Both pre- and post-AMTRAK several railroads–EL and Pennsy come immediately to mind–regeared at least some of their passenger units for freight operation and, I will presume, removed the steam generators. I read somewhere that Santa Fe ran their relatively new FP45s through the shop to convert these engines into freight units so that AMTRAK could not designate them as passenger engines and lay their mitts on them.
For sometime now I have contemplated modifying SD35s into SDP35s through the fabrication of a steam generator addition for the long hood–the hobby magazines have, on occasion, addressed this steam generator addition complete with plans if I can find them–but with Athearn’s recent release of their N-Scale FP45 I am thinking that my S&WVRR instead may have purchased a couple of these to pull its last benchmark passenger train and, as did the ATSF, converted them for freight operation. I don’t ever recall having seen any photographs of what these modified units may have looked like post-conversion. What did the railroads do with the exhaust panel on the roof? Were the intake filters–I guess they were intake filters–on the side blanked or left intact. Can anyone provide me with some enlightenment as to what visual features I might encounter on one of these passenger units whether we are talking about a modified E-unit or a PA, an SDP or FP unit, or even a “torpedo boat” GP for that matter.
Well generally I think the external change would be minimal. I think in F units for example it was just a small intake vent and one or two small exhaust stacks on the B unit. I know on the DSS&A’s RS-1’s the only indication of one being boiler equipped was a narrow ‘shotgun’ stack on the short hood behind the cab.
You’d maybe need to track down a Kalmbach Diesel Cyclopedia or search online for diagrams of the engine in question to see what the external manifestations of a steam generator would be.
I know the Southern Pacific painted the gear ratio on the trucks on each unit. They kept their SDP45’s transfering them to San Francisco commuter service, usually using them for frieght service on weekends to Roseville and back. The SP aquired some EL SDP45’s that caught my eye because they had one huge fuel tank the length of the underframe between the trucks, but I had understood that the EL bought them that way. SDP45’s were big locomotives with almost no back porch/platform and the rear of the hood squared off.
Externally, there was very little visible difference between a loco with a steam generator and without. To simulate one with a steam generator, you will need to add an exhaust chimney and a smaller pipe for the boiler popoff valve to the roof at the rear of the engine.
Normally, the external difference will be the S/G exhaust stack(and the water fill). When converting an engine from passenger service to freight service, an number of items have to be addressed:
S/G - the boiler is an government mandated monthly inspection item. Either remove it, or disable it.
Boiler water tanks - can they be converted to carry more fuel?
Gear ratio: Change out so the minimum continuous speed can be lowered.
Cab heat - Some older passenger units used the S/G to provide cab heat. Additional cooling water radiators or electrical strip heaters may need to be appled to the cab.
Making a SD35 into a SDP35 is a real chore. EMD moved the radiator section forward to allow the S/G to fit in behind it(just barely).
Regearing of older passenger power was done by several roads(EL comes to mind) and they were used in intermodal service(usually running with their own kind). BN used old CB&Q E7’s in grain extra service(getting the last of the miles out of them) until they were traded in on new SD45’s. They were also used in transfer service in the Chicago area(until cab heat became an issue in the winter).
BTW - That FP45 story is just ‘urban myth’ stuff. Amtrak had to ‘purchase’ the locomotives/cars from the railroads. A 3 to 4 year old FP45 would have some pretty hefty lease payments on it that Amtrak really could not afford, even it if Santa Fe wanted to sell it off. Same was true of the Milwaukee FP45’s, BN SDP40/45’s, and the SP SDP45’s.
There are no side grills or vents in the steam-generator section of the FP45, which is the rear 5-foot part of the unit’s cowl body, so there’s no obvious difference there. All the vents and stacks come up through the steam-generator hatch on the roof, and with that equipment removed, there was only a flat plate to close the opening.
As to the gear ratio, I’m not sure it was ever changed. Joe McMillan’s “Santa Fe Motive Power,” published in 1985, shows the 5990-class FP45u locomotives (the “u” indicates upgrading by San Bernardino shops) with a ratio of 59:18, compared with 60:17 for the F45u freight cowl units of the 5950 class. For comparison, the Santa Fe’s conventional SD45s and SD45-2s also used the 60:17 gear ratio.
Matching gear ratios isn’t as big a deal on the prototype as many modelers seem to think, at least not when low-speed lugging isn’t an issue. Even when the FP45s still hauled Santa Fe passenger trains, they were often used in consists with F45s. (The F45s didn’t have steam generators but they did have pass-through steam lines.) And the two types of units were also often used in multiple on the “Super-C” fast TOFC trains.
I hadn’t thought of this; there is a picture in one of Kalmbach’s Diesel Spotters showing this steam generator extension and it squeezes that rear platform down to what appears to be a barely passable ledge and I can see how that would have necessitated the relocation of the radiator compartment. I suppose that if I wanted SDP35s I would have to figure out how to either splice in a new radiator section from a spare body or relocate the old one and fill any gaps in the body with styrene. Either way that could prove to be a rather formidable task; should I elect to try it I suppose that the best place to begin would be to see if I can locate some drawings of both the SD35 and SDP35.
NOTE FOR ANDY SPERANDEO: Andy, don’t remember the exact nature of your recent malady but glad you survived it and glad you’re back!
BAR converted its two E7A’s for freight service in the early 1960’s by removing the s/g and re-gearing them. I believe that they were later traded in for GP38’s.
Amtrak approached SP about purchasing the SDP45’s. The deal fell through because SP wanted to sell all 10 of them but Amtrak only wanted to buy 5. EL’s SDP45’s never had s/g’s and had a beveled rear end unlike the flat rear end on the GN and SP SDP45’s.
PRR and UP are probably the re-gearing champs. PRR re-geared Centipedes, passenger Sharks and PA’s for freight duties (among other models). UP also re-geared for similar reasons and also re-geared and re-numbered the 8000 series SD40-2’s to improve their availability.
CN had a block of GP9’s without s/g’s that were geared for passenger duties and ran with s/g cars when pulling passenger trains. I’m not sure if they had steam lines for operation with s/g equipped power.
What was the logic behind removing the steam generator? I can understand the vents to seal up the carbody but removing the flash boiler would remove weight from the engine which would derate it (very slightly) for freight service.
As Jim Bernier stated in his response these things either had to work or had to be disabled and I think you will agree that removing them makes them 100% disabled. Removing them opened up this area in the body for the addition of add-on weight although I don’t know of anyone who ever did this. I did look at the photographs of SDP45s and it appears that BN, at least, plated over the intake grills and replaced the exhaust panel on the roof with a solid one.
I thank everyone for their responses; I would like to particularly thank Jim Bernier for bringing to my attention the fact that EMD, in this conversion, had to make body modifications in order to get that steam generator to fit onto their existing SD35 frame. I will admit to not having a terrific amount of experience in bodyshell modification but I’m not above giving things that “old college try!” I purchased about six of these Atlas SD35s with this specific conversion in mind. It might, however, be considerably easier to fabricate an SDP40 using some of my old Kato SD40s as a base since, as near as I can see, all that this conversion would require is encrouchment on that forty acre rear porch.
Why not just use the Atlas SDP35 shell - No additional work needed! And those rear steps are different as well, plus that ‘notched’ S/G enclosure. If you really want to do it - go for it, but my modeling time has has better uses when the finished product is already available. Of course you could build a SDP28 - South Korea got a few of them!