I have seen pictures of the WP FT's when they were new. Weren't they without the boxes in front of and behind the dynamic brake grids? I think I have seen pictures of them this way. I know they had them later, when painted in the Zephyre scheme, but before then, when painted in the green with orange and yellow stripes. Am I imagining things? Russell Hedges
Russell, As delivered, they had a clean roof line. The boxs were actually sheet metal over one of the fans. I haven't found out the reasoning behind this yet. The dynamic brakes were in the box on the roof on each side of the four exhaust stacks. WP FT's returned to EMD in trade for GP20's, GP35's and maybe GP40's. A neat engine to say the least. Greg Elems
Here is a scan of the EMD "trading card" for the original WP FT paint scheme: http://pages.tca.net/lruback/wp-ft.jpg ______ WP LIVES
That picture shows the as delivered scheme, but it shows no dynamic brake grids at all. Pretty, isn't it? But the complexity precluded repainting them this way when the time came. I was wondering if the early FT's came with the same style dynamic brake grids that the early E units came with, or if they always came with the grids surrounded fore and aft with the rectangular boxes with the screened ends on the right and left. I THINK that I have seen pictures of them in the early paint without the boxes. And I am sure that I have seen pictures of them in the later paint with the boxes. Does anyone know? I would love to have an ABBA of them in the as deliverd paint.
Russell, The WP FT's were all delivered with dynamic brakes. After WWII the FT's were painted in the solid orange paint known as "Pumpkin I" and the Zephyr paint being applied after the arrival of the F3's. A publication that might be of interest to you would be "The Headlight." It is produced by the Feather River Rail Society, Portola California. Issue no, 7 Volume 92 Number 1 is exclusively on the WP FT's. Greg Elems [ 25 March 2002, 06:04: Message edited by: Greg Elems ]
I have seen the Headlight issue on the FT's. It is pretty rare, not available back issue. Does anybody have one you don't want? Thanks for the help everyone! Russell Hedges
Russell, I maybe able to get you a copy of one. Seems to me I saw one at a local hobby shop. If not, I maybe able to get one from the FRR museum shop. Greg Elems gelems@earthlink.net [ 28 March 2002, 05:22: Message edited by: Greg Elems ]
Thanks, I would like to have that issue. I just found my Vanishing Vistas postcard of unit 903. It's a color picture taken in January 1942, and the dynamics were as I remembered them. So my original question is answered. Thanks again. Russell Hedges
Located, the issue of the Headlight with the FT as the subject. WP Russel, contact me. gelems@sbcglobal.net Greg Elems
Mr. Elems, Thank you! I just received the copy of the Headlight with the article on the FT's in it. Thank you! But, I haven't your address. Please send it to me so I can pay you for this. Thank you again. Russell
A quick question while on the subject of FT's- Believe that I'd read somewhere, that after the NYO&W shut down, WP acquired some F units from them? If so, were these FT's or a later model? BoxcabE50
WP picked up 3 F3's from the NYO&W. Two went to the Sacramento Northern and the third was to be a back up unit for the California Zephyr. SN used the F3 on the unit steel train they ran on the Santa Fe from Stockton to Pittsburgh CA. They were lettered for the SN. The 3rd unit was painted in the Zephyr paint scheme. The way to tell it from the original WP F3's is the lack of a light in the front door. Greg Elems
