Nostalgia & History > Cotton Belt Geep 60 in better days

Seen at Bealville back in january 97

Andy G

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Always liked those SSW GP60's. Got to ride the 9669 one cold winters night on the SPCSL, they lost the fight on the hill at Palmyra MO when their B40-8 #8059 shut down account the computer saying it had a locked axle. She still rolled but they had it set out and the crew left half the train in the passing track a went west with the lone GP60.

One tough motor them GP60's!

Regards
Q-GP30

They are STILL tough motors on the UP! Most have been repainted, of course...all have been totally rebuilt from the ground up at Jenks in Little Rock in a total Class C, "zero-life" rebuild. The cab interiors were also refurbished.

I know it's sad that they aren't grey and scarlet anymore, but, the ones that have been repainted are among the best-looking UPRR power, partiucularly the ones that got "Baby Wings" (I'm not sure why some, but not all standard cab repaints get this treatment...the "baby wings" do make a standard cab unit look good, particularly an EMD).

The GP60's have a long, useful life ahead of them on the UPRR. I'm quite sure that the UP mechanical department is glad that the SP/SSW got all those GP60's...they are quite versatile engines. They can run on rock trains, manifest, still make an occasional but rare appearance in intermodal service, and, can work the yard. Very versatile engines.

The reason they pull so well is the SP/SSW GP60's and B40-8's were some of the heaviest 4-axle units ever built (290,000 lbs. for the B40-8, 288,000 lbs. for the GP60). This is a heavier axle loading than the so-called "Super Heavy" GE C44AC's on the CSX, which weigh a staggering 432,000 lbs., the heaviest 6-axle units I can think of.