Re: Gas Shortage 1970's
Author: George Andrews
Date: 07-26-2016 - 20:04
Yes -- the railroads stopped buying those big 20 cylinder EMD's; however their higher fuel consumption was only part of the reason why. The advent of the HD-C 3-axle truck on EMD's Dash 2 line, with its' higher adhesion, meant that an SD-40-2 could now pull as much as an SD-45 at lower track speeds. Also, several of the biggest owners of 20 cylinder EMD's were starting to have problems with crankshaft oiling, especially on the end cylinders.
And as BOB2 noted, the 1st gas crunch in 1973 was a saviour for Amtrak service.