Nostalgia & History > When the GG1's didn't like the snow

The second snowstorm (the first was in 1959?) which crippled the GG1's - thus RF&P (and SAL and ACL) E units ran north under PRR wire. RF&F 1004 at North Philadelphia.

RWJ

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Thanks Richard.  As I recall, it was very fine crystals of snow that were sucked into the traction motors through the air filters and shorted out electrical functions.  Brings back memories.  Only wish I had seen the foreign diesel power running between DC and NYC area.  

Nice photo, I'm assuming they operated some sort of 'Manhattan Transfer' engine changes with electrics to get these trains into and out of NY Penn Station from New Jersey?

Rich

And looks like that building in the background was still working backing then. So many buildings around that area are destroyed.

Some G's were operational. I think they changed power at Newark.

PasadenaSub Wrote:
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> Nice photo, I'm assuming they operated some sort
> of 'Manhattan Transfer' engine changes with
> electrics to get these trains into and out of NY
> Penn Station from New Jersey?
>
> Rich

Why was snow such a problem for the GG-1's motors? Westinghouse developed the technology for twin armature quill drive traction motors two decades before GG-1 construction. Snow gave the Milwaukee no problems with their engines.

-LD

LarryDoyle Wrote:
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> Why was snow such a problem for the GG-1's motors?
> Westinghouse developed the technology for twin
> armature quill drive traction motors two decades
> before GG-1 construction. Snow gave the Milwaukee
> no problems with their engines.
>
> -LD

If I remember correctly from the late 1950s very unusual snow storm, the unusually fine crystals of that snow plugged up the intake cooling air filters, and thus drastically reduced the cooling air to the transformer, electrical cabinets, and traction motors. I don't think the "snow" actually got into the traction motors, but did seriously affect the electrical gear and transformers, plus limiting the cooling air flow through the blowers.

If I remember correctly the original filters back then were French Linen. The snow had extremely small flakes that passed through the linen filters and shorted out the traction motors. If you have ever noticed some G's ended up with Farr filters high on the nose and other had different air inlets installed. A change in the insulating resin on the motors ended the flake shorting problem so thats why all the G's were not converted. I think the first occurance was in 1958. -- - Ken

Did the RF&P and other foreign units going north of Washington, DC have compatible cab signals?

Thank you in advance.

Amtrak has operating procedures today which will take the trailing Acela power unit off line in very fine dry snow.

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