Nostalgia & History > GP7/GP9s with Both Dynamic Brakes & Steam Generators

The N&W owned twenty-two GP9s, #500 - #521, each equipped with both dynamic brakes and steam generator for passenger service.
I cannot think of any other road owning either GP7 and/or GP9 units that were each equipped with both dynamic brakes and a steam generator.
If you know of any other GP7/GP9 units equipped like N&W #500 - #521, please post the info.
ALLEN

Weren't some of CP's GP9 fleet equipped with steam generators as protection power for the Canadian west of Calgary? With many miles in excess of 2% grade, CP had most or all of their power DB equipped as well.

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Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

Weren't some of UP GP7's equipped with steam generators? They all had DB's.

Hello, Southern Pacific?

Posted from iPhone

Yes to Canadian Pacific . . . they also had "torpedo tube" air tanks on the roof.

This one appears to have had its s/g removed: http://yourrailwaypictures.com/OldDiesels/23440.jpg

The New Haven's 30 GP 9's had both dynamic brakes and steam generators. The air reservoirs were underneath the unit. An early mod put additional water tanks on the walkways behind the cab.


Tom Coughlin
Stow, MA

I think the SP had 10 GP-9s that had DB & Steam Generators. Some even had duel controls.


Nudge

I think the UP 290 GPs had both, I have photos of UP 298 that shows DB and a boiler set up in the nose. KCRW287

Don't forget Santa Fe who had GP-7s and I believe 9s as well with both.

Out

Two steam equipped Geep 9's w/DB's that I photographed:
UP #297, Ogden UT, 7-3-69 in standby service
SP #3003, San Jose, CA, Spring 1974, Commute train # 153
EO

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tomcough Wrote:
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> The New Haven's 30 GP 9's had both dynamic brakes
> and steam generators. The air reservoirs were
> underneath the unit. An early mod put additional
> water tanks on the walkways behind the cab.

I always wondered about those "battery box" extensions! Thought they (or one of them, anyway) was for the cab signal equipment.

Thanks for everyone’s comments.

Based on posts so far, it appears in addition to N&W having GP9 units with both dynamic brakes and steam generator, the following roads did as well: AT&SF, CP, NH, SP, and UP. A total of six roads then had GP9 units with both dynamic brakes and steam generator. CP was the only road with torpedo tubes. I saw photos of AT&SF GP9s #729 & #730 at Fallen Flag Railroad Photos that confirms they had both dynamic brakes and steam generator. As further information, the UP units were GP9s #295 - #299 and fifteen of the fifty #300 - #349 GP9Bs but not in a numerical block per roster at Utah Rails.

As regards GP7s, per roster at Utah Rails, UP GP7s #128 & #129 were equipped with both dynamic brakes and steam generator.

AT&SF was also identified as having GP7s with both dynamic brakes and steam generator but I have not been able to confirm this information. Would appreciate if someone can provide definitive info.

ALLEN

krm152 Wrote:

> AT&SF was also identified as having GP7s with both
> dynamic brakes and steam generator but I have not
> been able to confirm this information. Would
> appreciate if someone can provide definitive
> info.

ATSF GP7's with steam generators and dynamic brakes: 2879 - 2893

Photos in this old thread show 2890 and 2891 on an excursion train in 1961. Locomotives with boilers were needed even in the summertime to run Santa Fe's steam-ejector air conditioning system:
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3871492,3871496#3871496

See also:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ATSF_2879_a_boiler_equipped_GP7_with_Train_-26,_the_Pecos_Valley_Streamliner_about_to_leave_Carlsbad,_NM_Bally_Boynkin,_Grorge_Gunter_and_firemen_on_March_22,_1967_(22704020411).jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a8/8b/16/a88b16417e7fb110fd45774e869d8e52.jpg

ATSF GP9's with steam generators and dynamic brakes: 726 - 731

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3445255
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3689433,3691041#3691041

http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/gp7.htm and http://www.jacksonvilleterminal.com/southern_steam.htm indicate that C&O and Southern had GP7s with both.

The N&W used their passenger geeps on long distance trains. I imagine the water tanks had to be topped off enroute. That's why some roads opted for air reservoirs on top of the units (torpedo tubes) to increase water supply.

On the New Haven, their geeps were highly regarded in all services by enginemen. However, water supply was an issue on long trains in cold weather.

Tom Coughlin
Stow, MA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/17 08:45 by tomcough.

Slightly OT, but if I'm not mistaken, UP had GP30B's with s/g and d/b.

SP had GP-9s in the commuter pool with dual controls, dynamic brakes (save 4), and boilers. The ones that had dynamic brakes and boilers with dual controls were #5600 - 5603, and 5894 and 5895. The last two were ex- T&NO geeps that were moved to the Pacific Lines for the commuter service. There were four units, #5622 - 5625, that had dual controls and boilers but no dynamic brakes so the air reservoirs could be moved to the roof of the unit for larger fuel / water tank capacity. T&NO #240 - 249 were single ended GP-9s that had boilers and dynamic brakes. Eventually the boilers were removed and they were put in the freight pool. I believe these were the only GP-9s T&NO had delivered with 'ash can' mars lights on them.

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

The WP had them, with dual controls too.

Northern Pacific had one or a couple GP7's with dynamic brakes and a boiler.


Jim

australianterrier Wrote:
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> Northern Pacific had one or a couple GP7's with
> dynamic brakes and a boiler.
>
>
> Jim

After doing research into my NP materials, I found that GP7 #569 was equipped with both dynamic brakes and a steam generator. I could not find that any other NP GP7/GP9 units had been equipped with both dynamic brakes and a steam generator.
My info is from the book Northern Pacific Diesel Era 1945-1970 by Lorenz P. Schrenk & Robert L. Frey.
If your info differs, please send the unit numbers.
ALLEN