Rare Consist of Power

N

nachoman

Consists like this were probably more common than you think back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. F unit consists were broken up as locomotives were rebuilt or retired, and railroads did not care what they lashed toghether. An F7B will work just fine when lashed up to a GP7. I think a general rule at one time was to MU locomotives from the same builder together (no alcos with EMDs), but I bet that rule was broken many times.

kevin
 

kitsune

Member
Rare? Miles, Miles, Miles.... Remember what I keep telling you about the 70s? That was *normal* then. Matched sets of Fs were rare after the late 50s, and they begna to be mixed in with just about everything. Standard BN secondary power from the 70's through the early 80's was a mixmatch of F units, GPs, Alco RS units, etc.... SP used to run consists of F units mixed wwith GPs on their Oregon secondaries all the time too.

History is fun!
 

railohio

Active Member
Just be glad that I'm away from my library for two weeks, n00b, or I'd show you a thing or six about rare consists...

~BS
 

brakie

Active Member
That isn't anything new..Railroads been operation mix unit consist for years..

2 F units and a FM cab unit.
16.jpg


A A-B-B-A-GP7

46.jpg


47.jpg
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Nice Pics, brakie! Did you take them yourself? :confused: Love those lightning stripes!

Brian, LOL! How's the trip?

Kitsune-well, how DID they MU an Alco and EMd together?

Nacho- yes, it is hard to see that that's a F7A unit!
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Those are pretty good for being 12 or 13! Great job!!! :thumb:

EDIT: also, I wish F units were in service when I was 12 or 13!! :D]\

Please share the rest if you wish!
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
Until the Santa Fe got rid of the b23-7 GE locomotives before the BNSF merger, the favorite consist for the local crews in So Cal was a b23-7 with a gp7 or 9. The GE had a lot of low end torque to get the train moving, while the Emd had better cruising speed once moving. Since a switching local is all about accelerating, stopping, and backing, as well as running from one industrial area to another, the crews considered the b23-7 and gp to be an ideal combination.
 

Triplex

Active Member
I keep a file of just this sort of thing. Some of the highlights...

(And, just to make it clear since this often confuses people, none of these photos are mine. That's what comes of living near a rail line with some of the least varied power on the continent, and of not having been born in time to see a lot of the really cool power.)

1960s LV: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/lv/lv400s.jpg C420/GP18/FB-1/F?A
VIA: http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=DieselTypes;action=displayphoto;num=1113793222;photo=DieselTypes/Westbound_at_Broadviewx.jpg FP7?/RS-18?/E8A/F?
1970s SCL: http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/41666/cat/595 U28B/U25C/C430
1970s SCL: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=21271 U36B/E8?A/E7A
1970s SCL helpers: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=21274 U36B/GE slug/RS-3
1970s Amtrak/SP: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=70702 FP7A/F7B/F7B/FP7A/U50/SW1500 One of my favorites for sheer craziness.
SP: http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/22810/cat/571 F?A/F?B/C628 Ph II/SD40/F7A
1960s Frisco: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=558372 GP35 AAR trucks/SD45/U25B/A-B-B-A F3 Ph IV or F7 Ph I
1970s Frisco: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=51975 U30B/VO-1000m/FP7/SD45/? EMD
1960s CB&Q: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=583257 GP40/U28B/SD7
1970s BN: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=371794 SD40-2/U25C/U25C/U30C/SD45/F45 Or are those U25Cs early U28Cs? It doesn't really matter.
1970s BN: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=300779 GP7/SD9/E8A/E8A
1970s BN: http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/41962/cat/571 U33C/SD45/F?B/GP7? torpedo tube non-dynamic/GP7? torpedo tube non-dynamic
1990s BN: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=51645 SD9/GP9B/GP9B/GP9B/SD9 non-dynamic
UP: http://www.sd45.com/up/pages/up0748.htm GP35/GP9B/F?B/GP30B/GP30/GP30
1970s UP: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=15514 Identified as SD40X/GP9B/DD35/U50C, but I think that "SD40X" is an SD24. Anyway, another favorite.
1970s UP: http://www.trainweb.org/mcnwr/images/up/up425jt.jpg SD24/GP9B (Omaha GP20B)/GP30B/SD24
1970s RI/UP: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=168791 U25B/U33B/U33B/GP30B/U30C
1970s MILW: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=3890 H-16-66/H-16-66/F7B/SW7 calf
1970s MILW: http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/35382/si/u36c/perpage/9 U36C/U25B/highnose SD24
1970s Santa Fe: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=55237 SD45/F45/SD24/RSD-15
1980s Santa Fe: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=4201 SDP40F/GP40X/C30-7/GP40X
2000s BNSF: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=166069 SD40-2 mid/GP60 early/SD45/SD40T-2
2000s BNSF/CN: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=165173 C40-8W/GP60 early/SD60F/GP60B
CP: http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=Alco;action=displayphoto;num=1114665604;photo=Alco/ALCO_4738x.jpg M630, 3 F?B, 2 GP?
1970s CP: http://members.shaw.ca/cprclc1/TMPics/CPR8900-4505.jpg C630M?/H-24-66
1970s PC: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=238466 GP9B (yes, leading)/GP35 non-dynamic. Another favorite.
1970s PC: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=269236 F7A/GP9B/F7A/SW1200
1970s Conrail: http://crcyc.railfan.net/locos/emd/gp30/xrdg2168efa.jpg U23B/C628 Ph I/GP30 all long hood forward
1970s Conrail: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=187934 GP30/U25B/SD35/RS-11?
1970s Conrail: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=506436 U25B/SD45/GP30/GP38?/U28B?/U25B
1970s Conrail: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=29116 F7A Ph I/GP35/U25B/GP7 non-dynamic?/GP7?
1970s Conrail: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=118155 GP30/C630/GP9B
1970s EL: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=2191 E8A/U33?C/GP35/E8A/E8A/E8A
1970s N&W http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-n/nfd1l.jpg SD45 hignose/SD40? highnose/T6/RS-36 lownose/RS-11 highnose
1970s N&W hump power: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=443359 H-24-66/RS-11/H-24-66
2000s Central Michigan: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=120317 GP40-2LW non-dynamic early/B30-7A(B) XR/? GP
2000s Central Michigan: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=107963 U23B/B30-7A(B) XR/GP40-2LW non-dynamic early
2000s Central Michigan: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=77317 GP40-2LW non-dynamic early/GP38-2 mid non-dynamic/U23B/B30-7A(B) XR/U23B/GP38?
1970s NJT: http://www.hobokenterminal.com/alltime/alltime/4014.html E8A/GP7?/GP40P
1980s Amtrak: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=95545 GP9/RS-3? pull AEM-7 through area without catenary.
1960s Monon: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/monon/mon46ads.jpg H15-44/BL2
2000s NYSW: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=167744 GP20/M636/M636/B23-7/GP20
 

brakie

Active Member
Some more oldies from Columbus around the Front Street bridge near the Columbus Union Station.

6-1.jpg


13.jpg


7.jpg


1.jpg


11.jpg
 

kf4jqd

Active Member
I have the Rock Island Line DVD. In it it also shows some unusal consists. One seen, it shpws a GP7 with an "A" united. At the Joilet, Illinois yard, there more unusal consist. I am currently in Nashville, Tennessee for New Years Eve. Maybe when I get home. I can find some pictures.

Andy
 
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