of the long hood, it's probably a 2nd generation EMD, im going to say SD40.
and the 2nd one is definitely an EMD GP7 or GP9.

Scot
 #1278100  by Allen Hazen
 
The units in the Ann Arbor photo are certainly the right colour to be Ann Arbor GP-35. When Conrail was established in 1976, the original plan was to include the AA with the other bankrupts: within weeks the plan was changed to leave AA our of CR. In the interim, however, at least one orange AA Geep made it as far into CR territory as the ex-NYC lines in Westchester County (New York State).
 #1278429  by Typewriters
 
I just looked at the photos at the highest resolution available.

The Ann Arbor units are definitely GP-35 units.

The Union Pacific unit is as I said either E-8A or E-9A; the photo seems to vaguely imply the steel gasket / flush headlight glass arrangement of the E-9A, but that's really hard to tell at this range and size. Can't read the road number well enough either.

Not enough on the Northern Pacific photo to distinguish between F-7A, F-7B, F-9A, F-9B.

Now, the Chessie system photo... The left hand side, or is it trailing (lettered for C&O) unit displays all the hallmarks of a GP-7, and given the length of that unit the lead unit can't be an SD but rather must be a GP. I'm guessing GP-40 although there's the chance quite easily that this is either a GP-38 or GP-39, and maybe even GP-35. Now, I believe I can make out that the lead unit is lettered for the B&O, which as I recall eliminates that chance that it's a GP-39. Thus the lead unit is GP-35, GP-38 or GP-40.

Note - at this distance, lighting and resolution I think the 35 and 40 would look a whole lot alike. They look somewhat alike anyway. Here's one of each.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=2144" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Whaddaya think?

-Will Davis
 #1278473  by Michael Barera
 
Thanks for your help, Will. Thanks also for your story about the Ann Arbor GP35s, Allen. I really appreciate your time and your effort.

If you're ever feeling bored, there is a whole category of photographs on Wikimedia Commons for unidentified EMD diesels (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cate ... ocomotives). While some are probably lost causes, with your abilities a fair number of them could likely be identified.

Thanks again. I really do appreciate it!
 #1278482  by scottychaos
 
yeah, I agree..GP35, GP38 or GP40.
(im not sure why I said SD40! ;) I was thinking maybe I could make out two dynamic brake fans..but I cant really,
and I agree, it is a touch too short to be a SD40..)

so yeah, GP35, GP38 or GP40.
Unfortunately there isnt enough detail to make out which one..

Scot
 #1279170  by MEC407
 
All three units in this photo are SD40-2s:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... ME_ICE.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;