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How long of a freight train could a single GG1 pull?

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Posted by PennsyBoomer on Thursday, May 5, 2022 6:57 PM

If you look at that CT-290 link posted by timz, and the tonnage rating section, you will see where grades are prevalent east of Harrisburg/Enola by the rating including helpers at certain points. Going down the Susquehanna, helpers were occasionally used out of Columbia on the A&S (Low Grade) Branch toward Parkesburg and Columbia Branch toward Lancaster as these routes departed from the river and entered hill country. None of these grades could be termed "steep" although might require a push if tonnage vs. power was close. The significant grades east of Enola/H'burg (by Eastern Region standards) were elsewhere, i.e. Thorndale to Paoli, Thorndale to Parkesburg, Gap Hill, Overbrook to Paoli and a few other bumps in the geography, but helper districts such as at Thorndale and Columbia had ceased to exist after the ex-GN FF-2s were retired in the early 60s as the newly arriving E-44 motors pretty much handled anything tied onto them.

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Posted by roundstick3@gmail.com on Thursday, May 5, 2022 11:28 AM

There are some steep grades on the Susquehanna east of Harrisburg specially from Enola Yard

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 9:52 PM

MidlandMike
 
BaltACD
Legit question...are taconite pellets lighter or heavier than 'genuine' iron ore.  ... 

The pelletized ore is lighter.  Some railroads added height extensions to their ore cars to carry a full load pellets.

Thanks!  Confirms my suspicions.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 9:23 PM

BaltACD
Legit question...are taconite pellets lighter or heavier than 'genuine' iron ore.  ...

The pelletized ore is lighter.  Some railroads added height extensions to their ore cars to carry a full load pellets.

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Posted by PennsyBoomer on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 6:49 PM

Digging back a few years I can offer the following:

P-9 (Camden-Enola) on 04/30/65 with 77 cars operated with one GG-1 (4805) and 77 cars. It had Baldwin RT624 helpers from Phila. to Paoli. Single G rated at 4750 tons thus. Probably a heavy train for one G.

SP-2 (Enola-So.Phila) on 12/31/69 with 28 cars operated with the 4876 solo.

Circa 1974 the following:

PR-7 with 34 cars and the 4806 - would be mostly loaded boxcar traffic.

TT-3 (Truc-Train) with 21 cars and the 4844.

TT-3 another night with 20X1 - 1000 tons and the 4840.

So the single G freights were not loaded down with tonnage and two motor sets were more or less the norm.

At this point in time iron ore out of the east coast destined Saxonburg, PA for sintering ran about 109 tons per car. Three Gs could handle a 100 car train (as well as coal trains) but these were usually the domain of the E-44s when they came online and the P5a motors beforehand.

 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 1:54 PM

Taconite in its natural state is considered a low grade ore.  It is also quite hard and not easy to mine.  The pellets that are shipped from the mine are enriched to about 60% iron.

Taconite mining didn't really start until the mines with higher grade ore began to play out.

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 BaltACD on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 1:44 PM

Murphy Siding
 
BaltACD 
Enzoamps
Boxcars full of marshmallows?  Or ore cars full of taconite? 

Ore Jenny's or regular hoppers? 

Regular marshmallows or minis?

Legit question...are taconite pellets lighter or heavier than 'genuine' iron ore.  I know they started manufacturing taconite when the quality of ore being mined degraded to a state that made shipping the 'dirt' long distances from the mines to the mills cost prohibitive.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 11:54 AM

BaltACD

 

 
Enzoamps
Boxcars full of marshmallows?  Or ore cars full of taconite?

 

Ore Jenny's or regular hoppers?

 

Regular marshmallows or minis?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, May 2, 2022 8:44 PM

Enzoamps
Boxcars full of marshmallows?  Or ore cars full of taconite?

Ore Jenny's or regular hoppers?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Enzoamps on Monday, May 2, 2022 5:56 PM

Boxcars full of marshmallows?  Or ore cars full of taconite?

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Posted by timz on Monday, May 2, 2022 12:22 PM

No steep grades on the Port Road.

No one knows how long a train a GG1 could pull on the level. PRR Electrical Operating Instructions included tonnage ratings -- on page 40 of this pdf

http://prr.railfan.net/documents/pdf/CT/CT-290-R1_ElectricOperatingInstructions_07-21-1952.pdf

But we don't know how conservative the ratings were.

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How long of a freight train could a single GG1 pull?
Posted by roundstick3@gmail.com on Sunday, May 1, 2022 10:02 PM

On the NE corridor in 1960s films I saw some preety long freight trains and also the GG1 had some steep grades on the Port Road to Harrisburg PA

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