What two railroads rostered the largest numbers of Baldwin center-cab diesel locomotives? How many did each road buy and what were their model numbers?
Mark
KCSFan has the answer I was looking for. While Cincinnati did have some dual-gauge track the interurban lines avoided city lines as much as they could due to dual overhead wire.
You got a winner who came up with two correct answers!
If not Cincy I think it must be Columbus whose streetcar track gauge was 5'-2". There were several sections of dual gauge on which standard gauge interurbans also operated. I don't know if there were others, but the interurbans I know of were the Scioto Valley Traction and the Columbus Deleware & Marion.
Since all major Ohio cities seem to start with "C" Cincinnati would seem to be a likely prospect. The gauge is correct, too. But the Dual-gauge specialwork was a characteristic of another large "C" Ohio city.
I usually can't find my references this quickly but I got lucky this time. The gauge of the Cincy streetcar lines was 5 '- 2-1/2".
I am going just from memory but believe it was Cincinnati. I'll have to do a bit of research to see if that's correct and what the gauge of the city streetcar lines was.
Which large Ohio city had dual-guage track to accomodate at least two different standard-guage interurban lines? For extra credit, what was the city guage?
rcdrye I'm going with Nacionales de Mexico. Just the Vera Cruz - Mexico City line with branches covered a lot of miles, and there were other isolated groups of 3 foot lines.
I'm going with Nacionales de Mexico. Just the Vera Cruz - Mexico City line with branches covered a lot of miles, and there were other isolated groups of 3 foot lines.
The NdeM is correct and the next question is yours. Their representation in the March 1937 OG states "Mileage - Standard Gauge 6860 miles - Narrow Gauge 1512 miles - Total 8372 miles".
Apparently these FM units didn't live up to expectations or needs of the IHB because I understand after only 1-2 years sevice they were all sold to parent NYC.
On to the next question. What North American railroad operated the most miles of narrow gauge trackage in the 1935-40 time period? Approximately how many narrow gauge route miles did this road operate?
I really have to try harder. KCSfan has the correct answer and is entitled to the next question.
Indiana Harbor Belt is pretty well known for having a roster consisting primarily of (and for a while, only) EMD endcab switchers. What were IHB's first road diesel locomotives?
CSSHegewisch has the most complete answer within the original (GE, diesel-battery(-electric)) question. There were other dual and tri-power units that worked in different ways. North Shore's were battery-electric only, IT had a homebuilt diesel-electric-electric that I don't think had batteries.
The NYC tri-powers were also used on the MC Detroit third rail, but never owned by MC. The MC units were used at Central (IC) station in Chicago, and can be seen in one of the "Bird's Eye View" series of photos.
Next question, CSSHegewisch?
Come to think of it, even the Erie had steam, diesel and electric (Rochester to Avon, NY) at one time. Would the NY and Long Branch count? PRR and CNJ shared operations but all three appeared there, too, even if for only a handful of miles from S. Amboy north to the junction of the two railroads just north of Peth Amboy. Then you gotta add the Reading in and around Philadelphia, too. B&O at one time through the tunnel at Baltimore. B&M had all three with wire through Hossac Tunnel but I'm not sure it lasted into the diesel era. New Haven did it all all across Connecticuit!
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DL&W quad power: steam, electric, diesel, and battery-electric.
This is what I have for the GE's:
Tri-powers: NYC, underrunning 3rd-rail pickup, 600 VDC; DL&W, overhead catenary, 3000VDC
Dual-powers: NYC and RI, used at LaSalle St. Station in Chicago; MC, used in Detroit electrification.
One of the railroads that owned the three-power types was the New York Central, and the electrification was and is with Metro North underruning third rail at 600volts. I hope "oil-electric can be considered an early for of diesel-electric. The West Side Freight LIne with battery operation beyond the third rail and into industry sidings was common. The third rail ended at 60th Street, and diesel and battery operaton was needed from there down to St. Johns Park. Diesel was legally used on the high line, but not into covered in-warehouse and industry sidings which required battery power. I think the Milwaukee electrification or the Butte, Anaconda, and Pacific also had three-power locomotives, and although the CMStP&P was 3000 volts and the BA&P 2200 volts dc, they did use each others locomotives at times. GE much more recently built pretty modern diesel-battery (with regenerative braking for charging the battery) for Conrail. CSX took ownership of these locomotives I know the North Shore had trolley-battery locomtives. 600-volt trolley wire operation as well as battery, but no third rail operation. They may have used the CRT's trolley wire equipped southbound express track to the interchange yard.
Some of the modern gen-set switchers have regenerative braking and battery operation, but i forget which railroads have tried this, possibly the AT&SF and Central California Traction.
I suspect that the Sacramento Northern at one time may have had four-power locomotive(s), diesel, 1200 volt trolley, 600 volt trolley, 600 volt third rail, and battery. And this(these) may have operated through on Central California Traction, since both railroads were owned by WP and interchanged at Sacramento.
GE built 39 tri-power diesel-battery-electric (one was actually Alco-GE) and 7 dual-power diesel-battery locomotives with constant-speed diesels. Some of them were also equipped for charging from electrifications. Two RRs owned tri-power diesel-battery-electric versions. What are the RRs, voltage of electrification(s) and pickup type. Three RRs owned dual-power versions: Owners and where used. Some tri-powers were used, but not owned by, one of the RRs that owned dual-power units.
I can come up with the following without a 1930's OG handy:
GTW Muskegon Milwaukee
PM Ludington MI - Milwaukee, Manitowac and Kewaunee WI
AA Ludington and Frankfort MI - Kewaunee, Manitowac WI Manistique MI
LST (DSS&A/PRR/NYC) Mackinaw City St. Ignace
There were a couple of non-RR car ferry operations but I think they were gone by the 1930s.
It's going on five days and no replies yet. This question isn't that hard and I hope some of you will take a stab at it. Here's a hint. The ferry routes are clearly shown on the maps of the four railroads that ran the ferry services in the OG's of the time period.
Please go!
rcdrye The next question is yours!
The next question is yours!
Since I just asked a question, I will defer to someone else that you select.
The steam roads involved were Buffalo Creek (SW1 601) and C&O (switchers and GP7's). South Shore also got electrics (R2's) from NYC. South Shore also sold its two AC freight motors to the St. Clair Tunnel Co (CN-GTW subsidiary).
South Shore did get engines from IC's electric operation. I'll amend to what two steam roads sid South Shore get engines from...
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