I'm really liking your series of GN photographs. Thanks for posting them.
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| Posted by tsched on July 31, 2014 | |
Agree with Marty. Great nostalgia, wonderful pictures.
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| Posted by pjflstc on August 3, 2014 | |
Why were the cars hooked to ground steam? I was a youngster back then and not familiar with procedures back then. Plus my mind was elsewhere at that age :-)
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| Posted by Reynold on April 15, 2019 | |
Since there was limited on-board electric battery power and only steam heat on these passenger cars in the sixties, ground steam from a central steam plant (likely King Street Station's steam here} provided heat while these cars waited for their next run.
GN also used extra head-end Heater Cars during the cold northern winters. They looked like short baggage cars or were made from recycled EMD F-units. Other railroads even used recycled steam loco tenders.
I do not know if passenger cars also had steam electrical generators or if all battery charging power was provided by the axle generators. Probably they were also plugged into ground power to prevent battery drain. Anyone?
Now passenger cars run off HEP electrical (Head End Power); no steam. That's why the engines are screaming even while stopped in the station.
Airliners also do this trick with ground carts for electrical and HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning). The lights dim and the HVAC quiets during the switch-over.
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