Nostalgia & History > EMD GP60 Demos On The Santa Fe

EMD Demonstators 5, 6 & 7 are hustling the hotshot 199 piggyback train west at Knightsen CA.
The next morning the same trio of locomotives with EMD 7 on the point is seen leading the hotshot 991 piggyback train east at Knightsen, CA.
Thanks again for looking! Randy

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Where did those demos end up after making the rounds?

Very nice. Why don't you ever provide dates for your fine action photos?

EMDX 5 = CSXT 6897
EMDX 6 = CSXT 6898
EMDX 7 = CSXT 6899

As far as I can tell, 6899 is off of the roster now and sits at Lordstown, OH awaiting disposal?

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> Where did those demos end up after making the
> rounds?

They were LLPX leasers for a while and then became CSXT 6897-6899.  I never managed to catch all three of them together on CSX, but here are the 6898 and 6897 working local freight O711 at Plant City FL in May 2009.

msw
spokane 

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Excellent shots, Randy!  I really like the way those 60s look in that paint scheme and the rounded cornerws on the nose.

Randy Lundgren
Elgin, TX

Those dogs didn't last all that long on the 199/991 trains.

Out 

Excellent photos and background!  From leading the two hottest trains in the US to powering
a local in Florida.  Wow, what a history that power has.

Nice to see quality photos and scans.
RWJ

callum_out Wrote:
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> Those dogs didn't last all that long on the
> 199/991 trains.
>
> Out 

As far as I know, these were the only instances where EMD 5, 6, and 7 were on the 199/991 train.  They were just on there as a "test drive".  Of course, ATSF wound up purchasing GP60s and GP60Ms later, so I suppose this test was impressive enough for the ATSF.  Before winding up on the CSX, EMD 5,6, and 7 worked for a period as lease units on the SP.

Cheers,
Harry

tracktime Wrote:
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> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Those dogs didn't last all that long on the
> > 199/991 trains.
> >
> > Out 
>
> As far as I know, these were the only instances
> where EMD 5, 6, and 7 were on the 199/991 train.
>  They were just on there as a "test drive".  Of
> course, ATSF wound up purchasing GP60s and GP60Ms
> later, so I suppose this test was impressive
> enough for the ATSF.  Before winding up on the
> CSX, EMD 5,6, and 7 worked for a period as lease
> units on the SP.
>
> Cheers,
> Harry

Exactly.  Such dogs that they ended up selling 123 GP60 variants to the ATSF, not to mention 198 to the SP - the other big western buyer of 4 axle units at that time.

callum_out Wrote:
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> Those dogs didn't last all that long on the
> 199/991 trains.
>
> Out 

Where did you get your information that the GP60 series units were "dogs"?

All three were retired from CSX in the Great PSR Purge of odd, old, and interesting locomotives during 2017-18...