over here in my part of Croatia there is no electrification (we are a sort of a backward part of the country) and there are 3 kinds of passanger trains. One is a slow local DMU that goes up to about 50mph, then there is the high speed new bombardier DMU that goes at about 100mph, and then there is the regular “fast” train which is basically passanger cars pulled by an EMD freight diesel (export version of GP39). They run it at 70mph, which is its limit anyway
Even though such trains are common here, the whole idea is a bit strange to me. There you have a single freight diesel spilling its guts out at maximum speed for years and years, pulling first class passanger cars. It’s kind of funny even.
My question is:
are freight diesels in any situation used for passanger cars in US?
Alaska railroad bought some SD70MACS which have the unique capability to switch one of the 3 AC inverters to HEP applications. When this feature is engaged only 4 of the 6 traction motors receives current while the extra is sent to the train consist for hotel power.
Also towards the end of Class 1 RR passenger service(1950’s-60’s pre Amtrak) in the US many railroads bought roadswitchers designed for freight service with steam generatorrs for train heating, the idea being that when passenger service the abandoned the units could haul freight with little or no modification…
Several roads purchased roadswitchers equipped with steam generators and signal lines and used them as dual-service power. A common arrangement was for these locomotives to work suburban trains and terminal switching during the week and freight trains on weekends. Some smaller roads with a lot of short hauls used dual-service power interchangeably in freight and passenger service.
Both Great Northern and Northern Pacific used F units, GN F3 and F7, NP F3, F7, and F9, on their premier passenger trains from late 1940’s to the end. GN bought E units for the Empire Builder but found them unsuitable on 2.2 percent grades and replaced them with F units. All that was required was to change the gear ratio for a bit higher top speed and minimum continuous speed and to add steam boilers for heat. In the day both GN and NP had 25 MPH maximum speeds on the Cascade mountain passes which the Fs had no trouble holding so they never got close to motor traction overheating speed ranges.
In the final years of GN operation before BN they purchased first SDP-40s for the Western Star/Fast Mail These were nothing more than a standard SD-40 with a steam generator housed in the rear of the long hood. A pair of these could keep just about any size train on time or was capable of making up lost time in the mountains. They produced 3,000 hp and ran on six wheel trucks.
The first diesels delivered in the new Big Sky Blue scheme of the Great Northern were the SDP-45 diesels delivered for the Empire Builder these were standard SD-45s witha stretched frame to hause the steam generators. They were very successful as power for the premier streamliner of the Great Northern
The SP purchased also purchased SDP-45 diesels for their passenger trains in the final years before Amtrak.
Many American Railroads also purchased early RS and GP diesels for passenger service housing steam generators in the high short hoods of most of them. Although they were mostly used on secoindary trains some railraods such as the N&W assigned them to their premier trains as they purchased no E, PA or FP or F units at all.
The Reading used to have several classes of “freight” locomotives that were set up to haul passengers. They were RS3, AS16, GP7, and H24-66. Additionally in the summer when heat was not needed the Reading would use locomotives that were not set up to haul passengers on passenger trains. FTs and other sub classes of RS3 were the most common.
The only difference is the gearing. It would appear your GP-39 was designed as a dual service engine if it can obtain 70mph. Most freights in the US operate at substantially slower speeds more like 50mph.
Let’s see, the FM Trainmasters were freight engines, yet handled the SP commute fleet for years. There were hundreds of EMD F units, and maybe dozens of ALCO FA’s in passenger service, not to mention all the hood units that worked passenger service. It may be that more freight diesels worked passenger than did their steam counterparts. And how about the Baldwin centipedes, which were passenger engines which were quickly sent to freight (helper) service, at least on the Pennsy.
You are from Croatia??? I am Croatian!!! My mom’s entire side of the family is from Croatia, my grandfather grew up in Krk, his dad was a fisherman… My grandmother grew up in Zagreb…What part of Croatia do you live in???
Basiclly the only difference between a passenger locomotive and a freight one is the final gear ratio. Santa fe had F-45’s the shorter version equipted with pass thru lines for steam and signal lines they were geared for passenger speed but avoided the need for a steam generator.