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  • Help to know locomotives history

  • Discussion of General Electric locomotive technology. Current official information can be found here: www.getransportation.com.
Discussion of General Electric locomotive technology. Current official information can be found here: www.getransportation.com.

Moderators: MEC407, AMTK84

 #1343294  by Benny
 
Hi, I´m new to this fórum. I´m an italian railroad enthusiast that now lives in Perú and I´ve very poor knowledge of the "american way of railroads" that for a european is really different so I need an help from experts.
I´m mad for the marvellous Ferrocarril Central Andino between Lima and Huancayo but there are few serious informations above the locos. You surely knows that types now on use are EMD SD40-2 from Kansas City Southern, GE C39-8 from Norfolk Southern and GE C30-7 plus some smaller ones. Can anyone tell me the railroad from where the C30-7 came? If someone has more informations on the FCCA locos I will be grateful.
In the same manner my knowledge of the european railways is to help (if I can) the train fans community: ask to me.

Ciao :wink:
 #1343421  by NorthWest
 
This is actually a rather difficult question. Using my usual serial number method, I can only concretely identify one unit, 1000.
These are not standard C30-7s, they are C30M-3s rebuilt from other locomotives by MPI de Mexico. 1000 was rebuilt from SP B36-7 7768, serial number 43805. It appears that SP 7767 (43804) became 1001 and SP 7755 (43793) became 1002, but I can't be sure. Other former SP B36-7s went to EFVM as BB36-7s.
Unfortunately, I can't find anything else, hope this helps.
 #1343545  by Benny
 
Firstly I want to thank you for your very quick answer.
And now see if I understood correctly: that locos are not C30-7 but C30M-3 and were rebuilt from other models changing prime mover and bogies (from 2 to 3 axles per bogie). This is very strange for my european mind: a real modular work! The need of 3 axle bogies can be explained with the not very high axle load that some bridges can accept.
The very few B39-8 (from LMX leasing company I think) are used on the La Oroya-Cerro de Pasco branch.
There are locos 1000-1001-1002 and various more (not in order) that are C30M-3 and so, based in your research, they came from Southern Pacific trough a mexican rebuilder. Are you so fairy to tell me the complete work to make up a C30M-3? Thank you in advance.
As a gift for you this is a photo of 1027, one of these locos, arriving at San Bartolomé with a mineral train bound to the port of Callao on April 27 2015.
D56r Loco 1027+merci di minerale in arrivo a S.jpg
D56r Loco 1027+merci di minerale in arrivo a S.jpg (101.61 KiB) Viewed 6612 times
Everything about FCCA and its locos is welcome.

Ciao :wink:
 #1343633  by NorthWest
 
Some of the frames came from SP (through Union Pacific after the merger); some came from some other railroad which I cannot find at this point.
As for modifications, the visible ones include a shortened fuel tank, truck bolsters moved inwards to mount
three axle truck, shortened cab roof for clearance, and a new low-clearance radiator. A new prime mover was probably fitted, or at least the original derated.
 #1343668  by Benny
 
Excellent. Thank you very much.

Ciao :wink:
 #1343984  by Benny
 
It's difficult to chat with railroad workers because here nearly all stations and yards are off limits and warden controlled because of thefts and vandalism but in the few conversations I had they told me that tunnels in the mountainous part of the line, particularly the La Galera summit tunnel at more than 4700 m asl, have a very narrow profile so the two EMD SD40-2 are limited to the lower part, not over Matucana, because they are too much high and wide. This, and the presence of various metallic bridges, can explain the big amount of work needed to put in service what are now C30M-3 locos.
Do anyone knows if the C39-8 that came (if I'm right) from Norfolk Southern needed some modification?
Here you can see loco 8620 still in NS livery dumped in San Bartolome waiting for a possible return in service or the use as a spare parts furnisher.
D49r Loco 8620 accantonata a S.jpg
D49r Loco 8620 accantonata a S.jpg (141.05 KiB) Viewed 6540 times
Ciao :wink:
 #1344154  by NorthWest
 
Comparing photos of NS units and the FCCA units, it doesn't look like there were any large clearance modifications, however I may be missing some minor ones. Hope this helps.
 #1344170  by Benny
 
Your help is precious for a new entrant like me; you are an expert.
Another time thank you very much.

Ciao :wink:
 #1344179  by Allen Hazen
 
Benny--
Don't know about the C39-8. The radiators on FCCA's C30 are much more steeply canted than on standard C30-7, and I have assumed that this was to fit them into a more restrictive loading gauge than usual on US railroads.
 #1344276  by Benny
 
Dear Allen,
I thank you very much too!