Nostalgia & History > Amtrak: When UP E units had to step back

We're familiar with the "rainbow" trains of mixed passenger car equipment right after Amtrak was created in 1971. What was also interesting was the changes in motive power. On the SP Donner Pass line, UP E units suddenly appeared leading passenger trains. I caught one eastbound in Truckee (first photo) running eastbound past the depot. I never thought I would ever see a "smiling E" on the Hill.

It wasn't long, however, before the E's fell back and the big SD45s took the lead as seen on this eastbound arriving in Reno. (second photo) As I recall, I think it was SP's Bill Lynch, noted that SP felt the E's were unreliable and relegated them to trail.

As the train passed you see the interesting mix of hood units and covered wagons. (third photo)

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They had manual transmissions vs automatic on the SP Fs. Es always had problems on hills with SP.

I've always read that E units weren't very suitable for mountain grades.

Cheers, Jim

At Ogden in 72-73 the UP added their E unit to go further east due to being equipped with cab signals.
IIRC the leading SP FP-7 (or F-7?)would be taken off.
If I saw it the train was late and that was rare. I never saw the westbound.

Some classic gems in these shots. Very cool images!

WAF Wrote:
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> They had manual transmissions vs automatic on the
> SP Fs. Es always had problems on hills with SP.


Please explain what brand of "manual transmissions" those units had.

I think he meant "transitions". We didn't get the dope on the manual transition until they had been out there for months. I guess we must have burned up the electrical on a bunch of them.

spnudge Wrote:
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> I think he meant "transitions". We didn't get the
> dope on the manual transition until they had been
> out there for months. I guess we must have burned
> up the electrical on a bunch of them.

Thanks Nudge. Yes a bunch of Es were burned up until they were corrected

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> I've always read that E units weren't very
> suitable for mountain grades.
>
> Cheers, Jim

That's interesting as the E's ran fine on Cajon and the Blue Mountains, both around 2%.
Perhaps it was the speed restrictions in the Sierra's that caused the E's to transition back and forth.
Transition took place at 22mph.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/18 10:33 by Bob3985.

WAF Wrote:
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> spnudge Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think he meant "transitions". We didn't get
> the
> > dope on the manual transition until they had
> been
> > out there for months. I guess we must have
> burned
> > up the electrical on a bunch of them.
>
> Thanks Nudge. Yes a bunch of Es were burned up
> until they were corrected

OK, now THAT makes sense. The "issue" with earlier "E Units", was; they had automatic FORWARD transition, but upon slowing down under load, the throttle MUST be reduced to something like 3 or 2, for BACKWARD transition to take place. Thus, having any older "E Units" on a heavy grade, without making BACKWARDS transition, promptly burned up the main generators.

Some folks say that late-production E8s and some (all?) E9s had automatic backwards transition. It probably varied from one railroad to another. And I think all units in the consist would have to have automatic backwards transition.

ctillnc Wrote:
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> Some folks say that late-production E8s and some
> (all?) E9s had automatic backwards transition.


To my memory, all E8 and E9 units came from the factory with automatic FORWARD and BACKWARD transition.

It
> probably varied from one railroad to another. And
> I think all units in the consist would have to
> have automatic backwards transition.


Not necessarily, as all the Engineer had to do was throttle down and speed decreased below the BACKWARD transition point, and then throttle back up again, and those units in the consist with manual transition, would have made BACKWARD transition. The Engineer would have had to be knowledgeable of such mixed consists, of course. Not much different that having a units with DC traction motors in an MU consist of AC traction units.