Is their an engine you’d like to see me cover? Well tell me via this comment! Rule #1) one engine per customer Rule #2)don’t spam the same engine multiple times Rule #3)it can’t be an engine I’ve already covered
@Finn Windu 4877 was in Tuscan Red with Clarendon lettering and pinstripes in its last 2 years of NJT serviced. More often than not, Old Big Red was under the command of Cliff Underwood, who actually wrote a song about her. czcams.com/video/tC6W0XEqOLw/video.html
I ran these in 1973-4. I could check my log books (yup, I saved them) to see if I ran any you've shown. I will tell you first hand, getting these monsters to 100mph was easy. If not for bad track, I'd bet they were good for perhaps 20mph more, although at 100, you felt you life was in danger. Dirty, filthy, noisy, powerful beauties.
Back in the mid 70’s I rode an Amtrak train from DC to Boston pulled by a GG 1. I remember thinking that loco was the biggest I ever saw. Still is. Thanks for the video.
The first time I saw a GG1 was at Union Station in Washington DC. I was maybe 5-6 years old and that monstrous locomotive impressed me beyond belief;I’d never seen anything so big and powerful. The GG1 still impresses me to this day.
As a matter of fact I have seen one before. At the PRR Museum right next to Strausburg. Welcome to the channel and if theirs an engine you’d like me to cover, lemme know in the comment section of my next video. Thank you.
The summer 2009 Classic Trains magazine has several good articles on GG1's. One author highlights that Don Dohner did the original 4800 streamline design, and Raymond Lowey improved following units by recommending welded bodies and other refinements. The Pennsylvania Railroad borrowed a New Haven EP-3 for testing, using the technology as a basis for the GG1 wheel arrangement.
To answer the question about seeing any GG1's restored to operational status: No. We won't see any GG1's run ever again. Reasons are numerous but heavily include the materials used in the construction of the GG1's guts.
In the field the 4935 was nicknamed "Black Jack" because the digits added together = 21. There was another motor prior to the AEM-7, it was GE's E60CP numbered in the 900 series which were a 6 axle electric freight motor (if I recall correctly, a power plant out in Colorado used them to move their coal cars). Amtrak engineers had said the E60CP "bounced them all over the place" inside the cab, it wasn't a very nice ride. It was determined they were not to exceed a maximum speed of 80mph. Later, the wheel trucks were changed allowing for a maximum speed of 90mph & were re-numbered in the 600's when the new style wheel trucks were installed.
I believe the components with PCBs have been removed from those in museums, which makes it even harder for them to be put back in service. The best we could expect is a shell that looks like a GG1 over some more modern frame.
I think each GG1 would qualify as it's own Superfund site, with the asbestos, PCBs in the transformers, mercury in the rectifiers, and the lead in the paint.
The biggest reason Conrail stopped using the GG1 was because Amtrak jacked the rates up on electrical use. (Same goes for the relatively new only being around 20 years old at the time) E-44s. Had Amtrak not done this they may had lasted even longer if only in lesser roles.
With regard to Conrail vs. Amtrak, one cannot forget Conrail engineer Ricky Gates who disregarded a stop signal and ran his diesel locomotives into the Amtrak Colonial causing a huge derailment and loss of life. This caused Amtrak to restrict the times that Conrail could operate on the Northeast Corridor. With the alternate routes not having catenary, it became obvious that electric locomotives were suddenly surplus and had to go.
The GG1, it is the hardest American locomotive to replace in the tycoon games due to its unparalleled delivery of power vs speed for nearly any task. Expensive buy in early on, but the horsepower you got was more than insane enough to satiate your demands for many years to come, and allowed you to skip the nasty early diesel era of lack of horsepower.
@@ironhorsehistorian9871 the 1970s in New Brunswick New Jersey on the Northeast corridor pulling 100 car freight trains and passenger trains and work trains and commuter trains and I also saw the e44 electric locomotives in action as well and the e33s the high-speed metroliner and the owl face mus
@@ironhorsehistorian9871..... Great video!!... You might want to change the "EMD" to "GE" in your title, though. First video of yours that I've seen.... and have subscribed. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Ridin' on the GG1 locomotive/Penn Central Monday mornin' rail/15 cars and 150 restless riders/3 conductors and 25 sacks of mail/All along the westbound odessey/The train pulls out of Grand Central and rolls along past NYC buildings and fields (OK, I'm no Steve Goodman)
A good number are preserved in various states but sadly a combination of cracked frames, PCB transformer oil and asbestos insulation prevents making even one operational again. Not impossible, just very costly as it would require remanufacturing a good number of components and a completely new cabling.
