I wish IRM had preserved the HEP setup on 33C! What a bit of history to lose. Shaft right through the rear electrical cabinet! What's not to love?

HEP shafts through the electronics? How was that done?

I assume very carefully.

And a significant portion of the story that IRM tells, is of Chicago commuter service and of railroading in general in Illinois.

To let all examples of the first model of locomotive that was acquired new as the era of private operation of Chicago commuter services started to disappear with government subsidies and eventual control by what's now known as Metra, leaves a hole in that story at IRM.

And with the similarity to the SDP40F and the rarity of that model of locomotive (One preserved, and perhaps no survivors elsewhere unless Pueblo still has some examples around), it also has another story it can help tell from the late 1960's and early 1970's fling with C-C passenger power.

The F40C is a close derivative of the first model of locomotive that Amtrak purchased new, which has a lot of history of its own. Poor track on many host roads during Amtrak's difficult earliest days, a derailment controversy that was never fully resolved, trade-in's to EMD for organ transplants into new F40PHR's, a successful and much longer lived second career for a small number of the fleet, etc.

I was annoyed at forums like Railroad.net to see all the hoopla around their final intact days as a fleet. But as the years have gone by, I've came around and see that this is a story worth telling even if I don't personally find cowled passenger power very interesting compared to steam locomotives and streamlined diesels.

To let the last chance to save one when the day comes, after ~15 years have already passed since the fleet was withdrawn, would be unfortunate (And we can't complain that their demise is sudden and a surprise when it may happen). Hopefully IRM has us covered and enough folks feel this is a chapter of railroading history worthy of contributing towards preserving a tiny bit of it in physical form.

Rearrange the contactors and reverser in the lower portion of the cabinet to create an open area in the center, mount 2 pillow blocks and run a universal shaft right thru the cabinet from a coupling on the rear main generator to the HEP gearbox in the former steam generator area.

It was removed at IRM due to the gearbox suffering a catastrophic failure at Metra.

Jeff

Personally, I'd rather not see any more GG1s get cut up, but if they are just going to rust away, then I can sort of understand the rationale for scrapping them. And before we save another F40PH, we should take a look at saving an F40C for reasons stated by others.

Well if we're going to go off on a tangent about prototype units that introduce new Concepts, then what about the F69PH or the F40AC?

We already have an AC diesel pioneer preserved in Canada, so at least some of that early history will live on.

Those would be great to see saved (There was also a SDP40F converted along with the SD60MAC's and Erie's prototype AC4400CW, GECX #4400, which has been heavily modified through the years for testing). But I'd argue that the first Burlington Northern SD70MAC, #9400, and the first CSX AC4400CW, #9100, are even more historic machines and should be the focus of preservation efforts for early US AC traction diesels.

They weren't just preproduction testbeds or conversions of an existing locomotive for experimentation, but were actual production designs delivered and sold to a Class 1 customer. So ideally, these two machines should be preserved upon retirement, if still extant, since they mark the true start of the AC revolution on US railways.

Surprise Development:

Western Rail Inc. (WRIX), suburban Spokane, Washington:

https://www.facebook.com/WesternRailInc ... 8607117911



Name and location of new operator is being kept confidential until arrival.

Speaking of DYRX-owned #231 and #644, both were spotted at Barstow heading west on a UP manifest (directly behind the power) earlier this evening, ultimate destination unknown.

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Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Eleventh Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I see there's a separate thread for this move: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42892

_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Eleventh Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Since this thread was restarted, did we ever figure out where Amtrak 315 ended up, it says "longtime valued customer's new passenger excursion" so probably not GCRR or WMSR which both have F40PH's. I rechecked this facebook post and it wasn't updated.

The locomotives are owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation Inc. (http://dynarail.org/) an independent 501c3 preservation organization. Dynarail started in Portland Oregon, associated with the Brooklyn Roundhouse and their steam preservation/restoration groups there (hence the Daylight paint). As they were forced to move when the roundhouse was torn down and the new restoration facility was created with less track space, they moved their two locomotives to Ogden.

As the situation in Ogden changed work on the locomotives was not possible… operation was not possible.

Conversations were had with the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City for the last year. Our museum has roughly 5 miles of a former Union Pacific branch, serving the Boulder City and supporting the 1930’s construction of Hoover Dam.

We, NSRM-BC and Dynarail came to a hosting/loan agreement to house, display, offer shop access, and eventually occasionally operate two locomotives.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum curatorial committee has found them to have a connection to Nevada History. (231 was a regular on Las Vegas trains... Members of their board have become active and productive NSRM volunteers.644 was a model used on the I-80 corridor, and later as a AT&SF locomotive was used less than 75 miles from the museum through Kingman AZ)

Their travel to Las Vegas was complicated when due to computer issues, and a crew dying on the law, just out of town, the locomotives were not dropped at the Las Vegas Arden yard as expected… That hickup will be resolved soon. They will be the first equipment to be delivered to the museum on its own wheels since 1993.

Randy Hees