I was browsing around rr-fallenflags.org and looking at Southern RR locomotives and noticed SOU had several EMD F3As with torpedo tubes on top of their roofs. Were the SOU F3As the only F-units to have this configuration? I thought the only EMDs that had tubes on top were hood units such as GP7/9s equipped for passenger service and SD24s and GP35s that had oversized fuel tanks.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sout/sou4134a.jpg
If you look at the photo of 4134, it is coupled to an E-8 with the same arrangements! 4134 appears to have a new, much bigger water tank which might have forced the air reservoirs onto the roof, but I’m pretty sure that the changes were made by the railroad after they entered service. 4137 and 4140 don’t have such big water tanks, but they might still be bigger than standard, forcing the air tanks to the roof. Has anyone got further images of the E units with air tanks on the roof? M636C
Just looking at the photos, my guess is that the pictured units have been moved into freight service in the 1960’s. My recollection is that the locomotives that were in passenger train service were all in the “apple green and white scheme” while the black and white was pretty much for freight service.
The air tanks on the roof might have indicated an added capacity of air for the requirements in freight service ( longer trains more breaking air needed.)
Those are just my observations, hopefully, some one with a knowledge of Southern operations can set us straight.[2c]
Sam, the Southern began painting its passenger diesels with black in the sixties, as I recall. Perhaps they ran out of the green paint that had been used on all of their diesels. I remember green Alcos on the freight that came through my home town.
Johnny
Here’s some links to pictures of Southern E8A’s with torpedo tubes:
SR 6906: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=735407
SR 6911: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=258074
NJT 4334: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=495563
Johnny:
I think you are right, but somehow in my memory, the change in paintschemes was somehow related to and accomplished in conjunction with the AMTRAK take over of passenger service on the Cresent trains and I think,the Tennesseean, which schedule was jaut annulled. Power for passenger trains was from Bristol to Memphis, and freight power was out of Muscle Shoals, area.
I know in my trips to Forrest yard, in the 1958 to 1960’s most of the power in there on freights were black and white with the gold stripes, I cannot recall seeing too many freight loco’s in the apple green livery.
Up until the end of its service, the Tennesseean ran with two E-units, (occasionally there was only one, close to the time it was annulled); they/it was always in the apple green scheme.
At that time Memphis was the terminus for the Southern
The Southern’s original diesel paint scheme was green. At some point in the 50’s, they went to black(Tuxedo paint scheme), even for passenger engines. In the 70’s they went back to green for the passenger engines.
IIRC, the ‘torpedo tube’ F3’s were passenger engines. The air tanks between the battery boxes were replaced with a water tank, hence the roof mounted air tanks. Note that near the rear of the unit is the ‘water’ fill hatch. Maybe someone has a complete history of these units and what passenger service they were purchased for.
Jim