AA GP38 7770

[cfriedri]

While reviewing the Wikipedia page for the modern Ann Arbor Railroad, I noticed that the roster section indicates that the Ann Arbor Railroad had four EMD GP38s: 7770, 7771, 7791, and 7802. I've read a lot of subject matter and spoken to a lot of knowledgeable individuals but never has 7770 been mentioned. Research shows that PC GP38 7770 has been owned by CR, C&NW, and CEFX for starters. The article claims that 7770 left the property in 1990. So ultimately the question is was there ever a 7770 that was owned by AA?

[AARR]

I'll check around. This is news to me, too.

[Ypsi]

The Diesel Shop (thedieselshop.us) doesn't show a 7770 on the roster at any point, and they have been very accurate in keeping present and past rosters from what I have seen and researched on their site

http://www.thedieselshop.us/AA.HTML

[cfriedri]

Well evidently it's not unique to the Wikipedia article as the following link mentions it as well.

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr1023.htm

[Ypsi]

Interesting.. If I'm reading that correctly it was off the property in 91? To CNW.. Some of that is weird to read. And after I posted that I realized that they left 2370 off the modern roster

Edit: read deeper into it, they report it went to AA in 85, and then to CNW in 91 after being rebuilt

[iKJames]

Another source: http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/35300.htm
Anything on Don's Depot has been accurate in the research I've done, too.

[fmilhaupt]

I'm going to have to say that Don's Depot whiffed this one, and whoever updated the Wikipedia page followed suit.

The Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association doesn't acknowledge 7770 even running on the Ann Arbor. Given that they list an awful lot of power that showed up on-line even on a one-off trip going back into the DT&I era as well, I'm more than a little inclined to go with them on this one. According to the AARRT&HA, 7771, 7791 and 7802 were purchased by the Ann Arbor and received on March 11, 1985. See Henry Burger's work on this at http://www.trainweb.org/annarbor/Roster ... roster.htm .

The Sep/Oct 1997 Diesel Era article on the PC's GP38s lists 7770, 7771, 7791 and 7802 as being among those GP38s returned to their lessor by Conrail in September, October and November, 1984, but only 7771, 7791 and 7802 as being sold to the Ann Arbor. The article is silent on what happened to 7770 after it was returned to its lessor.

I'll add that over a period of ten years living or working within several blocks of the Ann Arbor, starting in 1984, I never saw an Ann Arbor GP38 numbered 7770. I saw each of the three that they actually owned on many dozens of occasions all along the line from Toledo to Osmer and, for a few years when I worked at a company behind the Ford parts plant, on the Saline branch. Given how closely I was watching the Ann Arbor at the time, the odds of a fourth GP38 slipping by unnoticed are pretty tiny.

The simplest explanation is that someone mistook 7771 for 7770 when creating that page on the Don's Depot site, and that someone parroted the incorrect information on the Wikipedia page.

[MQT1223]

I'm going to have to say that Don's Depot whiffed this one, and whoever updated the Wikipedia page followed suit.

The Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association doesn't acknowledge 7770 even running on the Ann Arbor. Given that they list an awful lot of power that showed up on-line even on a one-off trip going back into the DT&I era as well, I'm more than a little inclined to go with them on this one. According to the AARRT&HA, 7771, 7791 and 7802 were purchased by the Ann Arbor and received on March 11, 1985. See Henry Burger's work on this at http://www.trainweb.org/annarbor/Roster ... roster.htm .

The Sep/Oct 1997 Diesel Era article on the PC's GP38s lists 7770, 7771, 7791 and 7802 as being among those GP38s returned to their lessor by Conrail in September, October and November, 1984, but only 7771, 7791 and 7802 as being sold to the Ann Arbor. The article is silent on what happened to 7770 after it was returned to its lessor.

I'll add that over a period of ten years living or working within several blocks of the Ann Arbor, starting in 1984, I never saw an Ann Arbor GP38 numbered 7770. I saw each of the three that they actually owned on many dozens of occasions all along the line from Toledo to Osmer and, for a few years when I worked at a company behind the Ford parts plant, on the Saline branch. Given how closely I was watching the Ann Arbor at the time, the odds of a fourth GP38 slipping by unnoticed are pretty tiny.

The simplest explanation is that someone mistook 7771 for 7770 when creating that page on the Don's Depot site, and that someone parroted the incorrect information on the Wikipedia page.

Is their a possibility that the Ann Arbor thought they needed four 38's but instead decided on three at the last minute and hastily returned 7770 to avoid the purchase costs?

[fmilhaupt]

Is their a possibility that the Ann Arbor thought they needed four 38's but instead decided on three at the last minute and hastily returned 7770 to avoid the purchase costs?

That's possible. It might also be that they were planning to buy three and were going to buy 7770 as one of them, but instead chose another.

I would imagine that the people directly involved with the purchase are the only ones who know for sure.

[MQT1223]

Is their a possibility that the Ann Arbor thought they needed four 38's but instead decided on three at the last minute and hastily returned 7770 to avoid the purchase costs?

That's possible. It might also be that they were planning to buy three and were going to buy 7770 as one of them, but instead chose another.

I would imagine that the people directly involved with the purchase are the only ones who know for sure.

Maybe they got a deal for all four and determined they could sell one and make a little cash, if there was any money to be made with GP38's in the 1970's.

[ns8401]

Is their a possibility that the Ann Arbor thought they needed four 38's but instead decided on three at the last minute and hastily returned 7770 to avoid the purchase costs?

That's possible. It might also be that they were planning to buy three and were going to buy 7770 as one of them, but instead chose another.

I would imagine that the people directly involved with the purchase are the only ones who know for sure.

Maybe they got a deal for all four and determined they could sell one and make a little cash, if there was any money to be made with GP38's in the 1970's.

Mid 1980's and yes there was money...

[AARR]

I've wondered how AA operated with only 3 GP38's. They needed two for the daily road train and one for the yard job. So when one went down there weren't any spares to fill in.

[MQT1223]

Is their a possibility that the Ann Arbor thought they needed four 38's but instead decided on three at the last minute and hastily returned 7770 to avoid the purchase costs?

That's possible. It might also be that they were planning to buy three and were going to buy 7770 as one of them, but instead chose another.

I would imagine that the people directly involved with the purchase are the only ones who know for sure.

Maybe they got a deal for all four and determined they could sell one and make a little cash, if there was any money to be made with GP38's in the 1970's.

Mid 1980's and yes there was money...[/quote]

Wait are you talking about the Old Ann Arbor that went bankrupt in 76 or the new one? I'm assuming the new one since you are talking 80's.

[AARR]

Wait are you talking about the Old Ann Arbor that went bankrupt in 76 or the new one? I'm assuming the new one since you are talking 80's.

The GP38's were acquired by the new AA around 1985. The old AA used the GP35's and its successor, Michigan Interstate, also used the 35's although they added a pair of RS2's. The RS2's were used by the "new" AA from 1982 until the 38's arrived.