Believe it or not the book says this locomotive is bi-directional, single-controller, long hood forward.
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As I recall, we equipped these with 16-645E engines, NC390 draft gears, etc. I think the NW folks called them GP20's for their 2000 HP. They were never turbocharged like the real GP20's.
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They must have been rebuilt along the way because this unit made it to South Branch Valley Railroad's #92, set up for short hood operation and an 1850 hp 567 prime mover.
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A check of my written records, as opposed to my memory, reveals it was the NS 2008 & 2009 that got the 645 engines, etc. They were referred to as GP20's, not the NS 2000-2003. Reference NS "Condensed List and Description of Locomotives" January 1, 1987.
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Thanks Tom, no offense intended. I grabbed an NS Condensed List from 1984. They were listed as GP9r's from #2000-2003 at 1750hp. There was a number break to the GP20's, #2008-2009 at 2000hp, from the acquired New York Central System units. I thought these were GP20's. The GP9r had 1600-gal. fuel tanks, the GP20's had 2000-gal tanks. They remind me of the Walthers generic Geeps in HO-scale.
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This was a pre merger life extention experiment with N&W Geeps. They sent these out to Paducah and had the Nose chopped and took out both stands and put in a new AAR style stand (straight alignment) on the long hood side and thus the Bi-directional designation. Originally renumbered NW 5003 after rebuilding, was one of the 24 number groups in conflict between the N&W and SOU. With the majority winning (SOU had GP 38-2's 5000-5249) this group of 4 was put into the unused 2000 slot so NW 5003 became NS 2003 in 1983
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