Louis The Western Avenue situation was separate from speculation about Trainmasters for suburban service. IIRC there is a movie of the H10-44 demo unit (1000hp B-B switcher, the one wither the overhanging steam engine-like cab roof) switching at Western Avenue. The Q had to write an AFE to cover the cost of fuel for the time the unit was in use there. Since the E unit pool idea was in place upon or soon after dieselization of suburban service I doubt that Geeps or Trainmasters ever got serious consideration. Charlie Vlk
Sent from my iPad
July 11, 2017
Group - Member Bob Campbell has been having computer problems. I'm relaying
his answer and comments to my earlier posts:
"The location of the double unit, one car dinky, lead by E-8A #9943B, is
eastbound on main 3 at Brookfield. Also, wanted to point out, when moving
units between 14th St. and Aurora (or visa-versa) all units in the consist were
properly "M-Ued"; air,electric control and "on-the-line" [supplying tractive
effort]."
For newer Group members, Bob is a retired Amtrak engineer who started his
long career in the mid-1960s on the Q as a hostler at Aurora servicing the
E units assigned to the suburban pool. In later years, Bob was a Q fireman
and engineer before joining Amtrak.
So, I was incorrect when I stated that with multiple units on dinkies
only the lead unit was active. Indeed, all were M-Ued! So, Leo, you're right,
there must've been some kind of torque if not whip lash when seven units
roared away from a stop with only a gallery car or two following.....
We'll probably never entirely know the final answer as to "if" the Q
tried using Geeps on dinkies, but I wonder, just wonder, if an actual
experimental run was ever made? I guess that for modelers, it falls into
the category of "may be if...."
Same for the mystery FM Trainmaster that filled-up at Western Avenue.
I find it hard to believe that it was only tested as a switch
engine. Perhaps, some day images of a Geep or Trainmaster with a couple
of suburban coaches will appear on EBay to further this discussion.
Best Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL
[Attachment(s) from
LZadnichek@aol.com included below]
July 10, 2017
Jim - Fascinating material. I was aware that the E5 and E7 motors
were generally unsuitable for stop-and-go dinky service as they would not
"load" fast enough to stay on schedule, but I had never heard that EMD
tried to convince the Q to dieselize their suburban service with
GP7s. All very interesting. Perhaps, a basis for an article in the BRHS
Bulletin.
Besides the west bound Sunday afternoon or evening dinkies with
multiple E8s to balance power at Aurora for the next morning's "parade,"
occasionally day time dinkies included an extra unit needed at either
Aurora or 14th Street to balance the power assignment sheet. In this
inserted/attached faded image, we find a mid-afternoon one car dinky
powered by the 9944B with an unidentified sister trailing. The
location or date is not given, but I'm sure someone in this
Group will recognize what stop it was:
<CBQD9944BNoOtherInformation.jpg>
Lots of wonderful memories for many of us from riding the dinkies in
Suburban Territory. Best Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL
In addition to
Dennis' thorough answer, here are some thoughts from BRHS meet history,
courtesy of Grant Aerosmith and Bob Landregen at a lunch where I was the
privileged fly-on-the-wall listener. According to Grant, EMD tried to
sell the Q on the idea that a GP7 would be able to replace the S1 and S2
Pacifics based on horsepower. As Grant, working for Henry Urhbach in
the Mechanical Department at that time, pointed out to EMD boss Kettering
and his engineers, Dynamometer car readings showed that when
accelerating away from a station stop, a banked fire with a rapid
introduction of forced air created a short-term output of over 2100
horse-power from one of those S-class engines. (Essentially a controlled
boiler explosion) . This allowed acceleration that a GP7 could never
achieve. It was also performance that the E5 and E7 units on the roster could not
achieve as their control systems could not transiti on quickly enough from a
station stop to maintain a Dinky's schedule. This operating
requirement kept the Pacifics employed until the delivery of
the E8 units which addressed
the short comings of the earlier units with increased horsepower and a much
improved electrical system.
Thought you might enjoy that. Jim Sandrin
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Posted by: Charlie <cvlk@comcast.net>
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