Frisco FP7 - Multiple Unit Operations?

[yardmaster]

Folks -
I started wondering whether the FP7s on the Frisco were set up for M.U. operations.

Photos posted by Ken Wulfert from Enid, OK certainly confirm that they were:

http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread....&highlight=FP7

Does anyone know of dates when the FP7 units would have been set up as such? I don't believe they were delivered this way.

Perhaps it coincided with the late 50s shoppings that added a Mars light and removed skirting (http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread....-Tank-Skirting)

Best Regards,

[meteor910]

Chris - I can't find it in writing, but I'm quite sure the Frisco FP7's were set up for m/u operations right from the beginning. It wouldn't make any sense for them not to be. The idea was to have an F-unit that could run in passenger service either alone, or mated up with a steam line F9B, or with an E-unit, or to run in freight service with any of the F3's, F7's, F9's, GP7's, FA's or FB's, all of which had m/u.

Ken

[Karl]

The early diagram books are silent in this regard. However, ETT, May 20, 1951 shows in the Bridge Class ratings and in the Tonnage Class ratings that the Dec 1950 - Feb 1951 built FP-7's were indeed run in multiple with other covered wagons.

[klrwhizkid]

All F units, from the beginning FT series, produced by EMC (later EMD) were set up for mulitiple unit lash-ups. That was their design intent, to replace a single steam locomotive and its maintenance costs with multiple lashed diesels producing the same or greater tractive effort that were less dependent on continuous maintenance. As result, they were usually sold in sets; ABBA, ABA, AA, AB, etc.

E units were also so equipped from the beginning.

[TAG1014]

Also E-units, FA's, F-3A'a, F-7A'a and the FP-7's were originally only set up for multiple operation on their blind ends.

Tom G.