Looking through all my stuff I dug up my old Con Cor passenger cars and a set of Atlas GPTTs in Zebra stripes and thought about putting together a train to run at the N-trak meets but I don't seem to come up with much info on them. So what did a consist look like? was it just passenger or were express/box cars on? Did they run domes? multi power units? I know its my railroad but I'm really curious what a set up was like.
The Geeps with torpedo tubes and steam generators were used in commuter service and connections that didn't require the higher gearing of the F-units. They used them for the Grand Canyon Connection services (Williams to Grand Canyon), on local runs out of LA to Riverside and San Bernadino. So probably no domes, but I would have to say they ran head end cars and maybe occasional horse cars to the racetracks. As for Multi-unit? I've never seen them in pairs (probably due to their few numbers) but that doesn't mean they didn't run them that way! As for a normal consist, a baggage plus a coach or two would probably work well for that kind of service. On the Grand Canyon Branch they ran connecting sleepers from train #23/24 from Williams to the Canyon Rim. I have seen one video once of one torpedo tube geep working a mixed local in Kansas, however the engine was separated from the combine by about 3 cars, so I doubt it was being used for its steam generation. Out of the 244 GP7's delivered to the Santa Fe, only 21 units had steam generators. #2650-2654, #2848, and #2879-2893. Only the first 6 had torpedo tubes, the last 15 passenger equipped GP7's had dynamic brakes with the air tubes being frame mounted.
Thanks for the info Geep_fan now I have something to go by. My modals are of So Cal so they should fit right in with the locals, by the way about what years did the Zebras work with the pass. consists?
The zebra stripe was the 1st diesel paint scheme & lasted til early '60s when they were painted in the blue/yellow pin stripe scheme.
