On 10-12-97 DON DELLMANN wrote to KEN FREEMAN... 
 
 DD> Two of the most impressive photos I ever saw were of the same Santa Fe 
 DD> freight climbing Cajon Pass in the fifties.  On the point were TEN 
 DD> F's, 
 DD> perfectly matched (A-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-A), and pushing were FIVE more 
 DD> (A-B-B-B-A). 
think of the "unit reduction" factors in there. That same freight now would 
have 
three, maybe four units on the head, and probably no pusher. And if it were 
the AC technology stuff, maybe two units? I keep wondering though, what all 
that 
extra tractive force and the way it all works with AC's, what's it doing to  
the rails???????? 
 
 DD> FM's are my favorite diesels!  Growing up along the Milwaukee Road 
 DD> Mainline 
 DD> in the 50's I fell in love with the "Erie Builts" on the "Olympian 
 DD> Hiawatha". 
 DD> In my 8 year old ignorance, with those huge radiators on the back I 
 DD> thought 
 DD> they were Turbines. 
 
 Well, the chapter got a heck of a deal on this one. Had been in use till the 
 Army decided to buy rebuilt "GP16's", the two F-M's at Seneca had been  
 rebuilt by GE around 1990, were always stored indoors when not in use. So  
 there was maybe 3 years worth of gentle use on them, and they bought new 
rebuilds. 
 Our tax dollars at work. And, with the base closing, the GP16's will be on 
the 
 blocks, too.  
 
                                   K 
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 * OFFLINE 1.56 * Me, indecisive?  I don't think I am, do you? 
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