. . . and you have to consider whether 12 KV/12.5 KV (used to be 11 KV, but probably close enough) @ 25 Hz will still be available for them to run under in the future. Once SEPTA gets rid of their Silverliner IV EMUs (which I think are the last things that can't take 60 Hz), the power supply becomes eligible to be upgraded to 25 KV @ 60 Hz. So just refurbishing the old transformers wouldn't be good enough -- you would need new transformers, and you would need to add rectifiers (the old motors would tend to overheat on 60 Hz).
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio The most radical step would be a replacement of the whole electric section, as has been done in the AEM7AC. A modern multisystem locomotive in an ancient bodyshell? But that would go way beyond what's considered restoration. It would be a new locomotive with old mechanics.
@@uncinarynin I thought about that, but most AC propulsion systems make an ethereal shriek, which would be really weird on a GG1. Probably better to put in a modern transformer but with tap changers for both voltage control and changing between overhead voltages.
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio Interesting thought, converting the 25Hz, 11(or 12)kv. How much rework must be done on the insulators etc for the contact wire. It would replace the nearly 100 yr old infrastructure, and will have to happen eventually. I am assuming that is still Washington to New Haven. As a wire junky I would like to see freight mainlines electrified(sigh).
@@delurkor If you were going to 25 KV, you would probably have to replace the insulators. Metro-North redid all of the New Haven Railroad's electrification (New York to New Haven, but I'm not sure if they moved the changeover point from north of Sunnyside Yard into New York Penn Station). But while the replaced all the catenary and I think also the line poles, I'm not sure if they actually replaced the insulators, and they only bumped the voltage up to 12.5 KV, not 25 KV. New Jersey Transit has made all their new electrification 25 KV at 60 Hz, but I don't think they have redone any 11 KV at 25 Hz electrification(*), other than to bump the voltage up to 12 KV or 12.5 KV, depending upon which information I read (seems to be inconsistent even within Wikipedia pages), which I guess they figured was close enough, and SEPTA and the rest of Amtrak south of New York did the same. As far as I know, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak don't have any more equipment that can't take 60 Hz and 60 Hz, whereas SEPTA does (the Silverliner IVs). (*)They redid their 3 KV DC electrification inherited from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad as 25 KV at 60 Hz.
The electrical components (in particular, the transformers) of the GG1 used PCB's, which are now banned, so the components would need a lot of design and construction to replace, more than museums could afford. They are not likely to ever ride the rails again.
I could be wrong but I believe there where 136 built but you said 139. No GG1's will run soon, they used chemicals in the coolent that is dangerous/toxic. In response, the parts that had it in it where drained and filled with cement
Actually, only the very first 14 GG1's were built by GE; the rest were built at PRR's Juniata shops, and the latter ones had Westinghouse electrics with a frame cast by Baldwin. AT NO TIME was EMD ever involved with the GG1.
At about the 10 second mark, you mention "Electro Motive Division" in connection with the GG1. EMD as it is often known by, was an independent corporation during the development of the GG1: the Electro Motive Corporation. They were primarily interested in making "doodlebugs" and small diesel electric locomotives at this time and had no connection whatsoever with the GG1 development. The GG1 wheel arrangement was based on the New Haven EP3 design which had tested on the PRR in Delaware and proposed by General Electric. The competing R1 design was developed by a Baldwin-Westinghouse consortium. At GE, the lead engineer was Donald R. Dohner. A private man, he let Raymond Lowey receive the accolades.
I don't think that's accurate. EMD had nothing to do with the GG1- it was built by GE and the PRR, not by EMD (a division of General Motors). Some of the engines used Westinghouse electrical components chassis from Baldwin.
No, Donald Roscoe Dohmer of Westinghouse designed the prototype 4800 "Old Rivets". Loewy improved on the Dohmer design by recommending welded bodies for the 138 production Gs.
@@smwca123 - Technically, you're right. However, Loewy specified the five-stripe pinstripe and its classic curve along the side. Photos of the original of PRR 4899 (later-renumbered 4800) show a much different and much less graceful exterior paint scheme, along with a obtrusive air intake near the pantographs. The value of Loewys' contribution is shown by the fact that PRR applied some variation of his design to first generation diesels, too.
Asbestos was commonly used in electrical components during the 30's and through the life of the GG1. Switchgear, wiring insulation, cable wraps, motors, controllers and especially flash guards were full of asbestos.
@@yourcrazyteacher585 Yepper - The rectifiers and transformers of that period were cooled with an oil bath made from poly chlorinated biphenyl. They should have been remediated prior to disposal or going into a museum setting. Actually PCB's are still in use today, the US banned the production of new PCB's in 1978 but allowed the continued use. In essence an old transformer can be drained and the PCB oil be used in another new transformer. Great law . . .
