WHO MAKES THE BEST FP9 (IYHO)

[msowsun]

Here is my Atlas FP7.....................

Here it is beside the new Intermountain FP7 to compare.................

 

[grayfox1119]

PAUL3: And of course when you go to the web site... "out of stock"!!! That didn't take long did it?

I'll have to do some research on the CN FP9's, the later versions "should" have been made with Dynamic brakes, and therefore all should have 48" cooling fans.

[Paul W. Beverung]

Dick: As soon as you have spent as much as a good brass FP-9 would have cost and spent 120 hours building you own Athern and everyone else will bring out FP-9 in every conceivable color scheme. Let me know when you get yours finished so I can figure on getting a couple in Milw Rd.

[grayfox1119]

PAUL: You can be my first customer Paul, assuming that I do a good job kitbashing this baby. The guy I spoke with at Atlas said they have one on the drawing board, and "plan" to bring it to market in 2007. Are you holding your breath Paul? Do you need more O2 bottles?

And for everyone else that contributed to this good discussion , here is some more info that I found interesting:

EMD FP9
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EMD FP9
RLGN 1400 (originally CN 6539) in 2003
Power type Diesel
Builder General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD)
Model FP9
Build date February 1954 – December 1959
Total production 90 A units
AAR wheel arr. B-B
Gauge 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Power output 1,750 hp
The EMD FP9 was a 1,750 hp, B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between February 1954 and December 1959 by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, except for Canadian orders, which were assembled by Canadian subsidiary GMDD at London, Ontario. The FP9 was essentially EMD's F9 locomotive extended by four feet to give greater steam generator and water capacity for hauling passenger trains. A total of 90 cab-equipped lead A units were built; unlike the freight series, no cabless booster B units were sold. Regular F9B units were sometimes used with FP9 A units, since they, lacking cabs, had more room for water and steam generators. The FP9 and its predecessor, the FP7, were offshoots of GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit freight diesels.


[edit] Identification
Just as in the previous FP7, the FP9's carbody is essentially the F9's with 4 feet extra added a little behind the cab, just aft of the forward truck. Unlike the FP7, the forward porthole window is relocated so that it is better balanced in the space, but there is still more room between the porthole and the first carbody filter grille behind it; it is just less obvious. As on the F9, there is now a carbody filter grille before the window as well.

There is, again, a space underneath the locomotive ahead of the regular fuel tanks; this may be empty, or contain additional tanks.


[edit] Deliveries
Only four of the total 90 FP9s were sold to customers in the United States, and these were rebuilt from FTs, were only 1,500 hp and were otherwise different. The rest of the total were built for Canada (54 locomotives), Mexico (25 locomotives) and Saudi Arabia (7 locomotives).

United States

Chicago and North Western Railway: 4 locomotives, #4051A-4054A. These were rebuilt FTs of 1,500 hp and were not externally identical to the others.
Canada

Canadian National Railway: 43 locomotives, #6500-6542
Canadian Pacific Railway: 11 locomotives, #1405-1415
Mexico

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México: 25 locomotives, #7010-7034
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Government Railways: 7 locomotives, #1502-1508

[M636C]

I don't think CN used dynamic brakes on their FP9's. If they did, they were removed at some point as these photos show.

 Only Canada had 10 "Phase II" FP9's. (CNR 6533-6542, GMD blt May-July 1958) These late production CNR units used two large 48" radiator cooling fans intstead of four 4 smaller 36" radiator cooling fans.  

6634 was a "B" Unit but also shared the same fan arrangement.

Msowsun,

Thanks for those shots, particularly the shot of CN 6535. That must be taken from the spot I was standing when I realised that the unit I saw had 48" radiator fans. It seems that 6531 should not have 48" fans if I read the postings correctly, but in my ground level photo it has the big angled winterisation hatch, like the one on 6634 but extended at an angle down the roofline towards the sides. This is, as I said, visible on the third unit in the photo with 6516 leading posted above.

I guess 6531 might have swapped radiator hatches wth a later unit at some time. At least I have some confirmation about 48" fans on FP9s. I was beginning to doubt my memories (it was 1977) when I could only find the ground level shots.

M636C

[msowsun]

Here are some more overhead shots that are good for modelling. Some of them show another type of large winterhatch covering 36" cooling fans...

[grayfox1119]

MSOWSUN: By any chance, do you have any pics of FP9 6505 or 6516 ???

[Pathfinder]

MSOWSUN: By any chance, do you have any pics of FP9 6505 or 6516 ???

There is a colour photo of 6916 (in green) in Rail Canada Volume 1, Page 66.

Page 67 has a front view of 6507 (in red).

6516, in VIA paint (from CN SIG):







6516, in VIA paint (from  Railroad Picture Archives):



Hope these help.

Pathfinder

[msowsun]

Here is a photo shows the roof of 6516 as it appears now with Conway Scenic. (No dymanic brake and four 36" radiator cooling fans.) I assume the 6506 would be the same.

[grayfox1119]

Pathfinder & Mosowsun: Thank you for pics of 6516. I cannot believe the pic of her at the "bone yard". It is amasing to see the transition from VIA to scrap yard, then repair after the crossing accident, then finally running in North Conway again in 1996 as " The Legend Returns" as she made the 1st run through Crawford Notch when the line through the mountain was re-opened. The brochure photo was taken as she entered the "gateway" at the top of the notch as she is about to enter a narrow cut in the granite mountain pass. Crawford RR station is about 500 yards ahead.
I have since found out from the maintenance engineer that neither 6505 nor 6516 had dynamic brakes, therefore only 36" fans.

[msowsun]

"I have since found out from the maintenance engineer that neither 6505 nor 6516 had dynamic brakes, therefore only 36" fans. "

I don't understand why you make a connection between dynamic brakes and cooling fans.

If so equipped, early F7's and FP7's had a single 36" dynamic brake fan. Beginning in August 1952,  if equipped with dynamic brakes, F7's, FP7's and FP9's had a larger 48" dynamic brake fan installed. The dynamic brake fan size size had no bearing on the cooling fans size. ALL the F units produced in the whole world ALL had four 36' radiator cooling fans.

The only exception is the last 10 FP9's and F9B's produced by General Motors in London, Ontario, Canada for CN in 1958. On these units the four 36" cooling fans were replaced by two 48" cooling fans. This also resulted in the exhaust stacks being relocated together between the two fans.

[Pathfinder]

"I have since found out from the maintenance engineer that neither 6505 nor 6516 had dynamic brakes, therefore only 36" fans. "

I don't understand why you make a connection between dynamic brakes and cooling fans.

...

I agree.  It is not just the F units, also applies to GP and SD series as well.

Off-Topic:  Firefox 2.0 spell check does not work with this forums software  ..  But I get the right clisk/paste option back 

[Pathfinder]

Pathfinder & Mosowsun: Thank you for pics of 6516. I cannot believe the pic of her at the "bone yard". It is amasing to see the transition from VIA to scrap yard, then repair after the crossing accident, then finally running in North Conway again in 1996 as " The Legend Returns" as she made the 1st run through Crawford Notch when the line through the mountain was re-opened. The brochure photo was taken as she entered the "gateway" at the top of the notch as she is about to enter a narrow cut in the granite mountain pass. Crawford RR station is about 500 yards ahead. I have since found out from the maintenance engineer that neither 6505 nor 6516 had dynamic brakes, therefore only 36" fans.

Glad to help.  I only posted pre Conway photo links, there were lots that came up for post-CN/VIA if that is what you wanted as well.  Google search for the road numbers, you will get more.