i was surprised when i saw a gp 7 without rollers. i didnt think any diesel would have plain bearings. the katy book is "diesels to the gulf". theres a photo of one in there. why in world would katy order a diesel, especially a popular geep 7 with plain bearings?
Don't have access to that photo see for myself. GP7 production started in 1949, so it is vaguely possible this was ordered with friction bearings. But it is also possible trucks were swapped from another older unit.
i didnt think about that, its very possible that could happen. im trying to locate the book and see what road number it is. im almost certain it was a red, high hood 7, before katy rebuilt them with low hoods...
i found the book, its no. 99. the text starts out saying.." still equipped with friction bearings". i guess some were delivered with friction bearings. i just found this to be a little odd, but i really dont know. 3 pages prior to the gp 7, thers a photo of an E8, no. 55c and it looks like it has roller bearings. i go by the "flip up door" on the journal, (yall know what i mean) to me that means friction bearings. correct me if im wrong......
I believe the E8s were delivered with roller bearings. The E7s however came with brass sleeve journals. I have a photo of 55C as 134 (before the renumbering) and it appears to have roller bearings. Perhaps it had its trucks replaced at a later date with older bearing models?
i was just surprised that a gp 7 could have brass bearings this late in the game, especially when F units and other early units have rollers. i thought by this date that brass bearings were obsolete. thats what i get for thinking!!
When Katy dieselized, it was in a haphazard manner. They ended up with a fleet of over 260 units from six different builders. The Alcos all came with roller bearings. The FMs had brass sleeves. The EMDs were a little of both. The E-7s, NW-2s SW-12s and the first order of 29 GP-7s came with brass sleeves. The F-3s, F-7s, E-8s and the second order of GP-7s came with roller bearings. Sounds like they basically took whatever the sales reps were selling at the time.
yep...thats what joe collias's "katy power" book said. i wonder if the gp 7's were ordered with plain bearings to save money, or gm talked them into it because they had some "old stock" plain bearing truck assemblys left over. maybe it dont work like that at all, i dont know. yall know what im trying to say here.....
The Rock Island frequently maintained newer cab units with older truck parts. I am sure the Katy skimped on maintenance as well, although not to the extent the Rock Island did lol
