Nostalgia & History > Nose bell placement on EMD Geeps

The photo of the end of the long hood of Central of New Jersey 5679 in M1bprr's post below, on the end of the CNJ, reminded me of a question I have been meaning to ask.

While perusing some elderly Railroad Model Craftsman magazines for a recent project, I came across this photo of a Geep on the assembly floor at EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The photo was supplied to RMC by by "Steelways" magazine and graced the cover of the January 1959 issue. What caught my eye was the mounting of the bell on the fireman's side of the angled portion of the short hood. I do not recall ever seeing an pictures of in-service locomotives with this bell placement. Does anyone know of any roads that used this mounting position?

Cheers,
Jack

---

Good eye, Jack. I've seen some B&M or Guilford Geeps with that arrangement (http://www.trainweb.org/trains/GP7/BM1560B.html), but I think they were retrofitted, not built that way.

Note that the unit in the photo is being set on solid-bearing trucks, rare for a Geep. IIRC the Katy had a few GP7's on solid bearing trucks, but this is a GP9. Might this be Belt Railway of Chicago 471?
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1108534

Hmmm...GP-9 body (and frame I presume) but lacking the full sized fuel tank of 480/481. So yes, perhaps the 2nd BRC 471. Nice catch.

Please tell us more about the solid bearing trucks. What was the more common use for solid bearings and what advantages/disadvantages did they have with GP units?

Thanks.

Thanks for the reference link, Walt. You are right, it does look like an "aftermarket" mounting bracket. also, congratulations on noting the friction bearing trucks! I missed those.

Cheers,
Jack

wlankenau Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good eye, Jack. I've seen some B&M or Guilford
> Geeps with that arrangement
> (http://www.trainweb.org/trains/GP7/BM1560B.html),
> but I think they were retrofitted, not built that
> way.
>
> Note that the unit in the photo is being set on
> solid-bearing trucks, rare for a Geep. IIRC the
> Katy had a few GP7's on solid bearing trucks, but
> this is a GP9. Might this be Belt Railway of
> Chicago 471?
> http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?
> id=1108534


Walt, don't know about the MKT, but the N,C&STL had (IIRC) 6 GP7's with solid bearing trucks. The Alaska RR had GP7's (ex ARMY, maybe?) with them.

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN

Solid bearings are also known as "friction" bearings. They were more maintenance intensive than roller bearings and needed to be checked regularly and to have oil added and cotton packing added when needed.

Most diesel switchers were used in slow-speed service, and were built with solid bearings. The Belt Railway of Chicago was a terminal and switching road that didn't run very far and probably never got over 40 mph, and they probably saved a few bucks on the purchase price of their Geeps by using solid bearings.

On other early road switchers such as the RS1, roller bearings might have been an extra-cost option. "Rich" roads like the NYC had rollers on theirs, while terminal roads and "poor" lines like the Washington Terminal, Rutland, and Susquehanna used solids. (Green Mountain's ex-Rutland No. 405 has had its original solid-bearing trucks swapped out for rollers in the past few years.)

rcall31060 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Walt, don't know about the MKT, but the N,C&STL
> had (IIRC) 6 GP7's with solid bearing trucks. The
> Alaska RR had GP7's (ex ARMY, maybe?) with them.

Were the NC and Alaska engines built with switcher trucks? The oddity here is solid bearings in a Blomberg road truck. Seems there was at least one other line that did this, maybe Tex Mex?

wlankenau Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rcall31060 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Walt, don't know about the MKT, but the N,C&STL
> > had (IIRC) 6 GP7's with solid bearing trucks.
> The
> > Alaska RR had GP7's (ex ARMY, maybe?) with
> them.
>
> Were the NC and Alaska engines built with switcher
> trucks? The oddity here is solid bearings in a
> Blomberg road truck. Seems there was at least one
> other line that did this, maybe Tex Mex?


Walt, you're right about the NC and Alaska units. They were on switcher trucks, not Blombergs. Not sure about the Tex Mex. The only solid bearing Blomberg truck equipped Geep that I am aware of was the BRC unit.

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN