Re: PC: Dynamic Brakes on Units and SD40Bs

["Jim Kosty" <j_kosty@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

PC had some units without dynamic brakes.  The ex - NYC GP-30s, GP-20s and 
GP-35s (except for the 2399) all had no dynamics.  Some PC GP-38s were 
dynamic brake - less.  These were ones with the built - out windshield area 
because of the dual control stands for operation from either side.  Also, a 
lot of the GP-7 and GP-9 units had no dynamic brakes.  The ex-NYC F-units 
and FAs as well as the U25B and U30b models all had dynamic brakes, along 
with their GP-40s.  The Central really didn't use them much as their profile 
was touted as "water level".  In fact, there is a formidable grade on the 
mianline east of Batavia NY starting around Bergen NY to about MP NY 405 
that in steam days and early diesel, was considered a helper district!  To 
this day, "Bergen Hill (or Byron Hill, depending on who you talk to) is 
still a place where westbound freights often stall when underpowered or a 
unit fails enroute.  The other steep grade on the NYC mainline was West 
Albany hill.  Most of the frieghts turned off the mainline at Hoffmans, NY, 
west of Schenectady, east of Amsterdam NY, and crossed the Mohawk River over 
the "mainline" on what is known as the "Selkirk Branch", effectively 
bypassing downtown Albany.  Some freights still ran via Albany, like NY - 
bound Flexi Van trains and all the passenger trains.  Oh yes, and the PC 
SD-38 diesels had no dynamic brakes as well as the U23Cs.  These were bought 
and used as hump engines.  The dynamic brakes found on most later NYC units 
was likely due to the PRR influence and the impending merger.
Jim Kosty
Corning NY


>From: "Michael Worrell" <worrelmr -AT- dramatools.net>
>Reply-To: penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
>To: "Penn Central Mailing List" <penn-central -AT- smellycat.com>
>Subject: PC: Dynamic Brakes on Units and SD40Bs
>Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:40:23 -0400
>
>Good evening, everyone. Two questions:
>
>1. Would the PC have operated any motive power without dynamic brakes? I'm
>woefully ignorant of the history of the things, and I'm working on a 
>project
>to make all my MSTS PC motive power as realistic as possible. Of particular
>interest are the following types, inasmuch as I've got examples of them:
>
>E8A/E8B
>F7A/F7B
>GP9
>GP18
>GP30
>GP35
>GP38-2
>GP40
>SD9
>SD40/SD40-2
>SD45
>U25B
>U33C
>
>I'm told that there were never any E8Bs in PC service, so those are
>admittedly a little fictional. In the event that a particular train (most
>likely passenger) was in need of multiple E8As, was there any real pattern
>as to how the things were arranged? And for what it's worth, what was being
>used for passenger motive power aside from the GG-1? If "Penn Central 
>Power"
>were ever reprinted, I'd bet the answers would be there, but alas, I'm 
>stuck
>without a copy.
>
>2. Does anyone have information regarding any Penn Central SD40B units? A
>quick-and-dirty search of the Internet indicates that only the Soo Line and
>the Burlington Northern had them, so I'm thinking that the digital one I've
>seen is a fictional unit.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Michael Worrell
>
>"You think you know what I'm doing, so obviously you don't."---Aeon Flux
>
>

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