Preserved B units?

etalcos · **Posted:** Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:13 pm

ge44tonner wrote:

Does TVRM still have a former CSXT F7A-B set? As I recall, the B unit was CSXT 117.

Those are privately owned, not TVRM owned. They represent the only surviving NC&StL and L&N F units. I think plans are to see them restored as L&N.

ETA

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:39 pm

Richard Glueck wrote:

I recall several F7B units have wound up as part of snow trains, either serving as traction of electricity.

jmlaboda wrote:

A couple of SP F7Bs still apparently are in use powering snow plows...
SPMW 8208
SP MW8211

From Richard A. Percy's website: http://espee.railfan.net/sp_snails.html

Richard A. Percy wrote:

To go with their rebuilt electrically powered Rotary Snowplows, SP converted 9 vacated F7B units to provide electrical power for the Rotary Snowplow blade or wheel, and steam for heating, to keep the Rotaries functional in sub-zero weather.

Some texts say the traction motors were disabled, others say they don't have any...

Details vary between units, and I don't have enough information or photo's to really list them.
However, from photo's the number of portholes may vary, and the truck journals exhibit different configurations. Dynamic fans look to have removed, and both engine and steam generator exhausts look to have been modified.

The Rotaries and 'snails' are part of the Maintenance of Way (MOW) Roster, so carry SPMW numbers, respective snails carry the same number as their Rotary, with the prefix 8. eg, Rotary SPMW 205's snail is numbered SPMW 8205.

Keep in mind that the SP rotaries were formerly in the #72xx-series. The identities of these 9 rebuilt units given on the above page conflicts with what is listed on 2 of Andrew Toppan's webpages listed below; this would appear to be a case of simple number crossing. As Andrew's data is more complete, I've aligned the list included below to what he has listed, rather than the identities given by Richard Percy.

Surviving F Units List: http://membrane.com/~elmer/rail/units/f_units.html

Rotary Snowplow List: http://metroworld.com/bigtoys/rail/units/rotaries.html

SP #6145C (built June 1949, serial #7137, order #E1310) renumbered to #8091, converted between April and September 1970 to SPMW #8205. Current status unknown.

SP #6148C (built June 1949, serial #7143, order #E1310) renumbered to #8097, renumbered to T&NO #541 (2nd), converted between July and September 1970 to SPMW #8206. Rotary #206 is now at Train Mountain in Chiloquin, OR; I don't know if the ex-F7B power car was also moved there. On a side note, the former water car for rotary #7206/#206, #7206B, which was converted from the tender of Class AC-10 Cab Forward #4219, is now owned by DLMX as the auxiliary tender for #4449.

SP #8299 (built March 1953, serial #18149, order #3160) converted between July and September 1970 to SPMW #8207. Rotary #207 was rebuilt in 2012-2013 and is active: http://donnerrails.com/rotary-plow-rebuilding-update/

T&NO #545 (built December 1952, serial #17223, order #3157) converted between October and December 1970 to SPMW #8208. Current status unknown.

SP #6144B (built June 1949, serial #7134, order #E1310) renumbered to #8088, renumbered to T&NO #540 (2nd), converted between April and June 1970 to SPMW #8209. Active.

SP #6151C (built June 1949, serial #8190, order #E1310) renumbered to #8103, converted between April and September 1970 to SPMW #8210. As of 1988, rotary #210 had been donated to CSRM, and as of 2012 the #210 had been acquired by the Truckee Donner Railroad Society. From viewing pictures online, it appears that the ex-F7B power car is currently not on display with the rotary in Truckee; I don't know if it was actually donated with the rotary to CSRM.

SP #8292 (built February 1953, serial #18161, order #3166) converted between July and September 1970 to SPMW #8211. Active.

SP #8300 (built March 1953, serial #18150, order #3160) converted between July and September 1970 to SPMW #8221, donated in June 2014 to the City of Roseville and moved for display, fenced in and located next to 4-6-0 #2252: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3468673 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlmVAuhxcE4

T&NO #544 (built December 1952, serial #17222, order #3157) converted between April and June 1970 to SPMW #8222. Active.

jmlaboda wrote:

And atleast one is still employeed by BNSF as well...
BNSF 972573

Andrew Toppan's rotary snowplow page lists 8 BN/BNSF snowplow power cars, 4 converted from F9A's, and 4 converted from F9B's, as listed below.

