Otto Vondrak wrote:Sarge wrote:As for GCT and B units, I recall the various railroads ran diesels into GCT in spite of a law prohibiting it due to a shortage of equipment, even while trying to minimize it. I'm sure B units were rare indeed. However, my question pertained to childhood observations in Mamaroneck, not in GCT. It could well have been that these units were running into Penn (still, NYC diesel ban) under intercity operations, or were borrowed from LIRR under PC umbrella?
Various railroads? NYC, NH, PC, MTA... that's it. And I'd venture a guess that diesels didn't start venturing into Grand Central until the "bad old days" of the 1970s when the electric portion of the FL9s were simply not maintained.
I'd say four (those are four legacy, counting CR as operator for MTA, plus MNRR) amounts to "various railroads". Unless you're parsing the definition of couple, few, and various. And yes, it was the bad old days. There was quite a controversy about it, with fines from NYC or NYS and everything. I don't recall all the particulars, but PC, CR or the MTA just basically ignored the fines and said they were doing the best they could.
Otto Vondrak wrote:Sarge wrote:Regarding the NYC units mentioned running on West Side Freight Line, how did these units avoid the diesel ban? Does that just pertain to pax terminals?
Huh? No diesel ban on the West Side Line. Locomotives that ran there were electric, diesel, or battery powered (or all three, depending on the era we're talking about). You're confused with the steam ban south of such-and-such street on Manhattan Island.
No, not confused about the steam vs diesel ban at all. I am aware they are two different issues. Someone else raised running down the West-Side line (which prompted the question about whether a diesel ban applied to the west side line, or was it just for passenger operations / passenger terminals. I thought I was fairly clear in asking if the diesel ban applied to the West Side freight line, or was it just intended for the passenger operations. Nowhere did I mention steam.
Okay, so no FL-9B units except for the one test unit Dutch mentioned (the book is on my Amazon wish list if anyone feels so inclined!). So what did my admittedly hazy recollection see? I am positive it was a "B" unit. It had to be running on something. Back to my DVD's.........