Nostalgia & History > EMD GP35 and DD35 Demonstrators

EMD DD35 demonstrators 5653 and 5655 were built in September 1963, along with two GP35 demonstrators numbered as EMD 5652 and 5654. After their deomonstration tour, all four units were sold to UP in May 1964. The GP35s became UP 762 and 763, and the DD35s became UP 72B and 73B.

Here are a couple scanned images from Trains magazine.

1) Trains magazine, June 1964, Railroad News Photos

2) Trains magazine, November 1964, EMD ad

I have never seen a list of the routes and cities that were visited. Such a list would be interesting to see who EMD thought might be interested in buying the designs.

I have a few other items for the GP35s, plus the announcement of the demonstration set from the July 1963 issue of Trains, all in this online photo album:

https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Locomotive-Details/GP35/

Don Strack

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Don,

I was assigned to the 35 series demonstrator set, along with two other of my co-workers, in late 1963. The three of us "riders", along with the Maintenance Man, or so-called co-coordinator, arrived in North Platte, Neb (by passenger train" sometime in late 1963  November or December?). The Engineering Dept had completed their testing on the DD35, with a consist of GP35-DD35-ET800-GP35, as they had a TV camera set-up on one end of that DD35 (careful search of photos will show the small "dog-house" built out on the walkway at one end of the unit). Once the second DD35 finally showed up from LaGrange, the ET800 was removed, and the whole four unit consist was assembled, and we made a "demonstration trip" for Austin Snyder, Asst. Superintendent of Motive Power, with his office car coupled directly behind the trailing GP35. We handled a manifest freight from North Platte to Ogden, UT, and I remember ascending Sherman Hill, in the "living room" area of Mr. Snyder's office car, watching the Wizard of Oz on TV while eating roast beef sandwiches! Naturally, Mr. Snyder was VERY impressed with the 15,000HP consist.

When we were finished on the UP (can't remember how many runs were done on UP), the consist headed east for Chicago, interchanging onto the CB&Q at Grand Island, Neb.. On the CB&Q, there was a slight layover in Galesburg, IL., and then the consisted east again, and I can distinctly remember passing through the LaGrange Road depot, early in the evening with LOTS of EMD personnel on the platform, as we speed past in full dynamic brake. I can't recall exactly how we got the consist interchanged through Chicago area, but do remember winding up on the Missouri Pacific.

So, in no particular order, here are the railroads I definitely remember demonstrating on:

1) Missouri Pacific
2) Frisco
3) KCS
interchanged back through Chicago.
4) NYC
5) Erie - Lackawanna (without the two DD units)
6) New Haven (interchanged at Maybrook, NY off the E-L, again without the two DD units)
7) Back to E-L
8) Back to NYC (On the NYC, there was a SERIOUS derailment, with the entire consist at track speed with a GM automobile train, headed eastbound near Syracuse? The entire consist went on the ground, destroying all the gear-cases, as a result of running over a broken rail at 50+ MPH)

Since the entire demonstrator set was then out of service for some months, while the NYC made the repairs AT THEIR EXPENSE (the NYC management attempted to blame the big DD trucks, but we had a rider on board who was flatly told by the NYC Engineer, "I felt the broken rail when we went over the damned thing, and THAT'S how I know what the hell happened!"), I was assigned to some other small deliveries. I then went back to the UP, at Omaha, and handled the delivery of the GP35s and DD35s during the spring/summer of 1964 (I guess my boss figured that I was pretty well qualified on the DD35s by then).
 

Jack,
Was this the demonstration tour where the NYC tried to put low grade lube oil in one of the units against your objections?

SP4436 Wrote:
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> Jack,
> Was this the demonstration tour where the NYC
> tried to put low grade lube oil in one of the
> units against your objections?

Yes, it happened in Detroit at night. I stopped them,,,,,,their "suits" were NOT happy,,,,,,they threatened to "call headquarters" and THEY would call EMD management in the morning and have me fired. I pointed out that the EMD General Service Manager, Mr. Fred Batty, had personally told each of us on the Demo team, that the NYC did NOT used approved lube oil, and by contract in order to have the Demo units on the NYC, they HAD to provide Sinclair GL Supreme lube oil,and each of us would be fired if we allowed the NYC to put ANY of their "crap reclaimed oil" in those new Demo units. I politely gave one of the "suits" the home phone number of the Eastern Region Service Manager in New York. They came back after about 15 or 20 minutes, and instructed the local Foreman to "Get a pick-up truck and get two or three of those damned green 55 gallon drums of oil out of the diesel shop!". They all got in their car and left. I kept my job! Plus, my wife and I STILL have the wedding gift sent by Mr. Batty and his wife, from back in 1967.

So, the SP never tried out the GP35 and DD35 Demonstrators!  Did they purchase their GP35s and DD35s because of good reviews provided by other railroad companies?

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> So, the SP never tried out the GP35 and DD35
> Demonstrators!  Did they purchase their GP35s and
> DD35s because of good reviews provided by other
> railroad companies?

Not necessarily. EMD had an EXCELLENT Regional Sales Manager, out there in San Francisco!

Some excellent reading material here Hotwater!  Thank you!