Greetings All,
Welcome to another Locomotive Spotlight!!!
Today the spotlight will shine on the Electro Motive Divisions GP35 that was manufactured between July 1963 and December 1965. Lets take a look at the prototype and models.
Prototype Info
The GP35 is a four axle diesel electric locomotive introduced in 1963 as the successor to the GP30 with a 16 cylinder 567D3 prime mover that was upgraded from 2,250 HP to 2,500 HP.
EMD once again changed the face of dieseldom with the introduction of the spartan cab GP35 that would be their standard cab for the next twenty years. Here is a very colorful GP35 Demonstrator #5654 and coupled to a DD35B which was basically two GP35s on a long frame with four axle trucks. The motive power horsepower race is definitely on!!!
EMD GP35-DD35 Demo / New York Central Tidbit
David R. Sweetland reports in his book New York Central Lightning Stripes part 2 that early in 1964 EMD demonstrated its 5,000 HP DD35 B unit on the New York Central. Working eastbound from Collinwood GP35 #5654(above) with two DD35s and another GP35 left with tonnage for Selkirk. The DD35s never arrived because they derailed at Tribes Hill, NY, west of Amsterdam. The NYC passed on the DD wheel arrangement but purchased thirty one GP35s.
GP35 Production
EMD built a total of 1,334 GP35s. 1,251 for US railroads, 26 for Canadian railroads and 57 for Mexican railroads making this a big seller to say the least and improving on the 938 predecessor GP30 units sold.
The GP35s came with various options like dynamic brakes. The Erie Lackawanna bought 36 units with dynamic brakes like the 2562 below. The EL units were numbered 2551-2586. The EL GP35s would be conveyed to Conrail on April 1st, 1976 and renumbered 3657-3692.
The RF&P took possession of 8 GP35s without dynamic brakes numbered 111-118 and later renumbered 131-138. The RF&P GP35s would go to CSX when the RF&P became part of that RR and and then serve various short line railroads.
The Southern Railway and subsidiaries purchased 78 GP35s with high hoods. The letter "W" after the road number was a check digit for the Southern Railways computer system entries. A good spotting feature of the GP35 is the fan arrangement of two large fans and a smaller one in between as seen below. The SOU GP35s would become part of the Norfolk Southern fleet in 1982 and a number of them would later end up with Guilford Transportation's Springfield Terminal RR.
The Chicago & Northwestern purchased 43 GP35s numbered 824-866. The 844 below is part of a small group of CNW GP35s that had extra large fuel tanks and torpedo tube air tanks on top of the long hood.
The NdeM ordered 55 GP35s numbered 8200-8254. NdeM 8215-8229 were passenger equipped with high short hoods as seen below on the 8225. That's a nice looking engine.
The Pennsylvania RR purchased 119 GP35s numbered 2252-2370. These would be the last four axle road switchers the PRR would purchase.
Ex PRR 2308 in full Penn Central paint. The 2308 would eventually become Conrail 2308 on April 1st, 1976.
Penn Central GP35 2250 along with a GE U25B in NYC paint and another EMD hustle a Flexi Van train north of Altoona, PA in 1970.
PC GP35 2366 and what looks like six mates including a GP30 power a TOFC train in this undated photo. Is this big lash up for speeding the priority train to its destination, adding power to climb grades along the way, dead heading units to cover other trains needing power or wasteful dispatching hoping enough would stay online to make it to its destination and not block a hot mainline?
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"File:Hugh llewelyn 2366 (5961222912).jpg" by Hugh Llewelyn is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Whatever the reason for the seven unit lash up they are fun to run on the layout! Check out my "Having fun with Wasteful Dispatching" blogpost link at the bottom of the page for more on these big lash ups.
The Chessie System would roster a total of 88 GP35s purchased by their component railroads. (B&O 41, C&O 42, WM 5). Many would end up on the CSX roster in 1980 and some would have extended lives as road slugs.
BNSF GP35 2577 looking good in its ATSF paint. The ATSF purchased 131 GP35s. BN predecessor roads GN and CB&Q purchased 24 and 22 units respectively.
The Models
The bulk of the GP35 models in the combined fleets of my sons and I are the older Athearn blue box wide body models with gold flywheel motors. These are straight DC units that have proven to be rugged and reliable for more than two decades.