It’s all good. I’m always open to constructive criticism, it only makes my videos more sexy. Speaking of which any engines you’d like for me to discuss?
@@ironhorsehistorian9871I think you did a great job with the video. For engines I think the EP-5 would be a good engine to cover. And it doesn’t look like you’ve done that one yet.
Not being sarcastic. The GG-1 wasn’t the first USA Electric Locomotive. There was the P-5 and some earlier USA Electric Locomotives. The GG-1 was probably the first successful USA Electric Locomotive
@@kiwitrainguy What was the classification of the B&O electric locomotives? Do you know who manufactured them? I feel fortunate to operate GG-1’s in Passenger and Freight Service. From early 1974 on Penn Central. Until the GG-1’s retirement on NJTRO in October 1983. The GG-1 was fun to operate. With 21 notches on the throttle. I had to be taught how to operate a GG-1. No Locomotive Engineer that wasn’t taught to operate these locomotives. Would not even make it off the engine house outbound track. Without tripping the Pantograph Relay. That took a specific process to reset it. The GG-1’s were unique electric locomotives and had a very simple design. Pantograph, to Main Transformer to Traction Motors . I never didn’t make it from point A to point B on a GG-1. Two GG-1’s as a multiple unit. Would easily pull a 120 truck train and get up to the maximum speed of 60 mph. Truck Trains had a maximum authorized speed of 60 mph. One multiple unit GG-1, would easily get the truck train up to 60 mph in a short period of time. Penn Central and for a short period of time Conrail. Also had E-44’s and E-33 Electric Locomotives. Left over by the Pennsylvania Railroad. These were also finicky but also very dependable, but would many times. Develop lateral motion between 50 and 60 mph. That could be scary at times when the lateral motion would get excessive. The Pennsylvania Railroad had ordered purchased the E-44 and E-33 electric locomotives. The Pennsylvania Railroad put shock absorbers on the E-44 and E-33 Electric locomotives. That solved the lateral motion problems, but these shock absorbers were rarely replaced when worn out. The E-60 had insane lateral motion. Their original designed maximum speed was 105 mph. It was quickly lowered to 80 mph maximum authorized speed. The lateral motion o E-60’s was so bad. I would wonder why either the flanges on one the wheels of the E-60’s didn’t break off. Or if the inside of the rail would fail or the rail spreading. Amtrak finally put shock absorbers on the trucks of the E-60’s. This solved the lateral motion problem. Until the shock absorbers wore out. Locomotive Engineers would have to write down on their work reports. When the E-60 would start developing lateral motion again. Then actually complain to upper management. Threatening to either refuse to operate a known E-60 that the lateral motion was happening again. Or threaten to strike to get new shock absorbers put on the E-60. Other than the Lateral motion the E-60’s. They were quite powerful and pretty reliable electric locomotives.
Wow, thanks for your reply, that was some fascinating hands-on experience you had. The info I have about the B & O electrics comes from a book called When The Steam Railroads Electrified written by William D. Middleton and published by Kalmbach in 1974. There has been an updated version published which I don't have. This book is one of my railway "Bibles". Others are: Motive Power of The Union Pacific Pennsy Power (has steam & electric locos but no diesels) Articulated Locomotives of North America American Locomotives 1900-1950 Of course I have books about New Zealand Railways and general Worldwide railway books as well. The B & O electrification officially began on July 1st 1985. Their first electric locos didn't seem to have a classification as such but their third batch of electric locos were classified O-E-4. - Dennis.@@mdlanor5414
Through a lot of research. I finally found some information on the B&O Railroad’s Electric Locomotives. These electric locomotives were manufactured by General Electric. These Electric locomotives weighed 96 tons or 192,000 lbs.They had 1,440 HP/ Four 360 HP traction motors. With a continuous 42,000 lbs of starting tractive effort up to 60,000 lbs over a short period of time. These Electric Locomotives were mainly used to pull a Steam Locomotive with a train. Through the Howard Street Tunnel. Preventing the massive amounts of smoke a Steam Locomotive produced while pulling a train. The B&O Electric Locomotives was the prototype for future electric locomotives. In addition the B&O railroad was the prototype for AC Electric Current Catenary System and or the DC Electric Current Third Rail System. The B&O Electric locomotives first used an unsuccessful odd overhead catenary wire system with DC Electric Current that was troublesome right from the start. All were converted over to third rail DC Electric Current. The first DC Electric Current used an Overhead Wire. The electric locomotives used a crude pantograph that contacted the trolley wire. The DC Electric Current then passed through to the positive lead on the traction motors and a separate bare copper wire in the middle of the track, with wood on top of the wire. A inverted crude pantograph was underneath the Electric Locomotive. To provide the negative/ground back to the power plant. Completing the circuit. This had to be very dangerous for anyone working on the tracks. These B&O Electric Locomotives were shortly converted over having a break away pad on the side near the bottom of the electric locomotive,that made contact with the newly designed by B&O and General Electric third rail system. The break away pads were designed to break off of it made contact with an obstruction. This third rail design was successful and wasn’t quite as dangerous to track workers as the overhead catenary wire system. The first LE-1 electric locomotives remained in service from 1895 until 1917. Many reasons these Electric Locomotives were removed from service included, the amount of DC Electric Current they required. They couldn’t be coupled together and configured into multiple units. They were mainly used for the Howard Street Tunnel and on only a few miles of track. Plus the advancements being made with Electric Locomotives that would replace them. It is a shame that all of B&O’s Electric Locomotives were scrapped. At least 1 should have been preserved. Being the B&O Electric Locomotives were the FIRST USA manufactured electric locomotives that were successful.
Is their an engine you’d like to see me cover? Well tell me via this comment! Rule #1) one engine per customer Rule #2)don’t spam the same engine multiple times Rule #3)it can’t be an engine I’ve already covered
How about the Baldwin Sharknose diesels-freight and passenger. Hands down, they are the most beautiful locomotives ever built!!
@@johntapp7232 already covered them
Anything on the "sweeps"? Old g.p high- hoods converted to switchers? Thanks!
@Finn Windu 4877 was in Tuscan Red with Clarendon lettering and pinstripes in its last 2 years of NJT serviced. More often than not, Old Big Red was under the command of Cliff Underwood, who actually wrote a song about her. czcams.com/video/tC6W0XEqOLw/video.html
To whom it may concern, I’m sorry that I had a bit of a brain fart saying EMD instead of GE. Oopsie 😁
The GG1 was designed by Donald Roscoe Dohner, Raymond Lowey only designed the welded body and paint job. Any video with GG1s gets a thumbs up from me!
Interesting
I ran these in 1973-4. I could check my log books (yup, I saved them) to see if I ran any you've shown. I will tell you first hand, getting these monsters to 100mph was easy. If not for bad track, I'd bet they were good for perhaps 20mph more, although at 100, you felt you life was in danger. Dirty, filthy, noisy, powerful beauties.
What a memory that’s really neat!
How awesome to drive these beasts.
Excuse me John, but do you recall what was Max tonnage you pulled while driving the GG1? Or did you do only passenger?
Only passenger and light engine. Biggest train I pulled was Ringling bros circus train. Back then, 2 GG1's and sadly only 22 cars.
@@johnhauser4589 Thank you for the answer! It must have been fun to pull a circus on your train. :)
"Old Rivets" [#4800] is at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum. As it's the first, it would be a hoot to see it restored.
Old rivets ran from January 1934 to October 1979, victim of a burned-out main transformer only a month before CR retired all its Gs.
Back in the mid 70’s I rode an Amtrak train from DC to Boston pulled by a GG 1. I remember thinking that loco was the biggest I ever saw. Still is. Thanks for the video.
Cool memory
The first time I saw a GG1 was at Union Station in Washington DC. I was maybe 5-6 years old and that monstrous locomotive impressed me beyond belief;I’d never seen anything so big and powerful. The GG1 still impresses me to this day.
I just found your channel as I am a huge fan of the GG1. I really hope to be able to see one in person soon.
As a matter of fact I have seen one before. At the PRR Museum right next to Strausburg. Welcome to the channel and if theirs an engine you’d like me to cover, lemme know in the comment section of my next video. Thank you.
The summer 2009 Classic Trains magazine has several good articles on GG1's. One author highlights that Don Dohner did the original 4800 streamline design, and Raymond Lowey improved following units by recommending welded bodies and other refinements.
The Pennsylvania Railroad borrowed a New Haven EP-3 for testing, using the technology as a basis for the GG1 wheel arrangement.
To answer the question about seeing any GG1's restored to operational status:
No. We won't see any GG1's run ever again. Reasons are numerous but heavily include the materials used in the construction of the GG1's guts.
Asbestos and PCB abound under all that shiny lead paint.
0:52 That's a mail train, not a freight.
