SEPTA's tariff for operating foreign equipment also lists the charge for supplying electricity to it. The GG-1s even have automatic speed control with their cab signals.Why not, it's for sale?

Yet another reprise of this thought ??? Good heavens !!!

This type of garbage only reinforces the stereotype of 'railroad nuts' as held by many...

How about this criterion for a sanity check-if the idea wouldn't pass muster with those who write and administer grants-why not keep it to yourself.

One NEVER knows who reads this stuff.

DPK

We would have MUCH more to fear from the dreck and speculation on other supposedly rail-oriented websites than we would have from a rational discussion on this forum--presuming that any grant-providers have time to go looking for this stuff.

C'mon, guys, what are we going to be asking next? "Would it be possible, hypothetically, to reconstruct the Alco Plant at Schenectady and start building RS-3s and L-3 Mohawks again?"

We collectively struggle to keep up with what we have already preserved and to slowly make it better. We try to keep our old buildings from falling down, and try to fund new ones to cover the stuff. We are trying to increase our visitor and rider counts, attract new and younger volunteers, and to show our communities that we "matter" and are important to the social fabric, historical "memory" and economic relevance of our areas.

We've got plenty of "real stuff" to concern us; a GG1 will never run again, and you can take that to the bank. If one ever does, I only ask three things: the crow should be broiled without feathers, served with hot sauce, and I want to run the damn thing at least once. And I'm not worried at all about having to deal with any of those three items!

Yes, it's nice to "hypothetically dream". I might have occasional thoughts about Cindy Crawford, but I don't feel the need to mention them to my wife!!

This whole "GG1 thing" is a bit foolish, and certainly not what this particular website should be about, in my opinion. There are other places on the 'net for this sort of thing. Just sayin'.

Howard P.
Uptight, CT

Howard -

Thank you for hijacking this thread and providing a well deserved reality check. Now can you edit the above text and go paste it in a message over on the BLW 60000 thread?

Wesley

Ya know, if some of you are going to act like complete A**holes, then i'll join some of the other guys that have left the forum because of this crap. The ignorance of some of the answers disgusts me, as I only asked a question because I didn't know. I remember seeing somthing (an april fools comment) a while ago about restoring a GG1, but didn't see anything else. I did not say we need restore one, I don't want to restore one, etc. It was a question only asking what condition they were retired in, if any were ever operated in preservation, and what it would take to restore one to operation. I use this site as a question and answer forum, but when some of you give answers like this, I can see why people leave. Thanks to those who have given me proper answers, with the technical info, and to the others who left the crap, well, i'll keep my comments to myself so I don't offend others!!

If stating the reality of a situation marks me as an A-H, then so be it.

I am a native of the New York City region; I was bumming cab rides on Gs when I was 15 years old. My first published rail photo was a cab interior shot of a G (in the old Freeman Hubbard "Railroad Magazine", 1968). I later ran a couple on Trailer Trains, Meadows to Pot Yard, in the 70s (no other details, please). I stalked the last ones exactly 25 years ago, in northern NJ. I still can hear those particular sounds of the popping relays as they accelerated, and the sound of the quills engaging the drivers. And I sure as hell miss those big black beautiful monsters.

I became involved in rail preservation in 1970. I have raised money, gotten my hands dirty, learned a lot about many things (including the technical stuff), had more than a few dissapointments, and quite a few successes over the last 38 years. I know what the realities of railroad equipment restoration and operation are, in 2008.

I know the "landscape" of the northeast, both railroad and political. A GG1 will not operate again. Our wishing will not make it so, and the railroads that own and operate the former PRR electric territory are not disposed to allow this, even if it could be technically and financially feasible.

I will not say I'm the absolute expert on northeast railroading and GG1s, but I have some experience. If Steve Lee or Doyle McCormick stated an unpleasant fact about their respective endeavours (like "no Big Boy will ever run on UP"), would those messengers be considered "A-Hs"?

Let's deal with the realities of what we have. Want to experience a GG1? Some very nice ones are accessible in Lancaster County, PA.

Howard P.
Nitty Gritty, CT

I am almost certain a GG-1 could be operated today, and at full speed, given enough money.

The location would be the Transporation Test Center hihg-speed loop in Pueblo, Colorade, which is electrified at voltages up to 50kV and good for 150 mph. The AAR operates the track these days and I suspect would be delighted to lease it out for the right price. I don't think that loop gets a lot of use these days and the ycould use the money.

It would be necessary to build up a solid state frequency converter to produce the 25hz required by the series-wound motors, but no other changes to the test track would be required.

On board the Motor, it would be necessary to design and build a new transformer to bypass the PCB problem. It would be complicated with all the trasformer taps used to control motor current, but not impossible by any means.

Getting one out there would be an issue. I doubt the railroads would move one on its own wheels these days, but the GG1 is articulated and has a small profile to fit into Penn Station, NY. It should be straight-forward to split the two halves apart and load each half on a drop-center flat car.

The Test Center has a very well equipped shop that could re -mate the two halves, weld up any frame cracks and even instrument the truck frames if desired for measuring stresses.

FRA issues should be easy to overcome. The Track is on private property with no grade crossings, so is insular. Non-compliant equipment has been operated on the track at high speeds in the past.

I say go for it! I'll certainly go out there to watch and listen! Let me know when you win the lottery!

If some of you knew as much about the subject as you claimed, at least one of you would have recognized the fact that ancient organic insulating materials present within the power circuits on a GG-1 can (and do) serve as breakfast, lunch and dinner for a whole host of small critters.

I also suspect that the reason for removing the transformers had more to do with short-circuiting any hare-brained schemes to 'make one run' versus the 'PCB issue.' There are many, many transformers that have been purged of contaminents by repeated flushing with silcone based oils.

DPK

When did the Transportation Test Center end its ability to test S.E.P.T.A. and other neighboring equipment?

Now there is some seriously creative stuff!! And fun, too. Some of those monsters would require more than that famous 155-PS rail, I'd guess, and some might not make it around the s-curve at Elizabeth, either.

The B-10 is pretty cool; would have been right at home in Sunnyside Yard.

Watch it in "slideshow", the pics morph into each other and show the changes.

Props to the guy who did that!!!

Howard P.
Alternate Reality, NY

Their web page says they have available 12.5,25, or 50kV power at 60Hz.

I doubt the Test Center ever had 25Hz power available. Anything built since the Test Center came into existence will run fine on 60Hz.

Now that's funny. Can I order the critter size to run on 600v dc?

Wesley

Howard,

You might want to reconsider the Cindy thing if you had seen recent photos of her in a tabloid. Now Carey from Mythbusters - a beautiful redhead who can arc weld! It doesn't get any better than that! Guess I'd better be on the lookout for the restraining order now! (said with tongue planted firmly in cheek <g>).

This has been a most entertaining post. From bizarro locos to red headed welders.

Oh, what the heck!

Here's the link for the GG! that is going to be desielized!

http://www.prrllc.com/GG1.html

Scott