Did the B&O runs passenger AA F3's?

In photos I've seen of the AA sets, it's always been in the yard or something and not coupled to a consist.  I've seen AB's coupled to the passenger runs, but I'm not sure about the AA's either.

Studying this photograph:

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo149.jpg

It would appear that passenger F3 A-A's were used at some point.   Look at the roofs of the "B" end for both locomotives.  The front unit has a steam generator, as evidenced by the large vents but on the rear unit there appear to be only small vent pipes which are characteristic of water tank vents for steam generator supply. 

It would appear that this is a married pair, possibly connected by a drawbar.  I'd wager the "trailing" unit also bears the number 149.

Rusty
 

Generally A-A F-units wouldn't be a good choice for passenger service, because although A units had room for a steam generator they had very little room for water. So normally the steam generator and water supply was in a B unit.

That being said, if these were connected with a drawbar so essentially one unit, you could have one A unit with a steam generator and the other one having water tank(s). Interesting, never thought about it before but I'd think it could work.

I have been doing a little search and found the B&O must have purchased

dual service F3's.

It appears as if engines 113 to 171 were A-A units and as suggested above, connected with a drawbar and numbered as one locomotive.

There may be instances of them hauling passenger, but all of the photos I found they are on what looks to be hot manifest freight.

Notice the pilot on 149 above, it's the standard pilot, not as used

on the F3's used in passenger service. The enclosed photo shows the

passenger F with the passenger pilot and geared for passenger service.

Later in their life, the few passenger F's were regeared and used in freight service. These passenger F's were delivered with an A and a B unit, connected by a drawbar and numbered as one locomotive. They had six of them, from 82 to 87.

Ed

Ed, the style of pilot doesn't determine the service the locomotive was used in. 

The CB&Q used the so-called passenger pilot on all for their F-units, which with the exception of two F3 A-B-A sets,(later regeared and repainted as "Graybacks" for freight service) were freight locomotives.  And the Santa Fe used the so-called freight pilot on all of their F-units, both freight and passenger.

Rusty

No it didn't, you are right. Note that the dual service units had the standard pilot, but the passenger F's did. So in the case of the Baltimore and Ohio, the pilot on the F's did determine sole use as passenger locomotives, until as I said, they were re-geared for freight service.

Ed

Interestly, Atlas describes there B&O AA units as 115-115A and 149-149A.  Guess maybe Atlas was trying to model the F3's with the drawbar. 

I found a new Atlas set at a great price, but since there is not a B unit available, I won't purchase them for my Columbian set.

Jim 

I copied the following from a discussion on the B&O yahoo group that was vetted amongst the experts.  Here is what B&O did.   B&O had three groups of F3's.

Passenger (14)  These are the Columbian units that are discussed in earlier posts.

------------------

-  seven A-units and seven B-units boosters, built 1947

-  A-units numbered 82, 82A, 84, 84A, 86, 86A, 88

-  B-units numbered 82X, 82AX, 84X, 84AX, 86, 86AX, 88X

-  used in passenger service, mainly on theNew York-Washington-Chicagoline

-  phase II appearance, chicken wire between the two A-unit portholes

-  equipped with steam generators (all those bumps on the rear roof access hatch)

-  straight pilots, painted gray with three blue stripes

-  high fan shrouds

-  no dynamic brakes (blank forward roof access hatch)

-  renumbered 1400-1406 (F3A), 2400-2406 (F3B) in 1957

-  mostly reassigned to freight service in 1958

-  renumbered 4637-4643 (F3A),  5520-5526 (F3B) also in 1958

-  traded in to EMD during 1962-3 on GP30 orders, 1964 on GP35 order

Dual Service but used primarily for Freight (40)  These are the ATLAS units:

---------------

-  forty A-units, no B-units, built 1948

-  numbered (113, 113A)  to (151, 151A), odd numbers only

-  operated as matched twenty A-A pairs for nearly their entire careers

-  operated in the Western Region, on all five lines radiating out ofCincinnati

-  phase II appearance, chicken wire between the two A-unit portholes

-  creased pilots, painted gray with three blue stripes, later painted black -  no fan shrouds

-  113-151 had steam generators, 113A - 151A had water tanks (blank rear access roof hatch)

-  equipped with dynamic brakes, two longitudinal openings in the forward roof access hatch

-  renumbered 4420-4459 in 1957

-  traded in to EMD during 1962-3 on GP30 orders

Freight (20)

---------------

-  twenty A-units, built late 1948

-  numbered 153, 153A, to 171, 171A, odd numbers only

-  joined by 10 F7B boosters (153X - 171X, odd) in 1950, operated in A-B-A sets

-  operated mainly on theWheeling-Pittsburgh-Buffaloline until 1961

-  phase IV appearance, stainless steel grilles and body louvers like an F7

-  creased pilots painted black

-  no fan shrouds

-  steam generators removed 1951

-  equipped with dynamic brakes, two longitudinal openings in the forward roof access hatch

-  renumbered 4460-4479 in 1957

-  most traded in to EMD during 1964-5 on GP35 orders

Hope this helps, ray

Ray,

Thanks for all the useful information about B&O's F units.

Jim

That photo is elegant.  Makes me want to repaint some of my models.

That photo is elegant. Makes me want to repaint some of my models.

I would agree that the F's look great.  I wished that Atlas had offered their F's as A-B set they would look great with my on-reserve GGD Columbian cars!

Jim