There's also a GG-1 at the VA Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
Mate I couldn’t find one pulling a freight :)
In the field the 4935 was nicknamed "Black Jack" because the digits added together = 21. There was another motor prior to the AEM-7, it was GE's E60CP numbered in the 900 series which were a 6 axle electric freight motor (if I recall correctly, a power plant out in Colorado used them to move their coal cars). Amtrak engineers had said the E60CP "bounced them all over the place" inside the cab, it wasn't a very nice ride. It was determined they were not to exceed a maximum speed of 80mph. Later, the wheel trucks were changed allowing for a maximum speed of 90mph & were re-numbered in the 600's when the new style wheel trucks were installed.
These things also have PCBs in them
I believe the components with PCBs have been removed from those in museums, which makes it even harder for them to be put back in service. The best we could expect is a shell that looks like a GG1 over some more modern frame.
They are also loaded with asbestos so restoration would be a very difficult undertaking.
In fairness making a GG1 functional and operational is dependent upon the infrastructure needed to power one as well.
Very true
I think each GG1 would qualify as it's own Superfund site, with the asbestos, PCBs in the transformers, mercury in the rectifiers, and the lead in the paint.
There is also one in Elkhart, Indiana. PC/CR 4882.
The biggest reason Conrail stopped using the GG1 was because Amtrak jacked the rates up on electrical use. (Same goes for the relatively new only being around 20 years old at the time) E-44s. Had Amtrak not done this they may had lasted even longer if only in lesser roles.
With regard to Conrail vs. Amtrak, one cannot forget Conrail engineer Ricky Gates who disregarded a stop signal and ran his diesel locomotives into the Amtrak Colonial causing a huge derailment and loss of life. This caused Amtrak to restrict the times that Conrail could operate on the Northeast Corridor. With the alternate routes not having catenary, it became obvious that electric locomotives were suddenly surplus and had to go.
They also were changing from 25 hertz to 60 hertz so that stopped them being able to run
The GG1, it is the hardest American locomotive to replace in the tycoon games due to its unparalleled delivery of power vs speed for nearly any task.
Expensive buy in early on, but the horsepower you got was more than insane enough to satiate your demands for many years to come, and allowed you to skip the nasty early diesel era of lack of horsepower.
I just started a new game of OpenTTD, and I've got a GG1 hauling paper to a factory.
I saw the GG-1 in action on the Northeast corridor in New Brunswick New Jersey
That’s really cool! When and where?
@@ironhorsehistorian9871 the 1970s in New Brunswick New Jersey on the Northeast corridor pulling 100 car freight trains and passenger trains and work trains and commuter trains and I also saw the e44 electric locomotives in action as well and the e33s the high-speed metroliner and the owl face mus
There is a GG1 panted in Amtrak red and silver at the NY state fairgrounds
I saw one of these on fall break at virginia meusim of transportation Michael! It Was To rusty to make out railroad
Wow that’s neat
@@ironhorsehistorian9871..... Great video!!... You might want to change the "EMD" to "GE" in your title, though. First video of yours that I've seen.... and have subscribed. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the constructive criticism. I’ll try and make more of an effort to check who built “Locomotive X” from now on”
@@Romans--bo7br oh shoot😓you right. Lol dummy brain moment.
Fixed it and thanks for the constructive feedback! :D
Ridin' on the GG1 locomotive/Penn Central Monday mornin' rail/15 cars and 150 restless riders/3 conductors and 25 sacks of mail/All along the westbound odessey/The train pulls out of Grand Central and rolls along past NYC buildings and fields
(OK, I'm no Steve Goodman)
... there is one sitting outside at the Strasburg RR in the rail yard too ... Maybe someday ... we can only hope ...
It’s all an the Benjamin’s
There is on in the woods off of Route 7/I-88 I think near Cobleskill,New York
Cooperstown Junction
We have one at the Illinois Railway Museum👍🏻🚂
We have one at the Illinois Railway Museum I believe👍🏻
I watched several of American loco series today so thought hey I like these. So I am now new subscriber
Thank you and welcome to the club :). Is their an engine you’d like me to cover? Well simply tell me and I’ll eventually cover that engine.
A good number are preserved in various states but sadly a combination of cracked frames, PCB transformer oil and asbestos insulation prevents making even one operational again. Not impossible, just very costly as it would require remanufacturing a good number of components and a completely new cabling.
. . . and you have to consider whether 12 KV/12.5 KV (used to be 11 KV, but probably close enough) @ 25 Hz will still be available for them to run under in the future. Once SEPTA gets rid of their Silverliner IV EMUs (which I think are the last things that can't take 60 Hz), the power supply becomes eligible to be upgraded to 25 KV @ 60 Hz. So just refurbishing the old transformers wouldn't be good enough -- you would need new transformers, and you would need to add rectifiers (the old motors would tend to overheat on 60 Hz).
