Model Forum / General / Railroads / December 2006

At first they were PAX only.  Later I am sure they were used at time
for frieght service.
If you were modeling the 50s it would be PAX.  If later, there are
probably photos of E-7s doing almost anything.

If they were ever used for freight, it would have been in a very rare motive
power crisis.  Consider:
o  The UP had continued to have a robust passenger business into the late
1950's:  the UP bought new dome cars as late as 1958, the City of Denver /
City of Portland were not combined until 1959 and the Cities of LA / SF in
late 1960.
o The UP needed good passenger power and returned the remaining E-7's to EMD
in the early 1960's for upgrading to E-9's.
o The 13 UP E-7's were geared for 90 MPH and did not have dynamic brakes,
making them less suitable for freight service.
o When the UP reassigned its Alco PA's to freight service, it re-reared them
for lower speed service.

In the late 1960's / 1970 the UP did use E-8's in mixed train service.  They
were required to keep running some passenger trains that were down to a
single baggage car and single coach.  The UP began treating these trains as
mixed trains, and photos show 2 or 3 E units pulling the two passenger cars
followed by 20 or so freight cars.  Geezer