We had rebuilt U25B's (U25BE in SP parlance) active in local service here in Southern California into the mid 80's, caught a Chatsworth local once with a never to be repeated memorable assortment of a rebuilt geep nine in the company of a MP1500 and two U25BE's. Removing the turbochargers from the U boats not only reduced the rated horsepower but actually improved their reliabilty.
Dave
MILW-RODR a GP30 still in active service that was only a few years ago. GP30's, depending on your source of info, were made in 60-63, or 61-63, I've seen both listed.
a GP30 still in active service that was only a few years ago. GP30's, depending on your source of info, were made in 60-63, or 61-63, I've seen both listed.
It's been rebuilt, but cosmetically it looks the same, just last month.....
Ship it on the Frisco!
And BTW, I will gladly take any and all suggestions on how to apply the Maginnis paint scheme to a steamie!
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
steinjr Doesn't take a huge stretch of imagination to let a couple of NW2 stay on in light switching duty on the Southern into the mid-1970s.
Doesn't take a huge stretch of imagination to let a couple of NW2 stay on in light switching duty on the Southern into the mid-1970s.
WCU -- As you get into the hobby, you'll find that some of us model a strict prototype, some of us model a totally fictictious road (freelancers), and some are in between ("protolancers"). I fall into the third group.
In my alternate reality, the back-to-back hurricanes of 1954 (Carol and Edna) wiped out large sections of the New Haven's Shore Line between Old Saybrook and New Haven. The cash-strapped NH could not afford to repair it, and so upgraded the old Valley Railroad line (in reality a little used single track hosting perhaps 3 trains a week by the 1950's) to route trains further inland.
This alternate reality allows me to model the area of the country I want to combined with the types of operations I want. So it doesn't matter whether or not the REAL NH was operating Pacifics and Mikados in 1956.... MINE is. The trick -- for me -- is not to stray TOO far from reality. I wouldn't throw a loco that the NH never operated into the mix, but extending the service lives of a couple of locos that I WANT to operate works for me.
You'll have to pick the type of scenario that suits you -- do you want to faithfully reproduce a prototype, indulge your own fancy, or land somewhere in middle. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. The important thing is that you enjoy it!
Gee, somebody had to go and mention GP-30s. Until sometime around 2001 or 2002, I would drive past the N-S South Lorain yard in Shefield Village, Ohio, and observe a high-nose GP-30 either parked or working. Now, the yard usually seems to be serviced by one or more N-S high nosed SD-40-2s or occasionally one or two GP-40-2s. Sometimes,I even see a caboose bringing up the rear. At the other end of the yard is the interchange where one of the NW-2s or it's mates drops off and retrieves cars. They also have an interchange with the Chessie (Formerly B&O) at the West end of the steel plant yards. The plant used to have a bank of 2 or 3 Hulets, but those were imploded about 10 years ago, since almost all the ore boats delivering Taconite are self unloaders anymore.
Just a little afterthought. One usually associates a sub-1000 hp switcher with small cuts of cars. As a chronic car counter, I have twiddled my thumbs at the crossing between the steel plant and the N-S yard while one of those Might Mites SLOWLY pulled 107 40' to 50' gondolas (empty, I thought) across the grade crossing.
wcu boy I am trying to model the 1970's in Southern Railway. I have purchased two NW2 from Kato in Southern Railroad colors. I did some research on Wikipedia about NW2's and they stated that they were built from 1939 until 1949. Am I really stretching my layout schema by running NW2's in the mid 1970's. I am a very green model newbie model railroader and I need some advice. Could you advise about the history of the NW2 and when it was extinct on most railroads. Please be kind with this newbie.
I am trying to model the 1970's in Southern Railway. I have purchased two NW2 from Kato in Southern Railroad colors. I did some research on Wikipedia about NW2's and they stated that they were built from 1939 until 1949. Am I really stretching my layout schema by running NW2's in the mid 1970's. I am a very green model newbie model railroader and I need some advice. Could you advise about the history of the NW2 and when it was extinct on most railroads. Please be kind with this newbie.
An NW2 (builders number 4753) - was on the Southern RR from 1946, then on the New York Dock RR from 1958/59, then on New York Cross Harbor from 1983, and then sold to Jersey City Dirt Transloader in 2001, where it still is, as far as I know - engines last a long time.
Modelled as being on the NYCH on Professor Klyzr's wonderfully evocative tiny layout "Brooklyn 3am": http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page87/pdf/NYCHlocomotives.pdf
Here is a roster of Southern RR diesel engines: http://www.thedieselshop.us/SouRy.HTML
We see that Southern RR at some time has had at least 69 NW2, numbered from 1016 to 1085.
Grin, Stein
One thing you might find on ebay or at a flea market that might be helpful would be an old copy of Kalmbach's Locomotive Rosters. They generally came out with updated versions every couple of years. I have one from 1983 and it's neat to be able to go back and see just what was in use then.
wcu boy Wikipedia about NW2's and they stated that they were built from 1939 until 1949.
Wikipedia about NW2's and they stated that they were built from 1939 until 1949.
Thanks EM-1 for the great support information. I should be all right with NW2's in the 1970's era. I love my friends on this site. They are so helpful.
After reading this post, I looked up the roster of the railroad servicing the local steel plant here, and among the 12 switchers, the roster shows 2 active NW2s, one purchased in February 1948, and the other later in 1949. The roster also includes 2 SW-8s, 2 NW-8s, 2 SW-9s, 3 SW1001s, 1 SW1200, and 3 slugs. Most of these locos have been converted to RC.
Over 60 years old and still going.
Thank you so much Crandell for the great picture. That helped so much. I was just wondering if NW2 were out of existent in the 1970's. And you answer in the affirmative wonderfully, that they were not out of the diesel rosters of major railroads. Thank you so much.
Here is a slightly slow link to a photo on fallenflags.org showing an NW2 in 1974.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sp/sp1318csa.jpg
Happy modelling.
-Crandell