Jim Wrote:
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> I believe the first run of a GP40P-2 in commute
> service was on the first train out of the new 4th
> and Townsend station. Correct me if I'm wrong,
> but I think they introduced the three GP40P-2s
> into commute service on the exact when the new SF
> station opened and a GP40P-2 never operated into
> the old 3rd and Townsend station.
>
> My recollection is that the first commute run of
> that type was the newly painted Bicentennial unit,
> 3197, on train 110 at 6:10am on June 18. That
> being the first revenue train out of 4th &
> Townsend.
>
> In pre-Push Pull days, engine utilization wasn't
> as efficient, of course. They had to uncouple,
> back to the engine terminal, be turned (turntable
> in San Jose; wye in San Francisco or sent to
> Bayshore for servicing). So it took 21 units a
> day to run the then 22-commute trains each way.
> They had 10 SDP45s, and 11 commute GP9s. That
> left no room for maintenance or spares. SP tried
> the SD9s, but they never performed very well.
> They also trialed a frieght GP35 on commute trains
> around 1972 (during the summer when steam heat
> wasn't needed). That worked somewhat better so
> they decided to order a passenger version of the
> GP40-2s (3197-3199) to give a total of 24 commute
> units - 21 needed each day, plus three spares.
> The SD9s were still used occasionally.
>
> My recollection was also what another person
> posted. They used the GP40P-2s in frieght service
> for almost a year after they were built for some
> kind of tax purpose. 3197 was in the grey and
> scarlet paint then, before it was painted in the
> bicentenial paint for commute operations.

Train 116, the 11a departure. Evelyn Newhall was engineer, a very good looking blonde, no doubt assigned by the PR office.