When hauling passenger trains (particularly Pennsy and roads serving VA/MD/DC/PA areas) were “passenger” locos always used? Or could a freight loco be used if it was paired with a passenger loco (for the steam/head-end stuff)? If so, was it common? If so, did the passenger loco have to be in any particular position in the loco consist?
Mostly boiler equipped engines were used on passenger trains but there were exceptions (FT’s were used on the RDG).
The boiler equipped engine would have to be next to the passenger cars.
Dave H.
Although I do not know about specific Pennsy practice, I do know that, during warmer months when steam heat was not required, freight locomotives could be used on passenger trains. Santa Fe used freight F7’s on trains in Colorado and Erie used local freight GP7’s on commuter trains in New Jersey, for example.
On the PRR between New York and DC and Philadelphia to Harrisburg your motive power would have been a GG1 from 1937 until the end. From Philadelphia to the New Jersey seashore on the PRSL you could have had a 4-4-2 E6s or a 4-6-2 K4s steam engine. PIctures exist of PAs, E7 &8 and a variety of Baldwin engines in that service also. the PRR also had Baldwin shark nose passenger engines with six wheel trucks but nothing is available to model them. They also had FP7 dual purpose engines but E7s were the mainstay of PRR passenger engines outside the electrified territiory. Prior to diesels double headed k4s were the norm on the mainline until the T1 came along.
Also for commuter service the Pennsy used its G5 4-6-0’s in all major cities. Some even had pilots on the tender for reverse running.
Rick
I don’t know if Pennsy had any locomotives configured like the Santa Fe F45s, but the F45s had through steam lines so they could be used in passenger service (meaning that they had stem lines, but no boilers). The Santa Fe also had boiler cars, which were modified baggage cars (if I recall correctly, they also had some tenders modified into steam cars). I know some other roads had boiler cars.
If a passenger unit was ailing, the next available freight unit may be pulled out to pull the passenger train. The lack of S/g means no heat for the customers. Better to get the train moving than be stuck in a bad location. A freight loco would be restricted by gearing to lower & slower speeds. It would be a clallenge to keep close to the advertised schedule. The train may have to get to the next division point to find another passenger unit.
THe PRR may have kept some GP’s & other units with passenger gearing just in case they need to pinch hit for the “normal” power. They would be intended for use for branch lines or minor trains. THey would at least have some steam lines to provide some heat for the customers.
FT’s were designed as A-B sets with a drawbar between, the railroad could buy them with a steam generator in the B unit as an option, or could install them later if they wished.
When the Great Northern bought their first FT sets in 1941, they came with steam generators, and were used in both freight and passenger service…usually in the same day!! GN used FT’s to pull their Badger and Gopher passenger trains between Mpls/St.Paul and Duluth/Superior, a set would make one trip with a passenger train, and make a return trip with a freight, then make the same round trip the next day. (Interestingly these units were painted in GN’s green and orange so-called “Empire Builder” scheme, even though those colors wouldn’t be used on any Empire Builder equipment until 1945 when their passenger E units arrived.)
When Santa Fe couldn’t get passenger F units quickly enough after WW2, they added steam generators to some of their FT sets and used them in passenger service for a few years in the forties.
On occasion freight power would pitch hit for assigned commute power on the SP, examples i’ve witnessed included GP-20’s, GP-35’s and Alco road units, matter of the fact, the GP-35 was a serious contender for inclusion in the commute fleet. For numerous reasons this never occured, none had provisions for heat, nor were any conversions considered. House steam kept everything nice and toasty, quite a job considering one could poke their finger through the sheetmetal on those ancient Harriman coaches!
Dave
But many of the SP covered wagons were equipped with through steam lines even though they were not boiler equipped. This was so if called upon they could be used with passenger power and the steam heat would be available to the trailing passenger cars. There was no A/C problems as the SP used mechanical operated air for the most part so steam did not play an important part.