Sorry I've been gone so long but I'm back. I recently got a pair of new (as in unopened Walthers) SP Pullman Bi-Level Commuter cars. I was wondering what where the visual cues to look for in the Trainmaster and SD-9 locos that where used for passenger service? I know SP was um, unique(?) when it came to the factory ordered setup on some locos and was wondering what other "switcher" and "freight" locos SP used for passenger service. Also, sort of a dumb question, but can a real freight loco be used to pull a passenger train (sans steam) if it doesn't have a hep motor? I ask because I've seen Amtrak do loco swaps with RRs for a bad unit in a set, but never one solo. Josh
Alright, I sort of looked into it and found out its a HEP GP9E?? Anyone know how different it looked from a normal gp9?
As far as i can tell you,SP trainmasters, sd-9s and gp-9's used for commuter service all had steam generators in the short hood, if i find a picture of a hep-equipped gp,i will share it with you.i would imagine it was also in the short hood.some gps did not have dynamic brakes,and had air reservoirs on top of the long hood, "torpedo tubes".
Not sure if it is always true, but much of the time at least this was to accomodate a below frame boiler water tank.
HEP equipped locos used some of the traction current to power the passenger cars. In a multi unit consist, 1 loco was usually setup to supply 'hotel' power. It usually reved a bit higher than the other locos and was a couple of hundred HP short as the main altenator was the train power source (this is what Amtrak do). It's selected by a switch - I think- located adjacent to the MU selector, in the cab. So if the single loco on an Amtrak train fails, the train power goes out too, but if the Amtrak diesel can keep running, any freight loco can haul the train. Some railroads (commuter lines) opted for a gen set, often in the radiator area for power while still others (like here in Australia) had a 'power van', a baggage car with up to 3 gensets for train power. This enabled any loco to be assigned to the train. Hope this helps.
The SP did not have any locomotives equipped with HEP. The commutes all had small generators on each of the cars to power them individually. It was not untill the early 80's with the CalTrains takeover and the delivery of the F-40PHs did the commute service have HEP. The "torpedo tubes" were indeed on top of the long hood because of the water tank being located below. The GP-9Es were not HEP equipped. They were simply rebuilt at the Sacramento shops. I am not sure if it was one of the GRIP rebuilds or not, but one of the spotting features are the box shaped paper air filter located behond the cab on the roof.
Here is a link to a brief history of the passenger GP-9s on the Pacific lines with pictures: http://espee.railfan.net/spgp09p.html Here is a link to pictures of the T&NO passenger geeps. http://espee.railfan.net/tnogp09p.html GP-40P-2s http://espee.railfan.net/spgp40p-2.html Trainmasters http://espee.railfan.net/sph24-66.html And my personal favorite... The SDP-45s http://espee.railfan.net/spsdp45.html
This is not completely accurate. The F40PH has a HEP generator on the main drive shaft and so is always in run 8 to drive it. Every loco built after it has a seperate hep generator with it's own diesel engine. This includes the P42s and the F59.
not all of the GP9E's (or SD9E's) had the air filter box, and the E's were not rebuilds, they were upgraded! splitting hairs, I know, but they were classified this way fore wage and tax purpose
Wow, thanks for all the feed back. By the look of those pics mine are factory fresh. Speaking of gp9s there seem to be a few rolling around here. One I see a lot is still sp gray and red with P&W patching over the Southern Pacific. Been meaning to go to Tillamook to see their graveyard now that the lines closed.
Good News! It looks like Athearn will be releasing SP passenger GP9s in April or July. #s 5625 and 5624, both are dynamic brake free and both are in the double end black widow paint scheme. For a lot of money you can get a dcc sound model and for slightly less you can get one that's dc only.
In the diesel era SP used the FM Trainmaster for most comute power. There was a dozen EMD GP-9's used in the commute pool and at times as second units on a long distance train. Most of SP's passenger trains were powered by ALCO PA-1, PB1 units in the mountains of Northern California and Oregon. The lines east out of Los Angeles had EMD E-7 and E-9 units. Thee was also 16 EMD FP-7's which were mated to boiler equipped EMD Fb units.
I've got 2 SP grey Pullman double decker commuter cars and the GP9 boiler version is really the only one I like out of the high hood versions. To be honest, I don't really like the GP9's or the Trainmasters with high hoods. I'd rather have a few more tunnel motors or Alco units. I don't know what it is, but the Alcos always look more classy to me, regardless of purpose. There is something about the high hoods that I find unattractive, but I plan on getting the passenger version just to say I at least own one since SP owned something like 300 of them. I'd really, really, really, love to get a Alco PA with B unit, *sigh* someday. But then again, I'd also love to be able to find a decent 6-10 car Daylight set for under $1.5k, but that hasn't happened either.
I was sooo wrong. They're SD9s and both are still sort of wearing SP livery. I made it to Tillamook. I was stopped by the many, many no trespassing signs (not that I brought a camera). My GP9 torpedoes arrived.
