is it a comon practice to use b units that differ from the a unit. Do the always use an F7 B unit with an F7 A unit?
Collyn said:is it a comon practice to use b units that differ from the a unit. Do the always use an F7 B unit with an F7 A unit?
"Often" is relative, as there aren't too many B-units left. The GP60Bs are the largest group remaining since BNSF retired their ex-BN cabless B30-7As. (Incidentally, those were another type of engine where the owning railroad didn't have the corresponding A-unit.)I don't know about the olden times, but modern day B-units are often mixed into consists with different loco types...
For example, I've seen Bunsuf's cabless GP60B's mixed into consists of SD70MACs or C44-9Ws, etc.
liven_letdie said:Hey Russ,
Good info, and put in a way I can understand! One question, I think I have seen pictures of freight equipment having to pull a passenger train in a pinch but did it ever go the other way around? Would they have sufficient gearing etc without blowing up the traction motors? One more question too, did it make a difference to mix freight units between different roadnames, specifically the FT's during a merger?
Thanks!
Cory
I think I have, from the early 70s after Amtrak took over passenger service and ATSF's red and silver engines were reassigned to freight.I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a blue & yellow freight scheme locomotive running in consist with a red & silver unit.
Triplex said:I think I have, from the early 70s after Amtrak took over passenger service and ATSF's red and silver engines were reassigned to freight.
SDP45s - it was ACL, SAL, L&N and UP that owned SD35s.Erie Lackawanna also rostered thirty-three SDP35s, delivered in 1969, for freight service.
I think I have...I've never sen any pictures of Santa Fe mixing red & silver and blue & yellow or zebra stripes on passenger trains.
Triplex said:SDP45s - it was ACL, SAL, L&N and UP that owned SD35s.
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=70724 Here's an example of blue/yellow and silver/red engines on the Super C.
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=50095 And a couple silver/red B-units among these engines.
I think I have...
EDIT: And here's an example. http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=70715 Not on a passenger train esactly, but coupled to a baggage car, so they were presumably on a passenger train. Santa Fe's F45s didn't have steam generators - that was what FP45s were for - but they did have steam pass-through hoses so they could run behind passenger engines on passenger trains, as seen here.
Actually, the cowls arrived in 1967-68. CF7 production didn't begin until 1970. I've seen lots of photos of F-units, both As and Bs, in the early 70s. In fact, mixed consists of early GPs and Fs were still found at that time.By the time the F45's and Fp 45's came on the scene, the f7's were on there way to becoming cf7's. Most b units were gone, and the whole passenger scene had changed completely.