by erie910
I lived in northern NJ and commuted on the Pascack Valley Line and Main Line when the NJ DOT bought the U34CH locos and coaches for the Erie Lackawanna commuter lines; trains to Port Jervis were still pulled by E-8s and had Stillwell coaches. While watching some YouTube videos of NJTransit commuter operations in the 1980's, I saw a few U34CH's, various EMD GP engines, and some F-7's. The latter surprised me, since the F units date from the late 1940's and early 1950's. Did they replace U34CH's? Are they in addition to the U34CH's and their replacements? It seems strange to me that a unit which was over 30 years old by the 1980's would replace newer units. Were they F-7's or FP-7's, which had additional room for HEP generators?
On at least one video, there were a couple of trains that had two GP/U34CH units on a 5-car train. In that same video, there were 5 & 6 car trains pulled by an F unit. Unless the F units were reengined with much higher horsepower engines, I wonder why there were two higher horsepower engines on similar-size consists. I've run an F-7, no HEP with 10 cars and an idling GP-9 on the opposite end of the consist, and never felt a lack of power.
I really enjoy reading about my former commuting lines here.
Thanks for the information.
On at least one video, there were a couple of trains that had two GP/U34CH units on a 5-car train. In that same video, there were 5 & 6 car trains pulled by an F unit. Unless the F units were reengined with much higher horsepower engines, I wonder why there were two higher horsepower engines on similar-size consists. I've run an F-7, no HEP with 10 cars and an idling GP-9 on the opposite end of the consist, and never felt a lack of power.
I really enjoy reading about my former commuting lines here.
Thanks for the information.