Railroad Forums 

  • GP30s GP35s etc.

  • Discussion of Electro-Motive locomotive products and technology, past and present. Official web site can be found here: http://www.emdiesels.com/.
It is currently Fri Apr 19, 2024 4:07 am

GP30s GP35s etc.

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

 Reply

 #39834  by LCJ
 
I believe the BN units were extensively rebuilt by, for one, EMD -- and I think some other remanufacturers, too. I toured the EMD plant in IL at the time when there were several of these older units in there for undergoing this process.

 #39856  by Joe
 
Because BNSF knew that old EMDs were way better than the big ugly new ones (no offense). So they kept them and bought new GEs! :D

 #39909  by Railpac
 
Most of the GP30s and GP35 you are seeing are actually GP39Ms, GP39Es, and GP39Vs. They have 645D3s rated at 2,300 hp (hence the 39), they were also rebuilt electrically. A 645D3 is really just a 567D block, equipped with 645 power assemblies and the type of turbo specified by the "3". The "M" units were rebuilt by Morrison Knuenson, the "E" units were rebuilt by EMD, and the "V" units were rebuilt by that place out of Paduhca (spelling, I know . . .), KY. Although most are rebuilds, BNSF does still have some unrebuilt GP30s and 35s running around its system.

 #39911  by missthealcos
 
Aren't the old ATSF ones also heavily rebuilt, though not as heavily as the BN ones?

 #39930  by TerryC
 
I have heard Some of the ex Atkinson Topeka Santa Fe GP30s and GP35s have only received new paint and not much else. I do not know if this is true though.

Keep asking keep learning
http://trainiaxindex.cjb.net

 #40399  by Justin B
 
I do not know for sure if they have been modified or not, but there is a ASTF blue bonnet GP35 on lease to a grain elevator by my place. You can hear the turbo working away, so I would think that there have not been many modifications. 98% of the time when GP35s get rebuilt the turbo is removed.

De-turbo-ing

 #40407  by Allen Hazen
 
A lot of railroads have de-turbo-ed their GP35 (also GP20 and GP30) to produce "GP38-clones," but Santa Fe was, I think, an exception: they gave their GP30 and GP35 and SD24 total rebuilds -- uprating horsepower in some cases, and I think replkacing the original DC main generators with alternators -- that left them turbocharged.
Santa Fe seems to have been more willing to live with turbocharger maintenance issues in return for the benefits (higher horsepower, better high-altitude performance, better fuel economy) than most railroads: they were the launc customer for the GP39-2 at a time when everybody else seemed to want GP38-2.

 #40434  by missthealcos
 
That's what I thought..they definatley still have turbos....I think getting rid of the cantankerous electrical system in them was the main thing they accomplished. Everything I have ever seen indicates they are heavily rebuilt. The GP30's don't even appear to still have their original angled windshields, a sure fire sign of heavy rebuilding

rebuilt 30's and 35's

 #40571  by SD Shortline
 
I thought the GP39M,E, and V were rebuilt with 12-645E3(A)'s (turbo-supercharged) rather than a 16-567E or 645C whichever you want to call it. There wouldn't be much since in have a moderately supercharged 16 cylinder engine maintenance wise.

For example, the BNsf has GP28M/P's that have a a 16-567/645/E/C rated at 1800HP. The differnce being a C has the 645 power assemblies where as the E block has 567 power assemblies. The letters A, B, B/C, D, E, F, G all refer to the blocks.

I don't believe the D block would be retained being they had issues with crank failures with the 30/35's.

 #40593  by missthealcos
 
I believe they were done with the original 16's

GP39's and GP39-2's

 #40704  by SD Shortline
 
GP39, and ther Dash 2 bretheren have a 12 turbo-supercharged cylinder prime mover. The BNsf GP30/35's were rebuilt to 39 specs for the most part.

Many rebuilt 45/T/-2 had there 20 cylinder engines replaced with the 16 cylinder model. I would think that this is true for the 30/35's as well. It doesn't make since to moderately turbo the 16 cylinder D blocks when normal aspiration to 1800 or even to 2000HP would be easily obtained.

But we get them all the time through here in SD I will peak in one when I get a chance.

 #40710  by missthealcos
 
I may be wrong, but I believe the "GP39" designator was chosen for HP similarity, not much else...

GP39's

 #40831  by SD Shortline
 
Well...

They do have 16 cylinders at least in the E and V's. I wonder what the re-builders did to back off or add HP.

Specs I guess don't have to mean cylinders, weight, or even cab type. I don't remember where I saw but I thought the VMV had replaced the 16 with 12's.

I'll stick with the 213, she's got 12 cylinder and an Alco builders plate.
 Reply
 Return to “EMD - Electro-Motive (Progress Rail, General Motors)”
 - All times are UTC-05:00 -