were f9's used for passenger ?

[Anonymous]

I'm not too familiar with operations, and I was wondering if the F9's of the UP where used for passenger service ? Anybody want to breakdown the specific uses of the F unit's [?] Thanks.

[Don Gibson]

YOUR QUESTION was "Were F-9's used for passenger? " - A. YES!

They were the latest version of the famous F series and an addition to F-7 'Fleet's. Roads that had enough passenger engines bought them for freight.

Were F-9's used on UP passenger service? I don't know. Probably.
The UP favored 'E' units on their 'name' trains.

"SPECIFIC USES" - "breakdown"? (Simple) Everything - except maybe yard hoggers.
You will need to obtain a book. Hopefully by then the UP hasn't sued the publisher for use of it's name.

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rororo

I'm not too familiar with operations, and I was wondering if the F9's of the UP where used for passenger service ? Anybody want to breakdown the specific uses of the F unit's [?] Thanks.

The UP "F-9's" were actually F-3 units tgat were upgraded to F-9's in the late 50's. However, some of their F-3 spotting features remained. There were 15 UP passenger F-3's (5 A units and 10 B units) built for passenger service in 1947, being assigned to the former LA&SL line out of Los Angeles, but I believe they didn't last more than 4 or 5 years in that service (if that). Here's some information on the rebuilds: http://utahrails.net/up/diesels/union-pacific_f9-or-f9m.php

Don Gibson is correct in stating that UP's preferred diesel passenger power were EMD's E units. IIRC, UP bought the last E-9's ever built by EMD (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was 1963).

A good source on UP power (steam AND diesel is William Kratville's and Harold Rank's Motive Power Of The Union Pacific. Unfortunately, I think it's out of print.

Andre

[Anonymous]

According to the "Union Pacific Motive Power Review 1968-1977" and the Railroad Magazine series "Diesel Locomotive Rosters", the only UP F units to serve as passenger power were F3As 900-904 and F3Bs 900BC-904BC; F3s 905-910 and 905BC, 907BC and 909BC; and FP7As 910 and 911; and F7Bs 910BC. Both sources indicate all of these units were renumbered into the 1400-series and placed in freight service by the mid 1950s.

So, sorry to say, the UP F9s (as noted by other posters, these were rebuilt F3s) didn't work in passenger service.

EMD only built 87 F9As (77 for US roads; 10 for Mexico). The only US roads I can think of to have used F9s in regular passenger service were NP, BN, D&RGW and MILW.

[Anonymous]

Note that there were also FP9's and FL9's, both of which were passenger units. CN was a large user of FP9's, which passed on to Via Rail, one is left in service today.

Most Passenger F units newer than F3's were FP's, which had larger water tanks for thr steam generators, giving them much greater range than SG equipped F7's or F9's.

F units were typically used on road freights when new, usually in multiple unit lashups. as they aged, they often moved to branchline service, even on locals. They weren't terribly well suited to switching, as they have poor rearward visibility (As do all cowl units, except CN 'Draper Taper' units and BL2's, which were designed for improved rear visibility). Ironically, Via's last FP9 is being used for switching duties in Vancouver.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everybody ! Looks like I need to steer towards the above mentioned ,common lash-ups.

[Anonymous]

Unlike most railroads, UP's F unit fleet was quite small. UP preffered to use the six axle E units for most of their passenger trains. With Es for passenger, and steam basicly working most of the freights until the end, the F9s were probably used for back up service only, or on lesser passenger trains. Otherwise they were kept out on the LA&SL route, where the arid dry conditions were ideal for moving freight with diesels.

[Anonymous]

Small F unit rosters were typical of roads that dieselized mainline operations late in the game,I don't think N&W even ended up with any new F units.

The Canadian Roads were oddballs, buying fairly large amounts of F-units, but being among the last roads to fully dieselize (Steam lasted until 1958-1960 on CN and CP)

[7j43k]

Steam generator equipped F's were used by the UP in passenger service at least until July 2, 1962 according to a comment on page 38 of "Union Pacific Diesels in Color, Volume One" by Ed Austin. It accompanies a photo of an AB set pulling a passenger train. You can see what appears to be an exhaust stack on the roof of the B-unit. Sure wish I could read the number.

Ed

[Don Gibson]

SO:
F-9's with or w/o boilers were used as backup on the SL-LA branch until '62, or
were they rebuilt F-3's? or FP-9's?

I have to think that as the E's were there first, any 'Passenger 'F's would have been for backup.

Santa Fe's F-9A's were boilerless (I believe only the B's had room for them) - hence the longer FPA. Oddly, the GP-9 had boiler room in the high nose.

I think I'd rather have P2K's or BLI's E's

[Anonymous]

F9's had room for boilers, it's the water tanks that were tiny. As B units didn't have cabs, they had room for the FP's larger water tank.

I suspect those were UP's rebuilt F3's that were used.