(erielack) What If

[Erielack1_@_aol.com]

The MP15 would most likely not have been used on the EL. The EL all ready had 
GP-38 and U-23 engines on order that where canceled. These would have 
forfilled the need for 4 axle engines. Having worked with the former Frisco 
MP15 units they are under powered when compared to a GP-38 for yard and local 
work. It takes three of them to do what two GP-38 or GP-39M units will do. 
Also the EL did work hard to take good mechanical care of its motive power. 
The people of the EL where used of doing much with very little. It was the 
people that kept the railroad running as well as it did. The RS-3 rebuild 
program may have very well been extended for a few more units. But the 
arrival of the GP-38 and U-23 units would have made allowed for the 
retirement of the last of the F units. Their still would have been the need 
for reliable yard and local power. Their where really not many road failures 
for the GP-7 units that where then 20 to 25 years old. I saw far more engine 
failures with almost new BN U-30-C units then I did the 1200's.
     The GP-35 units where tried in local service in 1975. The thought 
process was that with 2500 HP they could be used to replace two GP-7 units 
with a single GP-35 unit. The major complaint was that they where slower to 
switch with waiting for them to load up compared to a GP-7, when switching 
with the air bleed off their was less braking power and it just did not have 
the guts of two 1200s. They lasted on some local applications and had short 
stays on others where they just could not replace the two GP-7 units. The 
single GP-35 unit that was assigned to the B&P to replace the GP-7 units at 
Bangor lasted about two or three weeks at the most until it was replaced with 
a pair of 1200's. It just could not pull the tonnage up the hills without 
slipping and stalling out. By the later part of 1975 the recession had 
greatly reduced traffic levels on the branch. 
Bob Stafford

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