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CSX LOCOMOTIVE- TYPE- BQ23-7 & BNSF GP50 L <Quarters Cabs>

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CSX LOCOMOTIVE- TYPE- BQ23-7 & BNSF GP50 L <Quarters Cabs>
Posted by samfp1943 on Sunday, August 9, 2009 8:30 AM

Saw a fast photo run-by on a You Tube Video of what was a locomotive style/type I had not seen in any other photos. A notation called it a BQ23- 7...Not sure eve about that, as well. 

  This was a full cab style, that appeared not to have no front ramp or steps. I am not even sure that the type is correct. The loco number was CSX 3007, I would also guess it is probably a very small run of this locomotive style, possibly only sold to CSX ?)

 Will add link, maybe it will help.  Here is a link to the YouTube Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GFdBAujrb0&feature=related

The l;ocomotive in question is the thrid unit infront of the consist..#3007

Can anyone provide a link to photos, or info on this type of unit, and its uses, or history on the CSX.

Thank You!

 

 


 

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Posted by carnej1 on Sunday, August 9, 2009 10:54 AM

Photo and brief description: http://www.robl.w1.com/Pix-4/I-780860.htm

The oversized cab provided space for both the engine and caboose crews. GE offered this as an option on the Universal and Dash 7 lines during the Seventies but only SCL ordered it on 10 BQ23-7s. The elimination of full crews negated the need for the crew quarters option. IIRC CSX has retired all of these units, in their later years they had the cab windows plated over and were operated as B units..

There was actually an equivalent EMD locomotive...The last 5 GP50's built (for BN) had enlarged cabs to accommodate the full crew..these are not nearly as radical looking though..

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Posted by samfp1943 on Sunday, August 9, 2009 11:02 AM

carnej1

Photo and brief description: http://www.robl.w1.com/Pix-4/I-780860.htm

The oversized cab provided space for both the engine and caboose crews. GE offered this as an option on the Universal and Dash 7 lines during the Seventies but only SCL ordered it on 10 BQ23-7s. The elimination of full crews negated the need for the crew quarters option. IIRC CSX has retired all of these units, in their later years they had the cab doors and windows plated over and were operated as B units..

There was actually an equivalent EMD locomotive...The last 5 GP50's built (for BN) had enlarged cabs to accommodate the full crew..these are not nearly as radical looking though..

Note: Information on the GP L's of the BNSF ( EMD's Quarters Cab Modification) . I found and added a link to this thread referencing photos of BNSF GP 50L # 3158. ( See Caption Change near bottom of thread)

Thanks, Carnej1

  Probably, like many others, I had not experienced seeing this type, The closest to an enlarged cab were the Santa Fe CF-7's rebuilt in Santa Fe's Brownwood Texas Shop.  Did not know about the enlarged cab GP-50's..

How did SBD use these engines, were they used as intended? Were they confined to specific geographical areas?

 

 

 


 

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Posted by trainfan1221 on Sunday, August 9, 2009 6:45 PM
An HO scale model of this locomotive was actually built, I own one and apparently they are somewhat collectible. I saw a real one on a freight train once nearby, it had the windows blanked and apparently was being used as a B unit.
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Posted by Awesome! on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:24 PM

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Posted by Tom Moran on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:45 PM

The E-L unit pictured is a U34CH, one of about 30 units built for the

Erie-Lackawanna. No others were ever produced. 

Erie-Lackawanna owned all  that were built. They were also rare

like the BQ23-7. New Jersey Transit last ran them the way 'god' intended,

on commuter lines out of Hoboken's classic DL&W Terminal.

One has been preserved by the United Railroads Historical Society,

a group tasked with creating a transportation museum in New Jersey.

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Posted by n012944 on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:45 PM

That would be a U34CH

An "expensive model collector"

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Posted by Tom Moran on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:52 PM

This is an Erie-Lackawanna U34CH, one of about 30 that were the only U34CHs

ever built by GE. New Jersey Transit retired them after many years of commuter

service out of the classic DL&W Terminal in Hoboken,NJ

The United Railroads Historical Society of New Jersey has preserved one.