Additional info from Charles Biel's BN website: http://www.trainpix.com/BN/INDEX.HTM

Steam generator-equipped NP #6701B (built in August 1956, serial #21125), to BN #9803, renumbered to #769, retired in September 1982 and converted to power car #972572, assigned to Willmar, MN.

There are 2 different videos on YouTube of snowplow BN #972559 with power car #972572 operating in Nebraska the winter of 2009-2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCqEBdjaXpM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37tFRJW8JWY

NP #7011C (built in March 1956, serial #21117), equipped with steam generators and renumbered to #6704B, to BN #9809, renumbered to #775, retired in November 1982 and converted to power car #972573, assigned to Lincoln.

NP #7009B (built in August 1955, serial #20303), to BN #833, retired in November 1982 and converted to power car #972575, assigned to Glendive, MT.

NP #7013C (built in March 1956, serial #21121), equipped with steam generators and renumbered to #6705B, to BN #9811, renumbered to #777, retired in June 1982 and converted to power car #972577, assigned to Tacoma.

J3a-614 wrote:

One that I haven't seen mentioned so far is a preserved FT B-unit owned, if I recall correctly, by the museum in Roanoke; it has been painted into GM demonstrator colors and loaned out to pair with the former 103 demonstrator that wound up on SR.

The EMD demonstrator-painted B unit was built in December 1944 as SOU #4103C (serial #2675, order #E623, frame #E623-B2), renumbered to #4311, converted to steam generator #HC-51, renumbered to #960601, owned by VMT.

There are 3 other surviving SOU FT B units:

SOU #4103B (built in December 1944, serial #2674, order #E623, frame #E623-B1), renumbered to #4303, converted to steam generator #HC-54, renumbered to #960604, owned by the Atlanta Chapter/Southeastern RY Museum in Duluth, GA.

SOU #4100C (built in October 1943, serial #1824), renumbered to #4308, converted to steam generator #HC-53, renumbered to #960603. The #960603 is owned by MOT and is currently stored.

SOU #4108C (built in March 1945, serial #2892, order #E644, frame #E644-B4), renumbered to #4315, converted to steam generator #HC-52, renumbered to #960602, sold to Gray Tuttle as Waccamaw Coast Line RR (WCLR) #960602, currently stored on the Carolina Southern in Conway, SC.

In Conway, SC, on June 23rd, 1990: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2437767 (Stephie Kolata photo)

In Conway, SC, on March 27th, 2007: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1189443 (Kevin Hunt photo)

J3a-614 wrote:

I also seem to recall reading somewhere that there's a preserved FT A-B set in Mexico. Is that still around?

One half is. The A unit is now located at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads in Puebla. These 2 units were in the dead line as of April 1982, so the B unit may very well have been scrapped.

The A unit was built in January 1945 as NP #6010D (serial #2843, order #E636, frame #E636-A8), renumbered to #5410D, sold to Sonora Baja California (SBC) #2203: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=87091

The B unit was built in October 1944 as NP #6006C (serial #2572, order #E612, frame #E612-B), renumbered to #5406C, sold to SBC #2203B: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=182376

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jmlaboda · Updated 8/9/17 with 8,402 new links

Quote:

One half is. The A unit is now located at the National Museum of Mexican Railroads in Puebla. These 2 units were in the dead line as of April 1982, so the B unit may very well have been scrapped.

The Wx4 website states that the B-unit was still in "the Benjamin Hill deadline" as late as 2012...

http://wx4.org/to/foam/mexico/s-bc/f/units.html

The Mexican Railroads Blogspot reports that the unit still resides in the yard at Puebla Museum... rusting away...

http://mexicanrailroads.blogspot.com/2009/01/benjanin-hill-around-shops.html

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 595

People people, you guys are forgetting the crown jewel of all diesels. California state railroad museum's 347C and it's F3 B unit

Preserved B units?

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