Single Geep hauling long train.

Engineer James wrote: But, still I get conflicting reports that the GP38-2 cannot support a long train at a high rate of speed approaching a medium-sharp curve.

Why is that? Maybe they were just speeding/highspotting buddy. With a good hog, with air threw the train anything is possible to some extent. I've ran a local train with one motor (SD 50) that had to many loaded cars for an engineer that relyed on the dynamic brakes a little too much to handle safely. I had no problem though, it was a rocket.

Could the locomotive have been a GP40?
Three of CSX's GP39-2s came in Reading green paint as well.
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... 317rdg.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... 316rdg.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... 315rdg.jpg
keep asking keep learning

It is very possible to have been any of those... all I know is that is was a short low nose unit and single, hauling at least a 50-60 car train... It was going fast...

Engineer James, If you saw a CSX unit in Reading Green it was certainly not in this century. If it was a GP40, that is entirely possible. If I am mistaken, that is entirely possible as well.
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... 5CSX-b.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... CSX-yb.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photo ... CSX-ys.jpg
keep asking keep learning

TerryC:
Sorry, I know it was not a GP40... it was too short... had to be a GP38-2.

Ah, thank you Engineer James.

keep asking keep learning

Engineer James wrote:TerryC:
Sorry, I know it was not a GP40... it was too short... had to be a GP38-2.

The "standard" GP38/39/40 and their Dash 2 versions are all the same length. The GP7/9/18, the GP28/35, and the GP15-1 are all shorter the the "40" series.

Stuart

Well, maybe you guys were right... although i saw another train this week that was hauling and it was a MP15AC #1170 belongine to the CSX pulling the same train!!

crazy_nip wrote:and there is no reason a single GP38-2 would be unable to pull a 45 car train of empties on level track...

Nip is correct, as usual. A single GP38-2 or GP40-2 can easily pull about 2000/2500 tons, and the average empty railcar is around 35 to 40 tons.

We had one CF7 pull 34 loads of carbon black+two dead locos from a job that did not make it in for 30 miles. Oh..and we were pushing a lame GP10 that kept tripping the ground reley. It took the entire distance to get to 40 MPH. Didnt even have to throttle back for the slow orders. Run 8 all the way. We cleared up with literally one minute to spare.

ShortlineRailroader,
CF7?? What Rail line do you work for the Los Angles Junction RR? Or another one?? And how good is the pick-up and control??

1

It could have been a GP40 one single unit could handle a 100 car train on level ground at a rate of 25mph with now problum as long as the train did not incounter any grades along the way.

GP39-2's were also vary much active on the Alaska Railroad as well some may have been retired when the SD70MAC's arrived.