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MP GE's with EMD cab

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  • Member since
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MP GE's with EMD cab
Posted by Lyon_Wonder on Monday, September 1, 2008 2:57 PM

Ok, I’m posting this here in the general forums since I didn’t get any replies in the loco form.  Back in the 1970s and early 80s, MP replaced the original GE round cab with an EMD-style angled cab if a GE loco was wrecked.  MP did this to U-boats and Dash7s.  GE finally got around to incorporating angled cabs with the Dash 8.  

 

MP U30C

 

MP B23-7

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, September 1, 2008 3:14 PM

Were you asking something about these?

I'll have to admit that I didn't know about this before, and it's interesting.  I suspect that it wasn't so much the shape of the roof as it was the width of the doors.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by Ted Marshall on Monday, September 1, 2008 5:07 PM
Now that's interesting...
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Posted by canazar on Monday, September 1, 2008 5:44 PM

Wow.  Pretty cool.  Gives alot of hope to modelers as proof in the expression, a "prototype for everything".

Nice find.  Nice bit of history.

Best Regards, Big John

Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona.  Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the  Kiva Valley Railway

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Posted by chad thomas on Monday, September 1, 2008 10:02 PM
seems to me that EMD offered cab kits for rebuilds in that era. Comments? corrections?
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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 10:09 AM

EMD offered cab kits for a while.  MP may have been experiencing a power shortage when these units were wrecked and had EMD cab kits in their shop inventory.  A little bit of extra sheet metal work may have been required but it got the power back on the road in less time.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by trainfan1221 on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 7:20 PM
I have seen pictures of these engines before, and I believe they are in at least one of the Diesel Spotter's Guides.   It's true that sometimes it takes a while for anything to happen in the locomotives section, it's a good thread but not nearly as popular as the General Discussion area.
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Posted by MMCdude on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 9:03 AM

At the time MoPac was repairing these units, GE's Dash 7 program was in full swing, resulting in a long delivery time frame for new cabs to MP.  EMD could provide cabs with much shorter lead time, so the MP went that route.

 At least one of the U30C's even operated as a "B" unit for a time while awaiting a new cab.  I think it was 3311, but don't quote me on the number.

 Kevin

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