04-01-2009, 08:10 PM
toptrain Wrote:EMD's GP 7 & 9
The GP 7 was EMD's very sucessfull road switcher. It's utilitarian body gave better vision to the operating crew as compaired to the streamlined F3. Making it better suited for freight and road switching service. It was well powered for it's time, but needed more as the competition keep increasing the power of their products. EMD made the GP 7 one way. The only changes were requested by the railroads. I read where you could order a GP 7 with a large fuel tank, giving a look similar to a GP35 frame, which caused a relocation of the air reserve tanks. Most were put on the roof. Unlike the GP 7 the uppowered GP9 was updated in phases rather than make another model. Here is photos of the basic phases.
I'll start with a GP7
In the case of the Santa Fe, the large "fuel tank" was actually a two compartment fuel/water tank. All of Santa Fe's Gp7s or 9s
with the air tanks on the rood were equipped with steam generators for passenger service. After the Santa Fe turned passenger service over to Amtrak, I don't know if they converted the water tanks to fuel or not. I suspect not because I don't think any have the "torpedo tubes" on the roof anymore. There is still one Gp7 on the BNSF which is an ex BN unit that is painted in the orange & green and still has the air tanks on the roof. I think it serves in some sort of yard in Washington State. When I saw pictures of it I wondered why Atlas, and other manufacturers who make Gp7 models don't offer the modern paint scheme for a modeler who models current prototypes but would like and old locomotive.