The 1500 horsepower EMD GP-7 (General Purpose) was introduced as the roadswitching and branchline service counterpart to the F7. Railroads soon recognized their flexibility and ordered large numbers of them in favor of the F series. Conrail inherited 354 of these aging and versatile locomotives. 239 units from the Penn Central, 71 from the Erie-Lackawanna, 17 from the Reading, 14 from the Peoria and Eastern, 13 from the Jersey Central. Even this breakdown does not begin to explain the diversity of this group of locomotives. There was a huge variety in options and systems among the 30 distinct groups of these locomotives.
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Ex-RDG GP7 5835 at Abrams Yard on February 11, 1978. The Reading painted most of its GP-7s in the green and yellow scheme introduced in 1963 with the GP-30's. Photo by Mike Szilagyi |
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Ex-RDG GP-7 5806 at Abrams Yard on February 11, 19 78. This unit is in the Reading's original paint scheme for road switchers, black. This unit shows two features common to Reading locomotives: small fuel tanks and drip rails on the cab roof. These drip rails are unique to the Reading and a holdover from steam days. Even the 5 GP40-2's purchased in 1974, and still active today, have these features. Photo by Mike Szilagyi |
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Ex-PC GP-7's 5876 and 5855 (originally PRR) at the Samuel Rea Car Shops in Hollidaysburg, Pa. on July 8, 1979. |
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Ex-EL GP-7 5971 (originally Erie) at Bethlehem Engine Terminal in the Summer of 1980. |
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Conrail GP-7 5834 (originally RDG ) at Bethlehem Engine Terminal in the Summer of 1983. |