I knew that amtrak was in the freight buisness with express, but I never knew that they were hauling grain also.[;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)][;)]
By the way, look at what is behind the three E units, a [:D]U50C.[:D]
A few years back I saw a SP train that had on SP locomotive and two Amtrak F40PHs.
I think those hoppers might be cement hoppers.
If you have gone on the oaks model railroad site, there is a NS intermodal that use about 30-35 all purpose well cars and hauls trailers along the northeast corridor. One time the train has 2 amtrak P-42 and an NS GP38.
Could be just a power transfer, might as well put them to good use.
I think that train is the 25K (or something like that).
I’ve seen the Three Rivers with NS SD40-2 #3352 on the point.
[:D]That is an AWESOME lashup:Four F units,U50,SW1500.[:)]
In the mid 70s,SP leased a number of F units from Amtrak. That’s why they are on the SP freight.
From the looks of the F units, they are probably ex-SP FP7s to begin with. I think they were one of the only roads to equip F units with icicle breakers to protect the windows on dome cars.
Those aren’t E units…they are FP7 or FP 9’s.
In the late 60’s the Seaboard used their passenger E units to haul their intermodal trains from time to time.
From the early 50’s until the engines were scrapped, the B&O used passenger geared F3’s on it’s Chicago Division for most all freight trains handled between Willard and Chicago.
Passenger engines and the gearing that they have to permit running at passenger speeds and relatively light passenger loading make passenger engines a handful when used in most catagories of freight service.
Passenger engines have a ‘minimum continuous speed rating’ of 20 to 24 MPH depending on gearing…this is the speed at which the traction motors can handle the maximum current the generator can produce without overheating . At speeds lower than the minimum continuous speed the traction motors draw more current (aperage as indicated on the locomotive’ s load meter) and thus generate more heat as they generate more torque and come closer to being stopped…the point at which DC traction motors deveop maximum torque. Freight engines with their lower gearing have minimum continuous speeds in the 9 to 12 MPH range, thus freight engines can lug more tonnage up a given grade, albeit at a slower track speed…the traction motors of both freight and passenger engines will be turning the smal RPM at their respective minimum continuous speeds…the gearing changes the track speed at which this point is reached.