F Units in Freight service

[MQT1223]

I believe that this qualifies as railfanning information, but where can you find F units in REGULAR FREIGHT SERVICE across the US? After watching videos of the Keokuk Junction Railway's A-B-A set of FP9's on Youtube it made me wonder where you can still find F's doing what they were built to do. I do know that the Escanaba and Lake Superior railroad also has an ex. Wisconsin and Southern F unit of some sort in service, either an F7 or an F9. But anywhere else you can still find F's outside of museum's doing work for freight haulers?

[DT&I]

Ontario Southland has them but I can't think of any other road that has them right now.

[Bulby]

Gettysburg (sister railroad to Keokuk Junction) has an FP9A and 2 F7As, FP9 and one of the F7s are operational, though only used on occasion, and the second F7A threw a rod and trashed the block; so it is O.O.S. until a new block is a justifiable expense.

Trains Mag listed the F units still pulling freight recently, here is what I remember, plus my own comments:

5 owned by Pioneer (Keokuk (A-B-A, FP9s) and Gettysburg (A-A, FP9/F7A)) including the only B-unit listed (Pioneer also has 3 more Fs stored pending repair). Santa Cruz & Monterrey Bay has a pair of F units with funky pilots (if you look them up, you'll see what I mean) that occasionally pull freight, Ontario Southland has 3, two operable, third under repair. Grafton and Upton has one F7A in service.

Floor open to other who can add to this list. I have feeling I missed one or two, but my brain is going into dead mode, if I hadn't knocked off early, I'd have been outlawed at 12:15.

[MQT1223]

Gettysburg (sister railroad to Keokuk Junction) has an FP9A and 2 F7As, FP9 and one of the F7s are operational, though only used on occasion, and the second F7A threw a rod and trashed the block; so it is O.O.S. until a new block is a justifiable expense.

Trains Mag listed the F units still pulling freight recently, here is what I remember, plus my own comments:

5 owned by Pioneer (Keokuk (A-B-A, FP9s) and Gettysburg (A-A, FP9/F7A)) including the only B-unit listed (Pioneer also has 3 more Fs stored pending repair). Santa Cruz & Monterrey Bay has a pair of F units with funky pilots (if you look them up, you'll see what I mean) that occasionally pull freight, Ontario Southland has 3, two operable, third under repair. Grafton and Upton has one F7A in service.

Floor open to other who can add to this list. I have feeling I missed one or two, but my brain is going into dead mode, if I hadn't knocked off early, I'd have been outlawed at 12:15.

Those SC&MB F units were ruined with those ridiculous pilots. I thought the whole Gettysburg operation folded, freight included. Hmmm... yeah I doubt that F7 will run again. She will probably turn into a parts source after throwing a rod. Does this mean that F units are making a comeback on the freight scene? After Erie Mining shut down it seemed like never again would F units live as freight haulers.

[Bulby]

GETY is still going strong, I am going to be nice and not publicly name the party responsible for the death of GETY as a passenger carrier, suffice to say that he is a "known" entity to some on this board.

I hope 401 gets a new block eventually; not likely, but you could drop a used block from an otherwise shot locomotive into the 401. The Pioneer F-units have proven their worth as freight haulers in the 21st century. I love those old Fs, great units; every one of 'em.

I would say that F-units are making a comeback, in services that they can be maintained by the same shop crew, who can learn what makes each locomotive tick. That is the key to any of the old diesel's still in service, be it FP9s, GP35s, or C636s. A big railroad doesn't have the same mechanics working on a road locomotive day in and day out. A shortline does, and in Keokuk's case, minor repairs are able to be done by the crew, since the wiring and systems are very straightforward.

[MQT1223]

GETY is still going strong, I am going to be nice and not publicly name the party responsible for the death of GETY as a passenger carrier, suffice to say that he is a "known" entity to some on this board.

I hope 401 gets a new block eventually; not likely, but you could drop a used block from an otherwise shot locomotive into the 401. The Pioneer F-units have proven their worth as freight haulers in the 21st century. I love those old Fs, great units; every one of 'em.

I would say that F-units are making a comeback, in services that they can be maintained by the same shop crew, who can learn what makes each locomotive tick. That is the key to any of the old diesel's still in service, be it FP9s, GP35s, or C636s. A big railroad doesn't have the same mechanics working on a road locomotive day in and day out. A shortline does, and in Keokuk's case, minor repairs are able to be done by the crew, since the wiring and systems are very straightforward.

Hey, if it keeps F units in service outside of museums I will take it. But when their time has come lets hope that they go to museums and not the scrap heap! I am seeing F7's and F9 variants, are F3's too "vintage"? All the museums got the last of the F3's?

[MQT1223]

GETY is still going strong, I am going to be nice and not publicly name the party responsible for the death of GETY as a passenger carrier, suffice to say that he is a "known" entity to some on this board.

I hope 401 gets a new block eventually; not likely, but you could drop a used block from an otherwise shot locomotive into the 401. The Pioneer F-units have proven their worth as freight haulers in the 21st century. I love those old Fs, great units; every one of 'em.

I would say that F-units are making a comeback, in services that they can be maintained by the same shop crew, who can learn what makes each locomotive tick. That is the key to any of the old diesel's still in service, be it FP9s, GP35s, or C636s. A big railroad doesn't have the same mechanics working on a road locomotive day in and day out. A shortline does, and in Keokuk's case, minor repairs are able to be done by the crew, since the wiring and systems are very straightforward.

I am guessing that most of the F units that are making a return to freight service at some point were part of VIA Rail? The roof mounted bells give away the Canadian heritage of some of the F units. I don't think a museum at this day and age would let too many F units go unless they had a lot of them. Closed tourist/passenger operations seem to be a source of F units getting a second freight hauling career in the case of the Agawa Canyon F units and the E&LS F units. I am definitely a new fan of Pioneer and their use of first generation diesel power.

