Re: (rshsdepot) "450-Ton Locomotive at the Waldorf-Astoria"

[CoolGuy127_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 3/6/02 12:38:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, ribear_@_cox.net 
writes:


> NH EMD FL9s did it for years. Some of them are still running for
> Metro-North. Normally they ran on 3rd rail power or used the overhead
> catenary thru the puzzle switches, but there's an old story that towards
> the end of the NH era, the FL9s weren't being maintained properly and
> often had to run on diesel all the way into GCT.  

       Two corrections.  First of all, the FL-9's have third-rail shoes, but 
do not have pantographs and therefore could not use overhead catenary (which 
does not exist at GCT or in the Park Avenue tunnels, anyway).  Secondly, the 
operation of FL-9s under diesel power occurred not only during the New Haven 
era, but also very recently, under the operation of Metro-North.  In fact, 
while, to the best of my knowledge, these FL-9's are no longer regularly 
assigned to trains running to GCT, they still could be in an emergency.  And 
it is also possible that the electric power of the Genesis engines that 
replaced them could, on occasion, malfunction.  So you could possibly find a 
diesel engine in GCT even today!

                   Daniel Chazin
                   Teaneck, NJ

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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