See you trackside, 

Tom Moran

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Posted by Awesome! on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:57 PM

samfp1943

Saw a fast photo run-by on a You Tube Video of what was a locomotive style/type I had not seen in any other photos. A notation called it a BQ23- 7...Not sure eve about that, as well. 

  This was a full cab style, that appeared not to have no front ramp or steps. I am not even sure that the type is correct. The loco number was CSX 3007, I would also guess it is probably a very small run of this locomotive style, possibly only sold to CSX ?)

 Will add link, maybe it will help.  Here is a link to the YouTube Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GFdBAujrb0&feature=related

The l;ocomotive in question is the thrid unit infront of the consist..#3007

Can anyone provide a link to photos, or info on this type of unit, and its uses, or history on the CSX.

Thank You!

http://www.youtube.com/user/chefjavier
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Posted by Awesome! on Monday, August 10, 2009 10:03 PM

Great Model HO B23-7. I have one of this as DCC with sound.

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Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:14 AM

Thanks to All :

This is a link provided by Carnej1 who provided it in his response:

http://www.robl.w1.com/Pix-4/I-780860.htm

The locomotive I was looking for was the SBD type BQ 23-7. It was a type that was to provide space for an entire operating crew on a train: Engineer,Fireman,Conductor, Brakemen. Its purpose was apparently to serve as a transition when the Caboose was eliminated from most trains. The BQ23-7 was a short lived experiment due to the elimination of FULL CREW laws in almost all states.

According to other information received, EMD apparently fielded a 'Quarters' cab that was applied to a small number of GP-50's (?)   Buth models of these locos were pretty rare and strange birds.

 

 


 

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Posted by carnej1 on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:46 AM

Awesome!

Great Model HO B23-7. I have one of this as DCC with sound.

That is not a B23-7. For one thing it has Six axle trucks ("B" means four axle B-B trucks) and it also doesn't have the modified Universal series (U Boat) body style and Cab of the majority of Dash 7s built. That appears to be a Dash 8-40C (otherwise known as a C40-8)...

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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 6:22 AM
carnej1

Awesome!

Great Model HO B23-7. I have one of this as DCC with sound.

That is not a B23-7. For one thing it has Six axle trucks ("B" means four axle B-B trucks) and it also doesn't have the modified Universal series (U Boat) body style and Cab of the majority of Dash 7s built. That appears to be a Dash 8-40C (otherwise known as a C40-8)...

None of that Dash 8- blah blah blah stuff on Conrail! That's a C40-8. Plain and simple. The way God intended GE to classify it's locomotives (although GE apparently didn't get the memo...)

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by samfp1943 on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:27 AM

Found a link shows all the CSX/SBD/SCL  BQ23-7  Class Locomotives:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=235

Maybe this will clear up some of the confusion on this class of engine.

  Add This link showing how CSX converted the BQ23-7's  into a "B" unit only, by plating over the windows,thus denying anyone the ability to run thesr units on the lead position of a train.

http://www.trainorderclassics.com/images/OL3-CO-B0-CSX/OL3-TB-CSX3003-070407.jpg

NOTE: During the course of this thread more info on this type of Locomotive came to light.

It seems that EMD had also fielded a conversion cab during the transition from cabooses on trains, EMD created on the GP 50 a quarters cab modification as had GE with their BQ 23-7. In the effort to be complete and fair to both manufacturers; I am enclosing a lin to a site that has some photos of the GP 50L # 3158 of the BNSF.

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=241415&nseq=4

 

 

 

 


 

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Posted by carnej1 on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:47 AM

oltmannd
carnej1

Awesome!

Great Model HO B23-7. I have one of this as DCC with sound.

That is not a B23-7. For one thing it has Six axle trucks ("B" means four axle B-B trucks) and it also doesn't have the modified Universal series (U Boat) body style and Cab of the majority of Dash 7s built. That appears to be a Dash 8-40C (otherwise known as a C40-8)...