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio The most radical step would be a replacement of the whole electric section, as has been done in the AEM7AC. A modern multisystem locomotive in an ancient bodyshell? But that would go way beyond what's considered restoration. It would be a new locomotive with old mechanics.
@@uncinarynin I thought about that, but most AC propulsion systems make an ethereal shriek, which would be really weird on a GG1. Probably better to put in a modern transformer but with tap changers for both voltage control and changing between overhead voltages.
@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio Interesting thought, converting the 25Hz, 11(or 12)kv. How much rework must be done on the insulators etc for the contact wire. It would replace the nearly 100 yr old infrastructure, and will have to happen eventually.
I am assuming that is still Washington to New Haven. As a wire junky I would like to see freight mainlines electrified(sigh).
@@delurkor If you were going to 25 KV, you would probably have to replace the insulators. Metro-North redid all of the New Haven Railroad's electrification (New York to New Haven, but I'm not sure if they moved the changeover point from north of Sunnyside Yard into New York Penn Station). But while the replaced all the catenary and I think also the line poles, I'm not sure if they actually replaced the insulators, and they only bumped the voltage up to 12.5 KV, not 25 KV. New Jersey Transit has made all their new electrification 25 KV at 60 Hz, but I don't think they have redone any 11 KV at 25 Hz electrification(*), other than to bump the voltage up to 12 KV or 12.5 KV, depending upon which information I read (seems to be inconsistent even within Wikipedia pages), which I guess they figured was close enough, and SEPTA and the rest of Amtrak south of New York did the same. As far as I know, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak don't have any more equipment that can't take 60 Hz and 60 Hz, whereas SEPTA does (the Silverliner IVs).
(*)They redid their 3 KV DC electrification inherited from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad as 25 KV at 60 Hz.
Thank you. Great video.
It's an elegant looking train for sure.
:D
Perhaps the only thing that ruins its look is the "Mating Worms" logo of the abominable Penn Central in the place of the Keystone herald.
@@QuadMochaMatti Could you explain this to me? Why is Penn Central abominable?
4890 is currently wearing the burgundy five-stripe paint scheme. Dunno when she was repainted, but she has been.
Officially 'Tuscan Red,' named after the clay pottery from Tuscany, Italy. Burgundy is a French wine.
@@Greatdome99 I wasn't sure, I don't really know much about eastern roads, the color looked burgundy to me though
The electrical components (in particular, the transformers) of the GG1 used PCB's, which are now banned, so the components would need a lot of design and construction to replace, more than museums could afford. They are not likely to ever ride the rails again.
I could be wrong but I believe there where 136 built but you said 139. No GG1's will run soon, they used chemicals in the coolent that is dangerous/toxic. In response, the parts that had it in it where drained and filled with cement
Actually yes. I remember seeing this in my research, but I just didn’t add it in.
They filled it with cement?
139 units built.
The Amtrak in all black just seems weird to me all these years later. 3:10
@00:09 -- Voice typo "the Electromotive Division GG1". Later you correctly indicate them as being from General Electric and PRR's Juniata Shops.
I am aware of the mistake, had a brain fart
Actually, only the very first 14 GG1's were built by GE; the rest were built at PRR's Juniata shops, and the latter ones had Westinghouse electrics with a frame cast by Baldwin. AT NO TIME was EMD ever involved with the GG1.
Dude…. I know….. you aren’t the first to point it out……
Rip Penn Central Hello Conrail
At about the 10 second mark, you mention "Electro Motive Division" in connection with the GG1. EMD as it is often known by, was an independent corporation during the development of the GG1: the Electro Motive Corporation. They were primarily interested in making "doodlebugs" and small diesel electric locomotives at this time and had no connection whatsoever with the GG1 development. The GG1 wheel arrangement was based on the New Haven EP3 design which had tested on the PRR in Delaware and proposed by General Electric. The competing R1 design was developed by a Baldwin-Westinghouse consortium. At GE, the lead engineer was Donald R. Dohner. A private man, he let Raymond Lowey receive the accolades.
I’ve so far seen 4918(AMTRAK 916) and 4913
I can remember seeing and photoing 4882 and 4884 among others.
They were running of course.
ConRail has a GG1?????? I didn’t know that
Irm could restore theirs but the wires are only 600 volts dc
It’s all about the Benjamin’s
The best loco in RailRoad tycoon
It was built by Baldwin with EMD running gear
Really? That’s cool.
