Did UP ever use any of their GE8500 GTEL's for passenger service, or were they limited to freight hauling only?
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Question about UP GE8500 Gas Turbine locomotives...
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Never seen such a pic; it certainly wasn't a regular thing. They probably didn't have steam generators or train signal lines?
All Union Pacific's turbines were intended for freight service. I can't imagine any circumstances where the 8500-hp version would have pulled a passenger train.
Supposedly the double-cabbed demonstrator #50 (which wore full UP paint & lettering) was tested on passenger trains. Back in the 30s there were a couple of short-lived steam turbines that may have been used on passenger trains during their short unsuccessful careers.
Supposedly the double-cabbed demonstrator #50 (which wore full UP paint & lettering) was tested on passenger trains. Back in the 30s there were a couple of short-lived steam turbines that may have been used on passenger trains during their short unsuccessful careers.
westr wrote:All Union Pacific's turbines were intended for freight service. I can't imagine any circumstances where the 8500-hp version would have pulled a passenger train.However the OP who stated they didnt have steam generators is wrong. At least several of them did. But they were for heating the heavy bunker grade oil they burned so it could be pumped.
Supposedly the double-cabbed demonstrator #50 (which wore full UP paint & lettering) was tested on passenger trains. Back in the 30s there were a couple of short-lived steam turbines that may have been used on passenger trains during their short unsuccessful careers.
All the 4500GTEL locos, the "standards" and verandas had a steam gennie for heating fuel. The big sister, 8500GTELs
used electrical heating elements in the tenders to pre-heat the modified #6 oil used as Turbine fuel. These locos were
intended to be strictly freighters, altho the Demo, #50 was certainly used in some aspects of passenger service. A photo
exists of #50 helping a steam powered passenger consist during it's time on the UP. Thomas Lee states in his book,
Turbines Westward, that on at least one occasion, a Turbine was used to rescue a stranded passenger train. This could
have happened more than once, and could have involved an 8500GTEL locomotive. Certainly not a regular type of
occurance. I found it amusing that MTH, in their initial 8500GTEL Turbine release, used a chip denoting #5; a mail train
west out of Omaha. A case of fiction being stranger than truth!
used electrical heating elements in the tenders to pre-heat the modified #6 oil used as Turbine fuel. These locos were
intended to be strictly freighters, altho the Demo, #50 was certainly used in some aspects of passenger service. A photo
exists of #50 helping a steam powered passenger consist during it's time on the UP. Thomas Lee states in his book,
Turbines Westward, that on at least one occasion, a Turbine was used to rescue a stranded passenger train. This could
have happened more than once, and could have involved an 8500GTEL locomotive. Certainly not a regular type of
occurance. I found it amusing that MTH, in their initial 8500GTEL Turbine release, used a chip denoting #5; a mail train
west out of Omaha. A case of fiction being stranger than truth!
Any word on GE and UP making a deal on some Locomotives here in 20010-20011, word on the street is something going on.