None of that Dash 8- blah blah blah stuff on Conrail! That's a C40-8. Plain and simple. The way God intended GE to classify it's locomotives (although GE apparently didn't get the memo...)

 I guess GE did eventually "get the memo";the AC and ES series locomotives use a simpler model name/number system...But what about Conrail's predessors (PC,NYC,PRR in particular) who used their own locomotive class system rather than the manufacturers model ID (EF-36 for SD-45 etc.)?

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Posted by Evergreen24 on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 1:47 PM

In 1978-1979, the Seaboard Coast Line purchased 10 BQ23-7's (Numbered 5130-5139) to eliminate the caboose in the rear of the trains.  These units were also equipped with strobe lights near the number boards (as to the L&N with MARS lights). When the Seaboard System came into effect on January 1st 1983, some of the strobe lights were removed.

 In response to the Nebraska Caboose Act (I'm not too sure though), the Burlington Northern purchased 5 GP50's with the cab extended forward (the unofficial designation was 'GP50L') to elminate the caboose on the rear of intermodal trains. I believe however, they were often used around Chicago.

 Somewhere in the 1980's (?), Bachmann introduced a HO Scale BQ23-7. You're bound to find one on eBay.

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Posted by Awesome! on Monday, August 17, 2009 12:58 AM

samfp1943

Found a link shows all the CSX/SBD/SCL  BQ23-7  Class Locomotives:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=235

Maybe this will clear up some of the confusion on this class of engine.

  Add This link showing how CSX converted the BQ23-7's  into a "B" unit only, by plating over the windows,thus denying anyone the ability to run thesr units on the lead position of a train.

http://www.trainorderclassics.com/images/OL3-CO-B0-CSX/OL3-TB-CSX3003-070407.jpg

NOTE: During the course of this thread more info on this type of Locomotive came to light.

It seems that EMD had also fielded a conversion cab during the transition from cabooses on trains, EMD created on the GP 50 a quarters cab modification as had GE with their BQ 23-7. In the effort to be complete and fair to both manufacturers; I am enclosing a lin to a site that has some photos of the GP 50L # 3158 of the BNSF.

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=241415&nseq=4

 

 

That's with Q stands for extra-cab room? It use to be own by the Seaboard Lines

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Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:55 PM

Awesome!

samfp1943

Found a link shows all the CSX/SBD/SCL  BQ23-7  Class Locomotives:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=235

Maybe this will clear up some of the confusion on this class of engine.

  Add This link showing how CSX converted the BQ23-7's  into a "B" unit only, by plating over the windows,thus denying anyone the ability to run thesr units on the lead position of a train.

http://www.trainorderclassics.com/images/OL3-CO-B0-CSX/OL3-TB-CSX3003-070407.jpg

NOTE: During the course of this thread more info on this type of Locomotive came to light.

It seems that EMD had also fielded a conversion cab during the transition from cabooses on trains, EMD created on the GP 50 a quarters cab modification as had GE with their BQ 23-7. In the effort to be complete and fair to both manufacturers; I am enclosing a lin to a site that has some photos of the GP 50L # 3158 of the BNSF.

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=241415&nseq=4

 

 

That's with Q stands for extra-cab room? It use to be own by the Seaboard Lines

Correct!  Q for QUARTERS..  

     It was originally only purchased by the Seaboard and folded into the CSX by merger.

    The extra room is for the crew that would formerly have ridden in the Caboose... Then being done away with by Arbitration between Unions and Companies. Starting in 1982 and under Federal Regulations passed earlier.  It was the Caboose disapearing into history that sparked the manufacturers to innovate a place for the former rear end crew to ride...AND then, ALONG CAME FRED, TED, AND THEIR ILK! Blindfold

 Following is a link to litigation between BN RR and Minnesota, that miight prove of interest:

http://openjurist.org/882/f2d/1349/burlington-northern-railroad-company

 

 

 


 

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