Railroad Forums 

  • FT to GP9 Trade / Rebuild Program

  • 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

 #1146318  by Engineer Spike
 
Several lines traded in FTs on newer power, such as GP9s. I have been on several of B&M's GP9s which came from FT trades. These have 1750hp. I know GN had some rated at 1350hp. M&StL also had some with less than stock rating.

My question is did the railroad have options on the content of reused parts? I have heard that the GN units used either the lower rated main gen. or maybe an older version of 567 prime mover.
 #1146531  by Allen Hazen
 
I ***think*** that later, 1750 hp, GP-9 built on FT trade-ins used little of the original machinery: truck frames may have been re-used, but not engines or generators or traction motors. Building 1350 hp units after the mid-1940s was unusual: I believe the AT&SF had some 1350 hp "GP-7M" locomotives (with what look more like GP-9 carbodies) that were rebuilt from wrecked FT units: they may have re-used more of the original working parts.

I think a number of 1950s "modified" locomotives with lower-than-expected power ratings (AT&SF E8M built with ??? E1 ??? trade-ins, various 600 hp SW-8 built with Winton-engined switcher trade-ins) had new engines -- engines built to the new designs -- that were de-rated in deference to the limit capacities of the re-cycled electrical components.

But don't bet large sums of money on this: my ideas are impressions derived from reading less than scholarly sources years ago.
 #1472087  by Engineer Spike
 
Thanks for the link. I noted that M&StL, and GN had GP9s built with FT horsepower ratings. Apparently the FT MG was reused, and limited the output. B&M must have been willing to spring for more new content, since their horsepower was stock 1750. Absent from the list were the first 5 (out of six) B&M GP18s. They were built from 4 BL2, and a wrecked F. The noteworthy detail is the old paired 36” cooling fans. The last GP18 was built without trade in, and has stock single 48”.