Train Sleuths - Can you Identify this one ? ? ?

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys:

I'm trying to Identify a somewhat streamlined looking diesel from a boxed set of railroad videos. this was a passing shot with no specifics given on this particular diesel engine, Bear with me here, I made this sketch while my VCR was paused (about 35 seconds) and so apologies go out for my artistic ability.

This is an passenger engine from what I believe to be around the 1950's. Very "automobile" looking cab area, sculpted nose w/dual headlights, even side wing windows just behind the main windscreen.

Any ideas what it is ??

[spankybird]

I believe what you saw was an Aerotrain made by EDM



Part of the post-World War II experimentation with "super lightweights," the Aerotrain is perhaps the most famous and certainly one of the most unusual attempts at resurrecting dwindling U.S. passenger revenues. Even its design is an example of cost-efficiency: the 1200 horsepower locomotive was basically a dressed-up version of an EMD switcher, and the passenger cars were modified intercity bus carbodies riding on two axles. But having these common mix-and-match parts did not mean the Aerotrain was generic! The distinctive outlines of the turret-cab carbody are unmistakable.
Only two Aerotrain sets were built in 1956, and they were leased to four railroads, including the Pennsylvania, for testing before they were finally sold to Rock Island in 1958. They saw service for only ten years before they were donated in 1966 to the National Transportation Museums in Green Bay and St. Louis.

[locomutt]

It looks a lot like the "AEROTRAIN",which I believe was designed by General Motors.
Time span would have been the early '50s. Try getting a copy of Kalmbach's
"OUR GM SCRAPBOOK" Page 25 will get you some of what you want.[:)]

And [#welcome] to the forums.[:)]

[passengerfan]

Yep sure can identify that unit is one of the three Aerotrains built by General Motors in 1956. Two of the 1,200 hp units powered aerotrains and the third powered a Talgo train set.
After testing on the AT&SF PRR and UP the two aerotrains were transferred to the Rock Island and operated in commuter service for the rest of there active careers. The third talgo set went directly to the Rock Island and operated as the Jet Rocket operating two round trips daily between Peoria and Chicago. After customer complaints the Jet Rocket was replaced by a conventional streamlined train and was assigned to commuter service until scrapped. The UP operated CITY OF LAS VEGAS Aerotrain set was operated round trip between Los Angeles and Las Vegas and was leased for a year. The train required a helper on Cajon and one other stretch of track and again passengers were complaining about the ride characteristics. The CITY OF LAS VEGAS (Better known as the Crapshooters Special) was re-placed by a conventional streamliner named the CITY OF LAS VEGAS. The two Aerotrains after retirement from Rock Island commuter service were donated to museums in Green Bay and St. Louis where they can be viewed today.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Guys !!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

The official designation for that ugly little sucker is LWT-12. It suffered from severe underpowering and sharply reduced tractive force, as it had 1 powered Blomberg-type truck in the front (2 traction motors) and a single idler axle in the rear. The Aerotrain cars were modified GM bus bodies with single axles at each end. The Jet Rocket Talgo cars (the third trainset put together by RI with the third LWT-12) was a set of four articulated triple units. It also was a colossal failure. UP couldn't get up Cajon Pass with the super lightweight bus-body train without a helper. On the RI, the lightweight equipment wouldn't reliably trip the track circuits and would routinely enter a block leaving a green signal behind it. Ride quality was, in a word, awful.