veranda turbine ?

[Anonymous]

looking for any info wear to get the veranda tubine car that made the HP go to 8500HP.it was a set up as  loco, turbine car & fuel tender .iam trying to put the most powerfull locos made  .got the BIG BOY# 4013 & EMD DD/40 in HO. also tring to get the Veranda .T. please any info on the turbine or of other powerfull locos let as know    thanks harley n cece

[PBenham]

The "veranda" turbo was an improvement on the UP's 1950 4000HP units patterned after GE101/UP50, built in 1948. UP was not pleased with this unit, since it could not carry sufficient supplies of fuel to travel far enough to cover the same runs as an F3,FA/B, or Erie built diesels. The first group UP bought addressed those issues, (like fuel tenders) and when UP went back for additional turbos they made a design change in response to complaints about close quarters, and the noise inside the turbos. UP and GE came up with the verandas, which had open walkways unlike anything built before or since. Their powerplant was the same 4000 HP/net powerplant used on the earlier units.  The 8500 HP units were built starting in 1958, and were two unit locomotives, with tenders, as opposed to single unit locomotives with a tender like the GE prototype and the 4000HP turbos.

[rprince]

Regarding your interest in large locomotives, the real DDA-40X and the 8500 HP Veranda Turbine are both located at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. I don't know what part of the country you live in, but if you're anywhere close or want to spend a fun vacation day or two next summer, I highly recommend visiting the IRM. They also have a great website at www.irm.org where you can find photos and datasheets on these two locomotives.

[rrandb]

As stated above the 8500HP turbines were not the Veranda's. The Veranda's were the fifteen units purchased in 1954 and were built with "Veranda" catwalks on each side that were distinct to these 15 engines alone. I beleive the turbines were rated 4500HP/3900 at the rail and were a variation on the earlier design with the same mechanics. The 8500HP unts were a  control cab-turbine-tender of new design. I do not beleive any Veranda's were saved as they were traded in to GE on U50's.

[rprince]

OK on the distinction between the Verandas and the 8500 HP UP Turbine at the IRM. Here is the info lifted from the museum's data sheet on the unit they have in their possession.

Union Pacific Railroad 18
Builder: General Electric
Year Built: 1960
Model: 8500 GTEL
Horsepower: 8500
Length: 165ft 11in
Width: 10ft
Height: 16ft
Weight: 849248 lbs
Brakes: 26L (Loco) / AB (Fuel Tender)
Engine: Cooper-Bessemer (A unit) / Gas-Turbine (B unit)
Motors: 12 GE 752E4
Trucks: GSC
Description: Diesel-Electric (A unit) / Turbine-Electric (B unit) / Fuel Tender Capacity: 24384 gallons

Photographer: James Kolanowski







$Id: rsearch.cgi,v 1.11 2006/05/17 03:52:02 jamesk Exp $
Copyright © 2005, Illinois Railway Museum. All rights reserved.

[PBenham]

If there was anyone that thought turbines might be practical look at the amount of fuel a "big blow" had to lug around with it! 24,384 gallons. Now, they were expensive to run with bunker C @ $.10/gallon. That stuff now goes for $2.20, IF you can find it, since it is not "green"(high sulphur content) enough for the environmental crowd. It is also not available since refiners prefer to make higher profit products such as gasoline or plastic.

[Anonymous]

dose any one know the cost per steam per ? ( cloud ) proberly got to figer out coal per ( mile) tons.  lots of good info folks thanks  .i zzzz on a bib on  ebay for OMI/AJIN  VERANDA  .T. with all 3 units  1/2 the going rate.the detail wow.they had a B.B. #4019  go for over $3000.00 .lionel makes the V.T. but no turbine car .any idea if any one made them in the past & or wear to get the turbine car ( even if we have to modefi a car. whats the right name for that midel car    thanks harley n cece