Large Scale Central

New Gen Diesel, not streamlilned-why?

Prototypes
#21

…it seems that a bunch of “Unused” Mexican electric locos, have arrived in Montreal. Seems that GE built them many years ago for a pike down there A number of them were wrecked in operations, and then others were never used due to the electrification plans not being implemented.
The the rumour is that they have been bought to be used in the Montreal commuter operations through the Mount Royal tunnel.

There are clearence problems as they sit very high, and the panographs will have to be lowered or changed. In the mean time; they sit in Montreal waiting for whatever plans are affoot.

These are rather steam lined units, compared with the old stuff that was used up until a few years ago.

#22
Fred Mills said:
.........................

These are rather steam lined units, compared with the old stuff that was used up until a few years ago.


The old ones were boxy enough to be packing crates!

#23

Probably why they were called “Box cabs”…:stuck_out_tongue:

But I will say that there is something that draws me to those old boxy things. Some of the monsters they had in the east were very interesting locomotives.

Warren

#24
Warren Mumpower said:
Probably why they were called "Box cabs"...:P

But I will say that there is something that draws me to those old boxy things. Some of the monsters they had in the east were very interesting locomotives.

Warren


No kidding!!

A long time ago I found “The Pictorial History of Electric Locomotives” at a remainder sale. Pretty good cross section of how things developed up to the mid '60s.

Of course the big revolution has happened since. In 1972 I was at SAAS (Atéliers Sécheron) in Geneva for a training course on their new AC-DC-AC stepless variable speed motor drives (GTO, conventional 3 phase motors).
Forever curious I asked the project manager during lunch one day how long it would be before the circuitry would be suitable to drive mainline railway engines. At that time he mentioned 12 to 15 years. Of course SAAS had been in the locomotive switchgear/drive business for a long time. What was at first used on realtively small motors on machine tools was bound to end up in railway engines.

According to my information the first railcars with GTO technology were delivered to the RhB in 1988. Of course it is quite possible that there were other SG engines even prior to that.

#25

This beats all your boxes

Look at the life in it

#26
Mike Morgan said:
This beats all your boxes

Look at the life in it


Mike,

Whatever floats your boat!

BTW those GTO drives are quite lively, especially when one needs to discharge the capacitors to troubleshoot! :wink:

#27
Mike Morgan said:
This beats all your boxes

Look at the life in it


WHEEEEEEEEEEEEESH! said Thomas

#28

Those ALSTOM units are built about an hour from where Ilive and I know one of the EE’s that did some outside work on them if you really want to know I can ask him? He’s now working on rebuilding/retrofitting older Subway cars for a different company.

I’ve got some neat pics of test runs on the NJT units running about halfway towards me and back. left my damn camera home two years ago when I was at a benefit barbeque for a local cheerleading squad at a park across from the ALSTOM plant. I also did apply for a job there once but that’s another story.

Not neccesarily the prettiest things or the sleekest but they beat the freight haulers in looks for sure!

Chas

#29
W. Chas. Ronolder IV said:
Those ALSTOM units are built about an hour from where Ilive and I know one of the EE's that did some outside work on them if you really want to know I can ask him? He's now working on rebuilding/retrofitting older Subway cars for a different company.

…

Chas


Chas,

Yes, that would be super!

Warren,

As for spareparts: nowadays it’s like automobiles, remove the module and replace with a new one. NJT has 33 units, they replaced 28 of the GPs. It would be logical to keep spares on hand for that number of engines and it is quite customary (in some parts of the world) to split the stock requirements between the seller and the buyer. Which would mean ALSTOM in Hornell and NJT. :wink:

#30

Streamlining depends greatly on just how fast your planning on going.

A latest generation Shinkansen trainset in Japan or a German ICE is streamlined with extreme prejudice, but they are also going over 150mph as have to push the air out of the way in the most efficient way possible to save energy. They do so by building the most efficient airflow into the body shell design over the entire trainset to minimize drag.

A 4 engine MU lash up of Dash-9’s dragging 70 double stack cars is rarely going to break 70mph, and as there is no real way to make the contaier cars anywhere near efficient airflow wise, they just suck up the drag and incorporate it into the pulling power of the lash up. Also most of the time the train will be averaging closer to 45 to 50 mph, there air drag at that speed is far less than if it was trying to break 100, so the designers ignore airflow for the most part, and design for different efficiencies, like maintanence, which most modern frieght dismals seem to be built around. I call them “Toolboxes on Wheels”

PS there are a couple Streamliner engines still being made today. The Genesis being one but also the EDM F59PHI being used by AMtrack and commuter services.

#31

Mike Morgan said:
The two fastest steam locos in the world were streamlined …

Wa he said…

Worlds fastest…officailly Two contenders…unofficially

There are many steam enthusiast who firmly beleive that both these engine routinely broke the Mallards “official” record, but due to Federal railroad operation rules would have faced stiff penalties if they made any official claim to the records. There are stories of the T1’s breaking 130 once they got there running shoes on, and the Hiawatha’s also skirting past that record when they were running late. We’ll never know for a fact, too bad.

#32

Eli sees the top picture…“Look it’s Spencer”

nice discussion guys-thanks

cale