04-10-2011, 07:20 PM
Rob,
I can't give you a definitive answer since most of my resources are buried in the basement, but just off the top of my head:
CN was late to buy GP's, 7s or 9s. They had a large fleet of both freight and passenger F units, and likely didn't see the need to get what were ostensibly roadswitcher units equipped for dedicated passenger service. That is to say, they weren't equipped with steam generators. That said, they did order some Alco/MLW RS10's with steam generators, so go figure. I believe many of the Geeps were geared for higher speeds so they could be used in passenger service.
Many of their GPs, especially the "Prairie Geeps", those with Flexicoil trucks and small fuel tanks, had steam lines so that they could be put between a unit with a steam generator and a passenger consist. These were often run in northern Manitoba on the lines to The Pas and Churchill.
CN did invest in steam generator cars, so that freight units could haul passenger trains. Here's a picture of just such an arrangement.
That said, CN's American subsidiary lines had passenger GPs with steam generators in the short hoods, and "torpedo tube" air tanks on the long hood. Here's an eastern Grand Trunk GP9 at Sherbrooke QC, a Central Vermont GP9 at St. Lambert QC and a pair of http://Grand Trunk Western GP9s in Chicago.
I can't give you a definitive answer since most of my resources are buried in the basement, but just off the top of my head:
CN was late to buy GP's, 7s or 9s. They had a large fleet of both freight and passenger F units, and likely didn't see the need to get what were ostensibly roadswitcher units equipped for dedicated passenger service. That is to say, they weren't equipped with steam generators. That said, they did order some Alco/MLW RS10's with steam generators, so go figure. I believe many of the Geeps were geared for higher speeds so they could be used in passenger service.
Many of their GPs, especially the "Prairie Geeps", those with Flexicoil trucks and small fuel tanks, had steam lines so that they could be put between a unit with a steam generator and a passenger consist. These were often run in northern Manitoba on the lines to The Pas and Churchill.
CN did invest in steam generator cars, so that freight units could haul passenger trains. Here's a picture of just such an arrangement.
That said, CN's American subsidiary lines had passenger GPs with steam generators in the short hoods, and "torpedo tube" air tanks on the long hood. Here's an eastern Grand Trunk GP9 at Sherbrooke QC, a Central Vermont GP9 at St. Lambert QC and a pair of http://Grand Trunk Western GP9s in Chicago.