Trackside with Trains.com Vol. 191 - “Geeps” - is now live to view and vote
The latest round of our biweekly photo competition is now live. Five photographers submitted images for the theme “Geeps.”
This round’s reader submission comes from Kevin Bleich.
View the selections and vote for your favorite, then return here to discuss Vol. 190!
I see I’m already in the minority on this one, but when I think “Geeps”, it’s usually first-generation locomotives with high short hoods. I like the more modern stuff as much as anyone, but I worked for a railroad that held onto GP7s pretty much into its merger with the Big Guy, and cherished an eastern railroad that had one of the largest fleets of GP7s and GP9s anywhere, with which it bumped off some mighty modern steam locomotives.
Alex Mayes captured one of those Geeps in his shot, an ex-C&O GP9 in Chessie paint, without the nose chopped. Hands-down winner for me.
A GEEP is pure only in first generation, i.e .high hoods short and long. After that they are “m” or “u” or anything but GP. GP: genuinly pure. Any picture here other than Alex’s does not qualify.
Picky, picky!! At any rate, I went with Tom Nanos’ picture. While passenger service is not exactly a typical duty for Geeps, it’s still good to see them in that service, recalling an earlier period when they pulled everything from commuters to the “Canadian”.
I have to agree with Carl on this one. And I, too, voted for Alex’s picture. If I hadn’t seen his photo, I was going to vote for Drew’s. They were both my choice. If we could vote for two entries, I’d have definitely done that this week.
Although I yield to no-one in my admiration of first-generation high-nose Geeps (i.e., the “Genuinely Pure” article), I think Drew’s is the best photograph. The composition is perfect–the locomotive coming right at you while its train curves away behind it through the picture–and the lighting is dramatic, warming the background buildings and picking out the details on the freight cars. But it’s the loco that grabs the viewer–head and ditch lights full on, the cloud of exhaust, the engineer visible through the cab window–this is what Geeps have been doing for half a century and more.
And Mike’s wonderfully atmospheric shot is a very close second.
My take on GPs is…the older the better…and if there’d been a shot of a GP7 it would likely have captured my vote. So…I did the next best thing and voted for Alex Mayes pair of GP9s.
Tom in Nashville
I had difficulty with all of them. The nearly head-on angles meant that the locomotives could just as well have been SDs if you didn’t know what fairly subtle clues to look for, or the rosters. Good pictures all, but very generic rather than promoting what a GP is. I’ll pass.
John
I voted for Drew. Big picture: this shot had it all plus the conductor was looking right at me.
I fully agree with your comments, that’s why I voted for Mike’s picture, because in that picture you can actually see the typical 4 axle truck with its characteristic springs that make them so different from the 6 axle ones
I agree with CX500 and DRGWBuff2000. Head on view doesn’t tell you much.
Dave
Carl, I’ll join your minority. When I think Geep, I think of the high hood, GP7/9/18 series. I’ll accept a “m” “r” or “u” rebuild, even if they have chopped the nose. (At least when the CNW got those exRI geeps, they didn’t chop the noses when they went through Oelwein.) I voted for Alex Mayes, too.
Before and for a couple years after hiring out on the UP, I kept an application current with the IAIS. About a year after I had last updated it, they called to see if I was still interested. If it weren’t for the fact that we were well along in the process of buying our house, I might’ve jumped ship. Over the years I’ve kept watch when they have been hiring. I wouldn’t leave the UP now, partly of course because of the lesser (a lot lesser) pay and benefits, but I’ve found that while I still like the IAIS the attraction to it is not the same since they’ve got rid of all their geeps. (They still have some GP38 and SD38 models) I’m glad they have suceeded enough to acquire the modern power, but it’s just not the same.
Jeff
191 episodes and the plot is getting a little tired. I don’t really get the voting aspect of it anymore. Subject is geeps. Ok, here’s some geeps.
Vote for the most geepish? I look at the photos and just scratch my head. These are geeps… and…?
When all this started out, it made more sense. Couple of guys in the same spots shooting the same stuff, and explaining their choices. Now? Choose a photo of a GP from your hard drive and plunk it on. Done. Perhaps I’m the only one that feels this way, but is there much more life left in this series?
+1 on that.
3000 hp locos are generally known as 3rd generation models, are they not.
I’m not familiar with the GP18 model. I voted for Alex’s photo.
I think I agree with Zug, I haven’t voted here for a couple of months now. It seems many of the entries have only the most tenuous relationship to the topic. And if they can’t get at least 5 or 6 entries, maybe they should drop a topic.
Bruce
I went with Drew.
I semi-agree with Zug, although I think it’s topics and not pictures we’re running out of.
The problem with “Geeps” as a topic is that it’s a locomotive, and most people end up taking a 3/4 view. I would have been more impressed with someone offering a more creative shot (a Geep as background instead of the focus of the image?). The same can be said for virtually any locomotive as a topic.
Perhaps a revisit of some of the early topics would be appropriate - with all new entrants. Or maybe announcing two or three topics ahead, which might allow someone to go out and pursue a fitting image.
And don’t be afraid to use more than one reader submission.
Stricktly speaking GEEP’s are GP7 and GP9 models only. Everything after that are considered just GP’s and not GEEPS.
According to whom? I called our GP38 and 40s “geeps” all the time. So does about everyone else out here.
I have also heard that “geep” refers only to first generation GP series, I think only GP7 and GP9, but I am not exactly sure of the models included. Where does “first generation” end? I am not sure if I had ever heard about a low/high hood qualifier. But surely the GP7 and GP9 models looked better with the high short hood. Everybody agrees with that.
I don’t. I like low short hood GP7s and 9s. The rounder roof matches nicely with the round corners of the low nose. I also liked the high hoods on the later Geeps, such as the 38-2s. Has a certain brick look to it.
Since the GP18. It is something that has been a rule of thumb for most old timers, I guess, but often debated and commented on in Trains and other magazines. I am old and adhere to the GEEP as being GP7 or 9 on the grounds that is the term we affectionately labled the first generation GP’s and kept it to them in respect. Thre were also changes in engines, brakes, and other things in locomoitives. Theterm GEEP was coined because of the GP7 & 9’s being universal workhorses and used around a railroad much like the WWII vehicles called Jeeps (even Peeps by some), did out in the field.