NYC GP35 #2399 greets older brother GP30 #2197 as it enters Terminal Yard. I painted and lettered the 2399 in 2010 as NYC 2397 and renumbered it to prototype number 2399 in 2019. The 2399 was almost repainted with Penn Central lettering and a PC herald as I had bad information that NONE of the NYC GP35s had dynamic brakes and that started to bother me.
There's a new engine in town!!! The 2399 joins older brother EMDs in the Terminal Yard engine terminal. The GP20, GP30s and 2399 have post 1966 road numbers.
PC GP35 #2294 is a factory painted Bachmann model and part of 1:1 Sir Neal's 1:87 scale PC fleet. The 2294 was lensed at the APRR's Rock Ridge Yard in Rock Ridge NJ and can be seen in our Penn Central Car Movements virtual operations.
B&O GP35 #3543 and a GP40 in Chessie paint leads a train of covered hoppers. I can do this with a pair of GP35s!!
Erie Lackawanna GP35 #2570 is a factory painted Athearn BB unit that has been in the combined fleet for around 25 years. I added the prototypical black numerals on white number boards using the word and mailing labels. This close up tells me I should revisit this...
Summer of '76. EL GP35 2564 leads ex PC/ NYC GP35 2398 and a GE U Boat on a hotshot Trail Van train on August 10th, 1976. We can approximate this lash up!
The EL 2570 leads PC 2327 and a U Boat in a Summer of '76 consist.
On April 1st, 1976 the Reading Company became part of Conrail and conveyed 37 GP35s (3620-3656) to the newly formed savior of the Northeast. The ex RDG units would be retain their RDG numbers.
Conrail GP35 #3635 is a factory painted Athearn BB model that has been part of the fleet for over 25 years. CR #3635 in ex RDG #3635.
It's another Summer of '76 lash up! I've always liked the Conrail rainbow era and these GP35s convey that quite nicely on the layout.
Second hand market for the EMD GP35s
When the 1:87 scale Atlantic Pacific Railroad acquired a short line railroad in South Florida 1:1 Sir Neal looked at the used locomotive market and authorized the purchase of four Bachmann EMD GP35s (361-364) to meet the power needs of this new subsidiary.
The second hand GP35s were sent to a custom model painter in Dedham, Mass to be painted into the APRR corporate colors and be upgraded to FRA class 1 standards.
APRR 361 is fresh out of the paint shop and sits in Rock Ridge Yard awaiting inspection by APRR management.
Photo by 1:1 Sir Neal. Used with permission.
Photo by 1:1 Sir Neal. Used with permission.
Photo by 1:1 Sir Neal. Used with permission.
The EMD GP35s in action around the layout
Final thoughts and comments
The EMD GP35s introduced in 1963 were a big seller and arrived at a turbulent time when many railroads sought mergers and fought for their very lives. The GP35s performed well for over twenty years often for several different railroads.
The GP35 ushered in the standard EMD look that the company would use on subsequent locomotives for twenty years. EMDs original GP40x, EMD 433A, with new 645 prime mover was built on the GP35 frame. The New York Central impressed with the GP35 and GP40x experimental unit signed up for 110 preproduction GP40s.
The Athearn BB models of our combined fleet have been simple and reliable running locomotives for well over two decades. Their life span fits in perfectly with my preferred eras and their size makes them perfect for the layout.
Looking at some of the close up photos of our GP35 models tells me they need some upgrading, especially the number boards. That work is under way and will be reported in a future blog post.
A PC GP35 consist enters Terminal Yard and encounters younger brothers PC GP40 #3175 and GP38-2 #8024.
Additional links, reading and photos
EMD GP35 facts, rosters and preservation.
New York Central Lightning Stripes part 2 by David R. Sweetland
Thanks for reading and watching!!!
See you soon!!!
Another great locomotive report on the GP35 engines. As always, your background information is a great read for any modeler.
ReplyDeleteThe NYCTL motive power that you've acquired over the years makes your railroad a true Class I in the modeling era!
I do appreciate the shout out on the the APRR and PC engines. Unfortunately, the EL engine was not available for his cameo. Maybe some other time.
I'm looking forward to your next locomotive spotlight!
Thanks Sir John!
Thanks for the compliments 1:1 Sir Neal!!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the post and thanks for allowing me to use your photos.
I believe the EL 2570 shown above is the same as yours.