UP's GP15-1's

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Greg Elems

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Dec 19, 2002
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Hard to believe but this unit is or nearing 30 years old.:eek:Still earning its keep in Sparks NV. :cool:

Greg
 
I have trouble thinking of 1970s power, and often even 1960s power, as old. Like many people, I sometimes use "modern" to mean "second generation". I guess my mind is stuck in the 1980s, even though I don't remember them!
 
Not really, All GP7's and 9's are more than 45 years old today. There's a 50+ Year BL2 in branchline service today, and How about those indestructable GE 70Tonners, over 50 years and still soldiering on on the Modesto Empire Traction AND the SMV. All SD40's are about the same age as this GP15-1 along with a few others, GP-30's are still used by te BNSF and they're 44 years old this year.
 
Greg, we had a discussion at our model railroad club meeting last week about why EMD used the low radiator grille on the GP15's. I know the tunnel motor was designed that way because the SP had problems with units overheating and shutting down in long tunnels and snow sheds, but I think the GP15 was designed more for branchline service. Do branch lines have long tunnels that would require those low radiator grilles, or was there another reason why EMD made only a couple of locomotive types with the "tunnel motor" grilles?
 
MilesWestern said:
I've wondered that myself. The MP-15 also has tunnel-motor style grills, perhaps EMD was testing performance with that style of air-intake to see if it would turn out to be more successful as a method of air intake.
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Technically it is not the air intake. The air intake is the rectangular filters located at the top of the long hood immediately behind the cab. Those grilles are intakes for the cooling air to the radiators which are located at the top of the long hood at the very back end. The radiator fan is mounted horizontally under the radiator and blows up through the radiator coils.
 
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