What is the difference in diesels anyway???

I think most passenger diesels had a steam generator on them, at least the early models.  Most freight diesels did not.

Passenger diesels contained boilers to generate steam to heat the train.  Freight diesels had no boilers.  As an example, there was an FP7 for passenger service (the "P") that was a couple of feet longer than an F7 to make room for the boiler.  Otherwise the appearance was nearly identical to a freight F7.

By the way, the PRR never had ANY tuscan F3's.  All of their F3's were dark green and were designated for freight or helper service.  All of the tuscan F3's out there in 3-rail land are fantasy.

One of the other differences is that on real railroads the passenger diesels can go faster then the freight diesels, they are geared differently. The freight diesels can pull more freight cars then a passenger diesel.

Lee Fritz

Passenger caers in the steam era had steam heat.   In order to continue to use them as diesels came in, the passenger diesels had to have steam generators.    A lot locos were ordered for protection service with steam generators that were primary used for freight.

Another difference is/was gearing.   Passenger locos were geared for higher speeds and thus had lower tractive capability.     When Alco PAs were used for freight by PRR, they tended to burn up traction motors until the gearing was changed.    The 3 axle trucks on passenger locos were designed for speed not traction.   The center axle was an idler to spread weight but did not have traction motors.

Early passenger diesels were like steam passenger engines, they were designed for a purpose and not so well designed for other uses.   

Finally it is your RR and you can run it with and how you want.   Just have fun.    But on the prototype side, Pennsy did not have an E3s.    Their first EMD passenger locos were E7s.   They had E7 A and B units and later bought E8s but only A units.    Except possible in rare emergencies, I have never heard of the PRR using EMDs for freight.    They did convert the Alco PAs to freight use and the Baldwin Centipedes.    The baldwin passenger sharks were put into commuter service.    FM Erie builts were bought equipped for both freight and passenger and all were eventually converted to freight.

Another aside, A bunch of ALco RS3s were bougaht with steam generators for commuter service around pittsburgh.    On weekends they were used to haul coal trains out of the Mon Valley.   

So lots of options out there

Bob posted:

Passenger diesels contained boilers to generate steam to heat the train.  Freight diesels had no boilers.  As an example, there was an FP7 for passenger service (the "P") that was a couple of feet longer than an F7 to make room for the boiler.  Otherwise the appearance was nearly identical to a freight F7.

 

Not quite 100% accurate.  A standard F3, F7 or F9 had room for a steam boiler at the rear of the unit, but what it lacked was water capacity.  If I recall correctly, (I don't have my books handy) a standard F-Unit could have 400 gallons of water capacity.  By sacrificing dynamic braking or some fuel capacity, extra water capacity could be added.

Or the steam generator could be replaced by an additional water tank that would feed the steam generator in a B-Unit, as the Santa Fe did.

Monon, for example, had F3A's with steam boilers. As did the F3A-B-A sets the Burlington initially purchased for use on the California Zephyr.

Rusty

The New York Ontario and Western Railroad was one of the first railroads to dieselize.  Unfortunately, it did not make them any more profitable and they closed for good in 1957.

They originally bought FTs and then some F3's.  The FTs did not have any capacity to handle steam generators because they did not have the equipment to run them. They were confined to freight and some are passenger runs when the special form of O&W air-conditioning was used, open the windows.

The F3's had controls for steam generators but did not have steam generators.  The O&W rebuilt two of their 4-10-2 steamer tenders into heater cars.  They look like short B units.  Therefore, the F3's could handle freight and passenger in both winter and summer.  Winter passenger runs became problematic because there wasn't enough passenger service in the absence of vacationers for it to be very profitable ....so that's what ended first.

Here is a picture of an F3 with a heater car.

Peter 

Thanks all for your replies. Great info. I didn't mentioned but all phases of sound on these E-3 units are just amazing from wind-up, to acceleration, to breaking then idling.