(erielack) Re: EMD "P" Hood Units

[Blue Moon Network Administrator <root_@_net.bluemoon.net>]

On Tue, 4 Dec 2001, Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul) wrote:

> 3) Was the SDP45 really "developed by EMD as potential passenger power?" I
> thought it was just a simple solution provided to SP to meet there
> requirements? The EL unit was really just an elongated SD45 for the bigger
> fuel tank (heck, it uses the same body all the way back to that 5' plain
> hood section at the rear of the body), and was even classed an "SD45M" by
> EMD!

While the P designation was initially intended to designate a passenger unit
on EMD units it later denoted only a non-standard frame length and not
passenger equipment. Note that units carrying a steam generator in a high
short hood never carried a P designation as they had standard length frames, 
even in the case of the 20 steam generator equipped Mexican passenger
GP38-2's. P appeared with the FP7 A units (there never were FP B's) because
the steam generator equipped F7's didn't have much room for a fuel tank,
having to share underframe space with a water tank. They stretched the carbody
to allow for room for an interior water tank and the FP was born. There was
never an FP B unit because the lack of a cab provided extra room. So, really
-From the beginning the P designation had everything to do with the locomotive
being built upon a larger [P]latform even if it was officially a [P]asseger
option.

After the FP covered wagon series ended we didn't see any P units until the
SDP35 appeared so we'll start there. E units don't count, they didn't have a P
in their designation, even if UP did get some as late as '64 :^P

EMD built 35 SDP35's. 20 for SAL, 1 for ACL, 4 for L&N and 10 for UP. I
believe the SAL units had steam generators, don't know about the ACL unit and
in the L&N and UP the extra space was used for extra equipment like remote
control gear. I think they were all built in 1965.

EMD built 20 SDP40's, 6 for GN with SG's which ran on the Empire Builder. Who
got the rest?

Espee's SDP45's (10) did have steam generators and eventually replaced their
Train Masters in Bay Area commuter service. GN had 8, all built in '67 with
steam generators. Total SDP45 production was 52 units as we all know EL had
34 sans boilers.

Jersey folks know about the 13 CNJ GP40P's which all had steam generators and
the cool SD45 style flared radiators. Less well known is that SP had 3
GP40P-2's for commuter service.

That's all the P hood units I know of, did I miss any? MP15's don't count and
we're not talking about F units or the cowl carbodies and commuter rebuilds.

In my opinion, EMD didn't really care too much about the passenger market,
but would build you just about anything if you wanted to pay for it. Ihave
seen a lot of EMD advertising for freight hoods in the 60's, but never one for
passenger power. The P was just an "extra space" designation, the RR could do
whatever they wanted with it, be it bigger fuel tanks or remote control
equipment or a steam generator if they had the bad fortune to actually need
passenger power :(

GE also built passenger hood units for the Santa Fe, U28CG's and U30CGs, but
that's really getting off topic...

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr.       Blue Moon President & Network Administrator
root_@_bluemoon.net         www.bluemoon.net - Blue Moon Internet Corp
V.90, X2 & K56flex        www.railfan.net  - The Railfan Network

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