This is one of those “it should be a no-brainer” questions but here goes: I know that diesels like the "E"s and "F"s and the “Steamers” look pretty good with passenger cars but, in “real life” would a “GP” diesel haul passenger cars? Thanks.
Absolutely !! Probably just on a Scenic Shortline RR now days !! I don’t believe or know for sure if Geeps had any steam boilers in them for heat for that type passenger cars.
Thanks, John
Northern Virginia’s “Virginia Railway Express” commuter train currently uses GP-39 and GP-40 engines. No it doesn’t have sleepers, but it does haul lots of passengers each day to and from the nation’s capital.
Here a link to their equipment roster: [link]http://www.vre.org/about/equipment.htm[/link]
Chris
On the Soo Line and Grand Trunk Western in the 1960’s and 1970’s the GP9s were often used to pull and push long distance passenger trains and then commuter trains.
The answer is often yes for the locomotive short railroads.
Between 1980-2005 the GP35, GP38, and GP40 type locomotives were used to pull dinner trains, inspection trains, and commuter trains which consisted entirely of passenger cars.
Andrew
I believe that the high-nose on the short-hood was used to house the steam heat gear on early GEEPS. That’s the reason for the round stack on the Lionel Geeps. Today most trains are heated and powered with HEP, or head-end power…hotel power… whatever the local road terms it. In this case the loco would either have an on-board electric generator, or one would be carried in an old “B” unit or baggage car just behind.
The Amtrak F-40/Amfleet combo is what really popularized and replaced steam heat and on-board axel driven generators.
Jon
When I used to ride the Wabash Cannonball home from college, we always were behind a GEEP and once in a while there would be an old Madison car.
Here you can see a great example still in use: http://www.agawacanyontourtrain.com/index.html
I KNEW THAT YOU ALL HAD THE ANSWER! Many thanks.