Veranda Turbine question

[lupo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

They may of used GP9Bs with some, but the later ones had an actual Turbine B unit.

turbine history:
the first UP turbine were steam turbines UP 1 and 2, used for a short while in 1939 but returned to GE to be used by Great Northern Service in 1943 than returned to GE and scrapped in 1944.
from 1949 - 1951 UP ( and late 1951 SP) tested a GE demo turbine UP 50
the picture of the resin model in the other turbine topic is a standard turbine, UP51 - 60, build 1952-1953, used from 1952 - 1964
Than came the veranda turbines: they used GP9B's as extra on all but 6 the veranda turbines #61 - 75 build in 1954, they ran from 1954 - 1964
The big or the super turbines, Lead engine, B unit and tender, 8500 - 10000 HP, UP1 - 30 were built between 1958-1961 and ran from 1958 - 1970
As an experiment in super kit-bashing late 1959 they started building a coal turbine, UP80 (later renumbered 8080) even bigger than the Super turbines, after static tests in 1962 it ran short periods in 1963 and 1964.
this giant consisted of a control unit rebuilt from an ALCO PA-1, a coal-burning turbine unit made from Great Northern straight electric locomotive 5018 and a coal supply tender from ar etired 4-6-6-4.

[Anonymous]

They may of used GP9Bs with some, but the later ones had an actual Turbine B unit.

[lupo]

UP Turbine 61 was selected to a test in 1958 to explore the possibilities of turbines operating in multiple with diesels, they used a GP9B and a tender, this test were succeful and all but six of the 4500 hp turbines were to be modified ,
so states the AJ Wolf book on UP's Turbine Era , it was pictured with the tender in the middle, between the lead engine and the GP9B

[ndbprr]

Yes, the turbines were one speed (flat out) fuel hogs much like the Amtrak F40PH's when stopped. So they used the GP9B as a captive shifter to move it around and used the output to start the turbine when they would shut it down.

[Anonymous]

OK so this may be a dumb question, but as I was looking on eBay earlier I ran across an auction for an OMI veranda model.

Heres the link if anyone is interested,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3173623042&category=484

But what caught my eye was the GP9B...why did they run the turbines with the GP9B? Any particular reason??

Thanks!
Wes