The Jets

I was wondering if that the EP-5s were kept in good condition would they still be operable today? I heard that they could run 3rd rail(under running) and the standard 25kv catenary. I was thinking that this could have happened because they were greatly superior to the FL-9s which according to many reports were underpowered,and that NH were to replace the EP-5s with FL-9s. And now time tells a FL-9 can barely pull 2 Shoreliners . But a Jet to me was a dual mode HHP-8 or ALP-46 in power . It would be a great sight to see a EP-5 running express with 8 Shoreliners in tow on the Shoreline itself or maybe all Amfleets!

NortheastTrainMan wrote:I was wondering if that the EP-5s were kept in good condition would they still be operable today?

Given that they'd be over fifty years old at this point, it's pretty doubtful. The only reason the rebuilt FL9s hung on as long as they did was their dual-mode capability that for decades represented the only way to haul a train from Grand Central to points beyond the former NH and NYC electric zones without an engine change. Additionally, the EP5's GE rectifier design was highly specialized and ultimately troublesome, while the FL9s were basically just standard EMD F-units with an elongated frame, a six-wheel trailing truck, and third rail gear.

I heard that they could run 3rd rail(under running) and the standard 25kv catenary.

Third rail yes, but not 25 kv catenary since it didn't exist in their day. The New Haven's electrification was 11 kv.

If I recall correctly, there were only three of them still running on the
former NHRR at the end in the mid 70's. It was lucky that they last as
long as they did as they were suffering from a poor design and lack of
decent maintenance for a long time. They were breakdown prone and
fire prone as well. If they were running right, they could do a good job
with a heavy passenger train but often they were not running right.
Sometimes there were things that we could do to try to get over the road
but often when trouble occurred, we were just dead and out of luck.
In the condition that they were in at the end, I wasn't sorry to see them go.
Noel Weaver

NortheastTrainMan wrote:I was wondering if that the EP-5s were kept in good condition would they still be operable today?

I think the number of EP-5's running today would be equal to the number of GG-1's running today.

-otto-

In all likelyhood, yeah.

On the other hand, I often wonder if you'd still see E-44s today, if Conrail hadn't thrown in the towel in '83. I've heard they were pretty rough on the track, but they were capable units (or at least moreso than the EP-5, which always struck me as an experiment that was duplicated a few too many times).

On the EP-5 - whatever was the New Haven's motivation for embracing rectifiers so quickly? Were there ever real plans about going 60hz? I've heard before the FL-9s came around, it was one idea that a few consultants reccomended to thew RR, but nothing solid...

lets see no more freight, also no more E-44's
and you sure do not need a E-44 on a CSX local.

I heard the Long Island was interested in one or two as protect engines at Harold tower. But then this happened in Grand Central:
http://trainspot.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=1032982

trainspot wrote:I heard the Long Island was interested in one or two as protect engines at Harold tower. But then this happened in Grand Central:
http://trainspot.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=1032982

NO WAY, The LIRR would have needed more protect engines just to rescue the dead jets.
Noel Weaver

No way, no how. It's an orphan that was prone to poor maintenance and had lots of fires. Probably least likely of the post-1934 electrics to be running today.