I don't think that's accurate. EMD had nothing to do with the GG1- it was built by GE and the PRR, not by EMD (a division of General Motors). Some of the engines used Westinghouse electrical components chassis from Baldwin.
I saw it on another channel.
@@s1rk3t according to my research that sounds more accurate
My research agrees with the last assessment.
Of course, Raymond Lowey only designed the exterior shell. Engineers designed the rest of the machine.
No, Donald Roscoe Dohmer of Westinghouse designed the prototype 4800 "Old Rivets". Loewy improved on the Dohmer design by recommending welded bodies for the 138 production Gs.
@@smwca123 - Technically, you're right. However, Loewy specified the five-stripe pinstripe and its classic curve along the side. Photos of the original of PRR 4899 (later-renumbered 4800) show a much different and much less graceful exterior paint scheme, along with a obtrusive air intake near the pantographs. The value of Loewys' contribution is shown by the fact that PRR applied some variation of his design to first generation diesels, too.
Which engine is displayed at the Harrisburg, PA station? At least there was one a couple of years ago.
I couldn’t tell you as I’ve never been to Harrisburg. Sry man I’m the wrong person to ask.
4859, which is supposedly the first GG1 that pulled regular train into Harrisburg in 1938. It is also one of very few saved which worked for Conrail.
What a cool series! I love this engine. I love series like this too. Please count me as a new subscriber.
Yay! I’ll sub to u if I haven’t already
@@ironhorsehistorian9871 thanks! Your channel is pone of my favorite subs of the year. Thanks!
I heard they had frame problems, preventing restoration
The gg1 was made by General Electric not electromotive division you said this in the beginning of your video presentation.
Any asbestos in those old girls?
I didn’t see anything regarding asbestos lining in the engines during my research. But, it wouldn’t be out of the question.
Asbestos was commonly used in electrical components during the 30's and through the life of the GG1. Switchgear, wiring insulation, cable wraps, motors, controllers and especially flash guards were full of asbestos.
Well that’s cool
PCBs I believe are the problem. The rectifiers (I think) contain PCBs...they'll never run again unfortunately.
@@yourcrazyteacher585 Yepper - The rectifiers and transformers of that period were cooled with an oil bath made from poly chlorinated biphenyl. They should have been remediated prior to disposal or going into a museum setting. Actually PCB's are still in use today, the US banned the production of new PCB's in 1978 but allowed the continued use. In essence an old transformer can be drained and the PCB oil be used in another new transformer. Great law . . .
One famous train you forgot to mention was the John f Kennedy funeral train which they used GG wants them all it and protection locomotive stew
Are you sure you're not thinking of the funeral train for Robert Kennedy? I know his one was pulled by a GG1 at some point.
You missed at least two units that are being preserved. Rivets #4800 I believe and #4859
True but I usually highlight a couple so the video Isn’t long winded
@@ironhorsehistorian9871 ah, ok.
It’s all good. I’m always open to constructive criticism, it only makes my videos more sexy. Speaking of which any engines you’d like for me to discuss?
@@ironhorsehistorian9871I think you did a great job with the video. For engines I think the EP-5 would be a good engine to cover. And it doesn’t look like you’ve done that one yet.
Excellent choice, trying to decide between that and one other engine to cover.
EMD didn’t make the GG1
I am well aware of that mistake and I humbly apologize regarding my brain fart.
3:08 why is there a British train on a gg1 locomotive
That's the tour of Flying Scotsman and its train in 1969.
I nominate the Centipede.
Not being sarcastic. The GG-1 wasn’t the first USA Electric Locomotive. There was the P-5 and some earlier USA Electric Locomotives. The GG-1 was probably the first successful USA Electric Locomotive
Not even the first successful ones, the locos of the B & O electrification of 1895 worked out fine.
