I was just looking at some stuff on E-bay and I found a pair of locos for sale that seem pretty cool, but I’m not sure about the prototype. Did Amtrak, or anyone else, ever have any locos like the ones shown in these auctions?
It looks like the modeler’s work is pretty nice, I am just wondering if there is a prototype or are these freelanced units. I’m not knocking the guy at all, just kind of curious, as they look like E-units with cabs at both ends and Athearn drives under them. Looks like something that could have built in a shop somewhere out of wrecked or broken locos, plus I claim to be Amtrak equipment ignorant! Thanks
I kitbashed something a lot like that some years ago from 2 bachman F7-A units. I Called it an RLA-1. I made it so I could run 1 loco on a point to point layout and not worry about turning it around. It could bring a train in, drop it and immediatly couple to another and move out back down the line. I used it for over a year then finally sold it. However, it had 4 axles. This one looks like it has 6 axles. Somebody had a very similar idea.
I was guessing they were 'bashed, just curious if there was a prototype for them. I have also built similar, but not as nice, locos in the past. Mine was from a pair of Tyco F-units shells powered by the trucks from under a Tyco GP20. It wasn’t great, but it seemed cool at the time. I still have the remains of the shell in my parts box, so maybe a rebuild might be in order…
It would be the product of someone’s good imagination. A back-to-backed
pair of E8A shells installed on what looks to be an SD40-2 frame. Granted-
the crafting seems above average, but there is no true US prototype for it.
The Great Northern Railway did a very similar prototype “kitbash” back in
1945. Y-1 class electric loco 5011 was wrecked on train 27, the Fast Mail
on March 9 of that year. The boxcab carbody was wrecked, so GN rebuilt
the loco with a homebuilt carbody utiliing a pair of EMD F-unit cabs to
create a very one-of-a-kind unique locomotive.
I do believe I’ve seen pictures of the ONR engines, I will check with my freind, he is a photographer who takes pictures for rail magazines as well as other photos. I think he was the one that had the photo. I am not sure if ONR built it or if it was purchased from oversea’s, but I am almost positive it was on the ONR.
Interesting experiment, but by replacing the S/G compartment on the rear with another cab, the engine sort of lost the capability of a S/G or HEP(something needed for passenger service).
There were some diesel double ended carbody units operated in N/A - the CNJ got some Baldwin double enders for commuter service - never repeated again…
I’ll be interested to see what you come up with - I suspect you’re thinking of the ex-TEE trainsets that ONR ran until 1992. There aren’t any real-life EMD double cab diesels in North America, and there’re no VR B class or NoHABs that have been exported to Canada…
