http://www.railpictures.net/photo/614005/Got a small / medium layout with very little to no six axle power? Well this pic of a Chessie GP40-2 shows that you can run a small intermodal with a single four axle locomotive and still be prototypical!
This goes back a bit but in the 1980s I remember the Milwaukee Road "sprint" intermodal trains (TOFC back then) were almost always powered by, if memory serves, GP40s, as a rule just one locomotive (it was rarely a long train). And those trains came through our favorite train watching spot at truly frightening speeds. I believe sprint trains were permitted to slightly exceed normal freight train speed limits, but were not authorized to go at Amtrak's 79mph. We'd back away from the crossing because those trailers would really be swaying from side to side. And then there was the night we saw a trailer which had an open rear door swinging dangerously to the side (we called the railroad's emergency 800 number to report it).
One memorable evening a westbound (geographical north bound) sprint train was approaching Milwaukee and the local "Sturtevant (or perhaps Rondout?) patrol" was also returning to Milwaukee, powered by one of the Milwaukee's MP15s with the Blomberg trucks. The trains were running parallel and the patrol crew decided to have a little fun by trying to match the sprint train's speed. So the patrol was likely exceeding the normal freight train speed limit that night, but they were neck and neck. Luckily I chose that night to watch the sprint train from an overhead bridge. One of the most memorable train watching events of that era.
Dave Nelson
There's nothing unusual about Chessie using a Geep 40 on a short intermodel..
Why is that?
The Chessie roads favored 4 axle locomotives over 6 axle.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I seen some Santa Fe intermodal trains having 6-8 flatcars with a caboose. The pictures told they were 60s.
Here's an example for prototypical consist, third picture down.
http://condrenrails.com/ATSF/ATSF-Passenger-Trains.html
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I remember reading an article about the Rio Grande doing the same thing/ Short but fast intermodals with a single 4-axle unit for power. Maybe in an early 80's MR
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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