In the 90s, I saw an ad in Model Railroader for a train set containing two NYC E-units and 12 boxcars. Occasionally I see other references to Es in freight service, sometimes regeared for it, so I guess this isn't a model company's fantasy. But which roads did this, and when?
I doubt if they were re-geared, merely a power move and some freight cars that were going in the same direction...just a guess, mind you...?
The Erie-Lackawanna used them in freight before becoming part of Conrail. I was personally on a couple of them. A buddy of mine was a switchman with the E/L and I drove him to work a few times. Got to see those E units then (E-8 IIRC). CT
I've seen footage in a commercial video of those E-L units in freight service. Possible a Kalmbach VHS? Boxcab E50
The Rock Island used their E's in freight service too. Some of the Rock videos that are available have examples of this. Tom
Seaboard Air Line consistently used E units (mostly E-7's) on their manifest and piggy-back trains (especially TT-23). As more newer power became available this seem to decrease somewhat. 'Til the end however, north of Savannah, you could see E units mu'd with evrything from GP-7's, 9's, 18's, 30's, and 35's. Never saw any Alcos in the lashups tho', Alco's were kind of scarce north of Savannah.
Frisco also used their E's for freight (for at least a short time) near the end of passenger service. Charlie
Last month's Trains MAgazine (may) had an article about riding a number of trains the week before Amtrak started. Trains that would no longer exist. I believe on of those trains was a UP mixed frieght and passenger with an E-unit in charge.
The E-L used their E-units rather extensively in freight service after the reduction and eventual demise of their passenger operations. The videos you all are referring to are probably from Green Frog or Clear Block, both of which have wonderful E-L shows available. Photographic proof can be found on page 15 of Heartland by Greg McDonnell (Boston Mills Press) showing four E-units on an E-L westbound freight in February 1976. The best proof of E-unit freights on the Rock I could find was on page 78 of Rock Island in Color Vol. 2 by Bill Marvel (Morning Sun Books) that shows a five unit A-B-B-B-A set of ex-UP E-units on a freight at Roosevelt Road in Chcago in 1973. The same page also has a three unit A-B-A set of two ex-UP engines and a Rock engine leading a freight in Joliet the same year.
hmmmm... does anyone know if ICG used E's for freight? You see, my wife bought me some IC E's by Life Like. I have no passenger cars for them to pull though, so i'll just use them for freight, but it would be cool if they did use them. Didn't CB&Q use some of their beautiful silver E's for freight? ----------- answered my own question here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_E9#Operation CB&Q, Rock Island, and IC used them for fast freight. -------- Found this image. what kind of car is it pulling? http://www.illinoiscentral.net/rosters/ic4032.jpg
Looks like one of the "Flexi-Van" cars that I.C. had on east/west bound trains, "Land O' Corn" comes to mind, seems like there was another passenger train at night that also had "Flexi-Vans", but can't remember the name.
That is one of the Flexi-Van cars the IC used in passenger train mail service. The New York Central was the largest user of them and the Milwaukee also had a fleet of them.
I remember reading somewhere, many years ago that the Bangor & Aroostook converted their two E7s to freight engines after they got out of the passenger business. If I recall correctly they had to increase the wheel size to be able to mount a larger main gear and have clearance under the engine when they changed the gear ratio. They then lowered the draft gear and couplers, modified the automatic voltage-current cutout down to about 10 MPH from around the normal 20 MPH on a typical passenger engine. After ripping out the steam generators they used engine coolent from the forward prime mover to heat the cab.
UP Use the E's in the '90s The UP used the E-9's and I think the DD40 in the late '90s after the SP merger. As many will recall this caused a huge meltdown and the UP was desperate for power. They ran between Cheyenne and Denver. Down to Denver one day and back to Cheyenne the next. It made it pretty easy to catch 'em! I remember catching the E-9's coming up from Denver on a Z-train. It was the three E-9s and I believe an SD60 or something like that. They were working pretty hard as the top over at Speer, WY. Freight service was very hard on the E's and the steam crew, who was incharge of the maintance on them, were a little upset with motive power management when they kept burning up the traction motors. It was was neat to see them in freight service and you probably won't see them in freight service again...until the next merger meltdown!
That happend for only a sort period between September 21 and November 10, 1967. They were pulling drag freight on the Joint Line between Denver and Pueblo. The grade at Palmer Lake did them in. Even doubling the hill they still slowed way down below their rated continuous speed and burned up all the traction motors and some of the main generators. They were then traded in on new SD40s.
PFE My 2cents worth,When I worked for the SP in 1962-63-64 I was on the PFE out of roseville,calif to sparks nev.We ran :what I think were E's or maybe F's halling fruit reffers We just called them covered wagons,A-B-B-B-annd some times GP's mixed in.I liked the E&F's better than the GP's as an fire man you had to go out side to check the GP water temp where as the E&F' was done on the inside(thus the covered wagon) JIM
