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Has a GG1 ever been restored to running order?
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SOME OF YOU PEOPLE POSSESS THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO <br /><font size="6">DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!!</font id="size6"> <br />(An ovservation, not an insult.) <br /> <br />Firstly, the GG-1 is notable for the very fact that it has the longest service life of any mainline locomotive, ever. Let the thing run on its own juice from the overhead wires! Forget whatever AC somethingorather cow/calf/slug/thingy! <br /> <br />The GG-1's used HEP cars, so why not just do that? Leave the boiler and tanks in. Out here in southern California, we connect our steam engine to the steam heat pipes on passenger cars, and it's nice to have on cold days. I'm sure it would be even nicer in the cold Northeast. Some cars belonging to museums or individuals still use steam heat, and having a power car would save a lot of replacing components on the locomotive--contrary to popular belief, it's better to restore a GG-1 than it is to take a GG-1 frame and build "Dream Locomotive." <br /> <br />I'm not an electrical engineer, so I cannot claim to be an expert, but to my understanding, light bulbs (and I know heaters) usually powered by three-phase power will also run (perhaps outputing less energy) on normal AC, just like you can run a light bulb on 1-phase AC or DC. The only thing that the three phase power and 1-phase power aren't compatible on are motors, but I don't think that would be a problem (get yourself a battery powered mixer for the dining car and save ten grand on major design changes). <br /> <br />Finally, HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD OF AMTRAK'S BUDGET PROBLEMS???? Amtrak doesn't have enough money to replace ties, much less to operate excursioning locomotives! As to the idea of the "premium service," it might work, and I'm sure that if you gave them a big enough cut of the revenue pie, they would let you run it. <br /> <br />Most respectfully yours, <br />Daniel Parks
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