[railohio]

North Shore Scenic's Soo Line-painted FP7 is used to move storage cars. It's been more than occasional for the past year.

[mlmphotography]

West Virginia Central (Durbin and Greenbrier Valley) in North Central WV uses their F's for freight.

Loyd L.

[MP73point4]

Was over at the Ontario Southland last week. F's look and sound nice. They're working to get the 1400 going which would make three in service. This picture was taken in Ingersoll, ON last Thursday. Units are 6508 and 1401, both ex-VIA FP9s.

[GTW6401]

Grafton and Upton in Massachusetts runs an F7A.

They also have a former GTW GP9R.

[AARR]

Why would anyone want to use a F-unit? I thought they are difficult to switch with because they don't have convenient stairs or standing plates (don't know what they're called). As a railfan I love to see them still in use but if I owned a railroad I don't think I'd use them.

[ns8401]

Why would anyone want to use a F-unit? I thought they are difficult to switch with because they don't have convenient stairs or standing plates (don't know what they're called). As a railfan I love to see them still in use but if I owned a railroad I don't think I'd use them.

F-units are hard to switch with to a point, it can be done though.

[MQT1223]

Why would anyone want to use a F-unit? I thought they are difficult to switch with because they don't have convenient stairs or standing plates (don't know what they're called). As a railfan I love to see them still in use but if I owned a railroad I don't think I'd use them.

F-units are hard to switch with to a point, it can be done though.

Well that must not be too much of a problem because the Keokuk Junction Railway switches with them all the time from what I have found. The Keokuk Junction crews apparently like the F units. I don't know if its because of the ride or what but they apparently like them. Pioneer rail likes any old power.

[ns8401]

Why would anyone want to use a F-unit? I thought they are difficult to switch with because they don't have convenient stairs or standing plates (don't know what they're called). As a railfan I love to see them still in use but if I owned a railroad I don't think I'd use them.

F-units are hard to switch with to a point, it can be done though.

Well that must not be too much of a problem because the Keokuk Junction Railway switches with them all the time from what I have found. The Keokuk Junction crews apparently like the F units. I don't know if its because of the ride or what but they apparently like them. Pioneer rail likes any old power.

Like I said it can be done but the Geeps and SD units have walkways to make it easier to switch with. In theory you can use a B-unit by itself to switch.

[Bulby]

The usual Keokuk Junction power consist typically includes a GP20 with switching steps; plus the run the F-units frequent doesn't have much switching. F-units are great for point A to point B.

I've never had a problem switching with Fs; but then again I'm used to it. As long as you are using radios instead of hand-signals, there is little handicap to switching with Fs.

F-units are easy to trace wiring, if it has a BC or C block it is a reliable prime mover, and they have great forward visibility. I have never had an F-unit blow up or shut down on me; I've had plenty of GPs and SDs fail on me.

[SD80MAC]

Here's OSR 6508 having just been made operational again by the shop forces at Salford in May of last year.

WSJR FP9A #6508 by conrail6809, on Flickr

And granted, no, these aren't F units, but CN is the last big railroad that uses cowl locomotives in freight service. GE C40-8Ms and EMD SD60Fs. I'm not sure if CP still has any SD40-2Fs active.

BCOL C40-8M #4618 by conrail6809, on Flickr

[MQT1223]

The usual Keokuk Junction power consist typically includes a GP20 with switching steps; plus the run the F-units frequent doesn't have much switching. F-units are great for point A to point B.

I've never had a problem switching with Fs; but then again I'm used to it. As long as you are using radios instead of hand-signals, there is little handicap to switching with Fs.

F-units are easy to trace wiring, if it has a BC or C block it is a reliable prime mover, and they have great forward visibility. I have never had an F-unit blow up or shut down on me; I've had plenty of GPs and SDs fail on me.

Yeah I bet that if radio's came sooner F unit's wouldn't have gotten the switching reputation that they have. If F units are so reliable then why did the Gettysburg unit throw a rod? Bad block?

[ns8401]

The usual Keokuk Junction power consist typically includes a GP20 with switching steps; plus the run the F-units frequent doesn't have much switching. F-units are great for point A to point B.

I've never had a problem switching with Fs; but then again I'm used to it. As long as you are using radios instead of hand-signals, there is little handicap to switching with Fs.

F-units are easy to trace wiring, if it has a BC or C block it is a reliable prime mover, and they have great forward visibility. I have never had an F-unit blow up or shut down on me; I've had plenty of GPs and SDs fail on me.

Yeah I bet that if radio's came sooner F unit's wouldn't have gotten the switching reputation that they have. If F units are so reliable then why did the Gettysburg unit throw a rod? Bad block?

Just because something is reliable does not mean it doesn't break down, it just means it doesn't break down very much.

[MQT1223]

The usual Keokuk Junction power consist typically includes a GP20 with switching steps; plus the run the F-units frequent doesn't have much switching. F-units are great for point A to point B.

I've never had a problem switching with Fs; but then again I'm used to it. As long as you are using radios instead of hand-signals, there is little handicap to switching with Fs.

F-units are easy to trace wiring, if it has a BC or C block it is a reliable prime mover, and they have great forward visibility. I have never had an F-unit blow up or shut down on me; I've had plenty of GPs and SDs fail on me.

Yeah I bet that if radio's came sooner F unit's wouldn't have gotten the switching reputation that they have. If F units are so reliable then why did the Gettysburg unit throw a rod? Bad block?

Just because something is reliable does not mean it doesn't break down, it just means it doesn't break down very much.

I am not saying it couldn't happen, I was just curious.