EMD Early Road Switchers: GP7 - GP20 Locomotives (TrainTech) [Paperback]

Brian Solomon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2006

Diesel, the most significant development in railway technology during the 20th century, was refined and perfected resulting in locomotives that were more powerful, faster, more reliable, and more versatile than the earliest machines on the market. General Motors' Electro-Motive Division rapidly moved to become the leader in diesel-electric technology. Its business practice and models essentially defined the design and operation of diesel locomotives in North America. Producing roughly 1500 hp, Electro-Motive's famous 16-cylinder 567 diesel electric engine is at the heart of all GP7vGP20s. This book is an authoritative and richly illustrated account of EMD's General Purpose models GP7vGP20. It details these early road switchers' place in history with over 200 photos, most in color. Author Brian Solomon, contributor to numerous railway periodicals and author of over two dozen books on railway subjects, including the best-selling Specialty Press title EMD F-Unit Locomotives, shares his knowledge of the history and specifications of EMD's early road switchers. A must-read for all train enthusiasts, this book details everything from the Geep's awesome powerplant to its construction, as well as its place in railway history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Internet Modeler, July 2006, reviewed by Gerry Nilles
"With over 200 photos, most of which are color, any railroad enthusiasts, be they a historian or a model railroader, will want to add this excellent reference source to their library."

Modeling Madness, June 2006, reviewed by Scott Van Aken
"Illustrated with hundreds of superlative color and B&W photographs, this book is a slice of eye-candy as well as an in-depth history. Whether you are a rail-fan of the first order or just like trains, this is a book that you will be very happy to have on your shelves."

N Trak Newsletter, September/October 2006
"If you are modeling the transition era or want to understand the rapid shift from steam to diesel, you will find the book hard to put down and a great reference source."

About the Author

Brian Solomon is the author of more than 25 books on railway subjects. He is the former editor of Pacific RailNews. Other magazines his work has appeared in include: TRAINS Magazine, Railway Age, Passenger Train Journal, Vintage Rails, Railroad Explorer, Model Railroader, and many more. He has studied railway operations all across North America and in more than a dozen foreign counties. He has exposed more than 100,000 railway photographs. He has a B.F.A. from the Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.) in Photographic Illustration.
 
 

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press (July 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580070965
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070966
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,372,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Solomon is one of today's most accomplished railway historians. He has authored more than twenty-five books about railroads and motive power, and his writing and photography have been featured in the world's top railfan publications, including Trains, Railway Age, Passenger Train Journal, and RailNews. He divides his time between Massachusetts and Ireland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars EMD GP loco book good, but lacks depth., December 13, 2006

By 

David W. Richter (Central Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: EMD Early Road Switchers: GP7 - GP20 Locomotives (TrainTech) (Paperback)

Here's a good basic book for any model railroader who models the 1950s and on. Rail fans who are intersted in early GP locos will be somewhat disappointed at the incomplete coverage. The GP series of locos by EMD were the most widely sold locomotives in history and hundreds are still running on short lines and regional railroads. There are lots of pictures, but more of the original locos and fewer of a few current ones would have been nice. In fact, that is the major problem with this book -- far too many pictures and too much copy are devoted to a few GPs still running on 2 or 3 short lines, mostly in the Northeast. More extensive coverage is needed of the locos as they were used when new in the 1950s and early 60s.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A General Purpose Books about EMD's General Purpose Locomotives!, January 18, 2007

By 

Wilfred A. Roberge "rocketdude1979" (Wareham/Fort Devens, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: EMD Early Road Switchers: GP7 - GP20 Locomotives (TrainTech) (Paperback)

I bought this book and I was extremelly happy with it but it has a few Shortcomings. For one it is a book in the self professed "TRAINTECH" but not one diagram or technical diagram or drawing of the locomotives can be found. As another reviewer wrote, there seems to be a lot of coverage of current operations w/surviving examples but less of the locomotives when they were first operated. I also feel that there were significant examples of "Geeps" that deserved mention and/or an illustration or two. Some examples include CN's GP's w/Flexicoil trucks and a smaller fuel tank, the US Army's GP7L which had a huge Winterization Hatch w/a small fuel tank and AAR switcher trucks which were later rebuilt into another notable unmentioned and unpictured example when they were rebuilt with AAR-B (road trucks salvaged from ALCO RS-1's) and some recieved new cabs and all got chopped noses.

Despite the short comings an excellent Volume!!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference to have for early Geep modelers and fans, October 26, 2010

By 

Norman Wolf "N.D. Wolf" (Fredericksburg, VA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: EMD Early Road Switchers: GP7 - GP20 Locomotives (TrainTech) (Paperback)

I found this book very informative, pictorally and factually. It's worth having in your reference library if your a model railroader or fan of early EMD 'Geep' Locomotives. While not every picture is taken by Mr. Solomon, they are all of high quality and certainly useful in modeling after a prototype. Was slightly disappointed to not see the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac's GP-7s (They origially had four, in a very stylized paint), or the rebuilt one still in service today (used by the Old Dominion Chapter of the NRHS and Buckingham Branch RR), I could overlook that for the plethora of other useful tidbits in here.