@@kiwitrainguy
What was the classification of the B&O electric locomotives? Do you know who manufactured them? I feel fortunate to operate GG-1’s in Passenger and Freight Service. From early 1974 on Penn Central. Until the GG-1’s retirement on NJTRO in October 1983. The GG-1 was fun to operate. With 21 notches on the throttle. I had to be taught how to operate a GG-1. No Locomotive Engineer that wasn’t taught to operate these locomotives. Would not even make it off the engine house outbound track. Without tripping the Pantograph Relay. That took a specific process to reset it. The GG-1’s were unique electric locomotives and had a very simple design. Pantograph, to Main Transformer to Traction Motors . I never didn’t make it from point A to point B on a GG-1. Two GG-1’s as a multiple unit. Would easily pull a 120 truck train and get up to the maximum speed of 60 mph. Truck Trains had a maximum authorized speed of 60 mph. One multiple unit GG-1, would easily get the truck train up to 60 mph in a short period of time. Penn Central and for a short period of time Conrail. Also had E-44’s and E-33 Electric Locomotives. Left over by the Pennsylvania Railroad. These were also finicky but also very dependable, but would many times. Develop lateral motion between 50 and 60 mph. That could be scary at times when the lateral motion would get excessive. The Pennsylvania Railroad had ordered purchased the E-44 and E-33 electric locomotives. The Pennsylvania Railroad put shock absorbers on the E-44 and E-33 Electric locomotives. That solved the lateral motion problems, but these shock absorbers were rarely replaced when worn out. The E-60 had insane lateral motion. Their original designed maximum speed was 105 mph. It was quickly lowered to 80 mph maximum authorized speed. The lateral motion o E-60’s was so bad. I would wonder why either the flanges on one the wheels of the E-60’s didn’t break off. Or if the inside of the rail would fail or the rail spreading. Amtrak finally put shock absorbers on the trucks of the E-60’s. This solved the lateral motion problem. Until the shock absorbers wore out. Locomotive Engineers would have to write down on their work reports. When the E-60 would start developing lateral motion again. Then actually complain to upper management. Threatening to either refuse to operate a known E-60 that the lateral motion was happening again. Or threaten to strike to get new shock absorbers put on the E-60. Other than the Lateral motion the E-60’s. They were quite powerful and pretty reliable electric locomotives.
Wow, thanks for your reply, that was some fascinating hands-on experience you had.
The info I have about the B & O electrics comes from a book called When The Steam Railroads Electrified written by William D. Middleton and published by Kalmbach in 1974. There has been an updated version published which I don't have. This book is one of my railway "Bibles".
Others are: Motive Power of The Union Pacific
Pennsy Power (has steam & electric locos but no diesels)
Articulated Locomotives of North America
American Locomotives 1900-1950
Of course I have books about New Zealand Railways and general Worldwide railway books as well.
The B & O electrification officially began on July 1st 1985. Their first electric locos didn't seem to have a classification as such but their third batch of electric locos were classified O-E-4. - Dennis.@@mdlanor5414
Through a lot of research. I finally found some information on the B&O Railroad’s Electric Locomotives. These electric locomotives were manufactured by General Electric. These Electric locomotives weighed 96 tons or 192,000 lbs.They had 1,440 HP/ Four 360 HP traction motors. With a continuous 42,000 lbs of starting tractive effort up to 60,000 lbs over a short period of time. These Electric Locomotives were mainly used to pull a Steam Locomotive with a train. Through the Howard Street Tunnel. Preventing the massive amounts of smoke a Steam Locomotive produced while pulling a train. The B&O Electric Locomotives was the prototype for future electric locomotives. In addition the B&O railroad was the prototype for AC Electric Current Catenary System and or the DC Electric Current Third Rail System. The B&O Electric locomotives first used an unsuccessful odd overhead catenary wire system with DC Electric Current that was troublesome right from the start. All were converted over to third rail DC Electric Current. The first DC Electric Current used an Overhead Wire. The electric locomotives used a crude pantograph that contacted the trolley wire. The DC Electric Current then passed through to the positive lead on the traction motors and a separate bare copper wire in the middle of the track, with wood on top of the wire. A inverted crude pantograph was underneath the Electric Locomotive. To provide the negative/ground back to the power plant. Completing the circuit. This had to be very dangerous for anyone working on the tracks. These B&O Electric Locomotives were shortly converted over having a break away pad on the side near the bottom of the electric locomotive,that made contact with the newly designed by B&O and General Electric third rail system. The break away pads were designed to break off of it made contact with an obstruction. This third rail design was successful and wasn’t quite as dangerous to track workers as the overhead catenary wire system. The first LE-1 electric locomotives remained in service from 1895 until 1917. Many reasons these Electric Locomotives were removed from service included, the amount of DC Electric Current they required. They couldn’t be coupled together and configured into multiple units. They were mainly used for the Howard Street Tunnel and on only a few miles of track. Plus the advancements being made with Electric Locomotives that would replace them. It is a shame that all of B&O’s Electric Locomotives were scrapped. At least 1 should have been preserved. Being the B&O Electric Locomotives were the FIRST USA manufactured electric locomotives that were successful.
Thank you for your efforts.@@mdlanor5414
285 * 12 = 3420 horsepower. Not 4620.
Oof sry bout that. Probably used an unreliable source, thanks for the feedback.
4620 hp is right, with a short time rating of about 8000hp.
silly looking locomotive but the toaster was no better
What locomotives do you like?
Great engines ,shame that they were a toxic nightmare.