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General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment

Moderator: John_Perkowski

 #1531388  by Pensyfan19
 
Usually when locomotives are rebuilt, they look different due to a new livery or new compartments added to it. However, I would say that THIS is the largest contrast of what a SW1500 usually looks like.

https://railpictures.net/photo/703845/
 #1531475  by John_Perkowski
 
Pensyfan19 wrote: Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:39 pm WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THIS GP9?!?!?!? :(

https://railpictures.net/photo/663598/
They kitbashed it into a yard switcher.
 #1531485  by Pneudyne
 
Another phase-converter electric locomotive was the Hungarian Railways V55 class, built by Ganz-Mavag c.1949-50.

from Haut p.82.png
from Haut p.82.png (53.07 KiB) Viewed 2067 times

Its unusual feature was its C-B wheel arrangement, which as best I can determine was a unique example for electric locomotives. (The C-B wheel arrangement is probably better known from its use for the British Rail class 28 diesel-electric.)

Interesting is that both trucks had tandem-mounted motors. That layout later became very common for three-axle trucks, but it was rarely applied to two-axle trucks. (Only one other example readily comes to mind.)

In this case, the frequency of the three-phase current fed to the traction motors was adjusted in steps, as per established practice. The 5 steps available, from 25 to 125 Hz at 25 Hz increments, was likely more than had been used previously.

from Dover p.303.png
from Dover p.303.png (33.33 KiB) Viewed 2067 times

Cheers,
 #1531827  by Allen Hazen
 
Re the GP-9 with no short hood (post titled "What have they done to this GP-9):
Conrail (in a program I think started under Penn Central) converted a large number Alco RS-3 into 1200 hp "DeWitt Geeps," with EMD 12-567 prime movers. Most of them retained their short hoods (and a few had neatly enough done long hoods to look like stock RS-3 until you noticed the smokestacks), but one -- numbered (at least at one time) CR 9950 -- was completed with no short hood: an indignity almost identical to that inflicted on this unit!

Edit: Courtesy of George Elwood's "Fallen Flags" rail image site, Penn Central 9950:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9950bgs.jpg
Last edited by Allen Hazen on Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1531829  by Allen Hazen
 
Re: the CP Rail MoW cowl GP38
I think Speno, the rail grinding contractor, bought some units with GP-38 prime movers (= non-turbo 16-645) in carbides very similar to the FP40, for use on their rail reprofiling trains. EMD delivered them with FP-40 cabs, but Speno soon rebuilt them with extended cab fronts (to give extra room in the cab?): I wonder if this CP unit is ex-Speno.

Again courtesy of George Elwood's marvellous site, one of the SPENO units:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-s/spen-RMS1j05.jpg

(Comments: (i). Photo taken after the cab was extended, and the nose is not like that on the CP unit. So perhaps CP's unit was converted from a stock GP-38-2 by CP, and is not an ex-SPENO unit.
(ii) EMD apparently called the SPENO units "F40m." I don't know whether the auxiliary generator used to provide power to the rail-grinding equipment was the same as that used for h.e.p. on passenger F40: if it was, the designation makes sense, even though the 2000 hp non-turbocharged prime mover ought, by what little logic EMD's model designations have, to have made it a 38 model rather than a 40 model.)
 #1531958  by Pensyfan19
 
Allen Hazen wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:40 pm Re the GP-9 with no short hood (post titled "What have they done to this GP-9):
Conrail (in a program I think started under Penn Central) converted a large number Alco RS-3 into 1200 hp "DeWitt Geeps," with EMD 12-567 prime movers. Most of them retained their short hoods (and a few had neatly enough done long hoods to look like stock RS-3 until you noticed the smokestacks), but one -- numbered (at least at one time) CR 9950 -- was completed with no short hood: an indignity almost identical to that inflicted on this unit!

Edit: Courtesy of George Elwood's "Fallen Flags" rail image site, Penn Central 9950:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9950bgs.jpg
Interesting. That rs3 somewhat looks like an emd switcher now from the back.
Speaking of EMD and alco...

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/489164/
 #1531981  by Allen Hazen
 
Pennsyfan19--
Well, in the case of THAT unit (Rock Island RS-2, the 451, with a GP-9 long hood), I'll go along with your "straight up ugly" classification: high short hoods ought, to my eye, be as high as the long hoods, and a mismatch like this looks downright... inharmonious!
---
Since I happened to have Louis Marre's "Rock Island Diesel Locomotives 1930-1980" out on my desk when I saw your post...
This RS-2 was built in 1948. The Rock Island had it re-powered at EMD in 1957: one of the last units they sent to EMD for repowering before deciding this was too expensive to be worth while (most of their RS-3 kept their Alco engines until retirement).
A lot of railroads had some of their minority-make diesels re-powered in the late 1950s, and there is a great deal of variety in the appearance of the repowered units. If the railroad had the work done its own shops, they usually tried to keep costs down by making as few changes to the original bodywork as possible: so you get what look like straight Alco or Baldwin or FM units until you notice the paired EMD exhaust stacks poking up from the roof. Other railroads sent locomotives to EMD for repowering, and EMD tended to put EMD-style hoods over the new engine, producing things that look like this!
 #1532000  by Pensyfan19
 
Allen Hazen wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2020 12:19 am But there are exceptions to most rules!
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/atsf/atsf1460brs.jpg
(Once again, courtesy of George Elwood's marvellous rail-image site.)
Baldwin switcher, rebuilt in the Santa Fe's shops, with a GP-7 hood and Blomberg trucks.
I am aware of the "Beep". Very interesting none the less. On the topic of ugly Santa Fe rebuilds, I would also like to mention the downgrading of the beautiful F7 in order to make it into a switcher.

http://trainweb.org/jfuhrtrain/CF7frames/CF7photos.htm
 #1532009  by Pensyfan19
 
Pensyfan19 wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:52 pm
Allen Hazen wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:40 pm Re the GP-9 with no short hood (post titled "What have they done to this GP-9):
Conrail (in a program I think started under Penn Central) converted a large number Alco RS-3 into 1200 hp "DeWitt Geeps," with EMD 12-567 prime movers. Most of them retained their short hoods (and a few had neatly enough done long hoods to look like stock RS-3 until you noticed the smokestacks), but one -- numbered (at least at one time) CR 9950 -- was completed with no short hood: an indignity almost identical to that inflicted on this unit!

Edit: Courtesy of George Elwood's "Fallen Flags" rail image site, Penn Central 9950:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc9950bgs.jpg
Interesting. That rs3 somewhat looks like an emd switcher now from the back.
Speaking of EMD and alco...

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/489164/
The MKT is guilty of doing this too. :P

http://www.carrtracks.com/tx1mkt03.htm