Re-purposed GP30

I always thought that leaving the controls (and even the fuel tanks) in a slug was a good idea since it gives you an extra cab and better visibility. If you can find a way of tying the fuel tank into feeding an attached powered unit, you increase the range, plus the weight of the fuel acts as additional ballast. I've seen a couple of "cab slugs" where the fuel tank was removed.

I really hope that a manufacturer some day will produce these sets in O Scale. I can see them as both units operable, with the horn and bell switching when the set switches direction, and the option to take the "mother" unit apart and run it by itself.

These have been around since 1990, not exactly news.

IIRC there were about 128 made, both from GP-30s and GP35s.

Some are on their 3rd or 4th paint scheme.

I remember seeing one in a grey scheme a few years ago. It stood out because it was a GP30, and at the time I figured they were all scrapped long before then.

That's a very nice picture you snapped.

J White

Does anyone know how the various traction motors are wired together? Are the non-powered units motors just wired in parallel with the powered unit?

Wow, I didn't know they were using control-equipped slugs like that. Like Matt earlier in this thread, I also had wondered why slugs didn't have controls still in place.

But as for GP-30s, there still are a few of them in use with the BNSF where I live (along with a small number of SD-9s as yard switchers). I just saw one over the weekend that had been repainted in the newest BNSF paint scheme!

NS has similar road slugs with full car bodies. NS designation RP-M4C, RP-E4C and GPTEB. These units were made from GP38s and GP50 bodies and retain controls and fuel tanks also. There is only one BNSF GP30. The other GP30 bodied units were extensively rebuilt and are classified are GP39-2 and GP39-2R and have a 12cyl. or 16cyl. 645 engine. They may hopefully be around for awhile.