McKeen Motor Car gas driven

[Anonymous]

hi,

anyone have any info on whether any company has produced this unique motorcar. was operated by UP and SP around 1936. would be a really nice addition to the proper era layout. the photo was scanned from railroad magazine issue april 1950.

i cant apparently paste a photo here so if you want to see it give me your email address and i will forward it to you. if i CAN attach a photo please educate me how to do so. couldnt find any help in the help section.


thanks,

michael

[e-mail]

[DSchmitt]

There is one proposed in "N" scale by Randy Gordon-Gilmore. Doesn't give a time frame. He did produce a "N" scale brass model of the Pioneer Zepyr some time ago.

http://www.prototrains.com/

In Interurbans Without Wires by Edmund Keilty it states that "152 Mckeen Motor Cars were built between 1905 and 1917." Production ceased in 1917, however the UP RR (which bought out McKeen) built two cars from unused bodies in 1927 (M-29 and M-30, both were converted to gas-electric in 1929).

McKeen cars were very crude mechanically, reliability poor , and maintenance costs high. The early sucess of the car was due largely to McKeen's association with E. H. Harriman (He controlled the both the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific railroads, which together bought 33 of the first 38 cars). The developement of gas-electric technology led to the demise of the type. Many Mckeen cars were gone by the mid 1920's and most gone by the mid 1930's, however some lasted into the 40's, and a least one into the 50's.

While most McKeen cars had portholes, some were built with rectangular windows. There were also some built with flat fronts.

[Renegade1c]

Mckeen Cars were fueled by something very similar to Kerosene. Their design was very crude but it worked. The motor would run one direction to go forward and they would stop the motor and have it spin the other way to go in reverse. there was no transmission. OMI put out a run of Mckeen cars in Brass and someone else as well (can't remember the name off the top of my head) also in Brass. I happen to have two (Sorry I'm not parting with either of them). I can send you the little bit of information I have on the Mckeen cars though.

[rrinker]

Back in the 'good ol days' I believe Aristo or someone had an HO model as well. I'll hva eto check - it is pictured in "The Complete Book of Model Railroading"

[Anonymous]

THANKS!

you guys helped fill in some blanks for me.

michael

[Anonymous]

The Great western railway in Colorado had 2 Mckeen motorcar's both 70ft long.purchased from the Denver, Laramie & Northwestern in 1917.
I have a 50ft brass Ken Kidder model in Ho scale which I was lucky enough too find at a local train show.i have since painted and lettered it for the great western rwy.even tho it is shorter then the prototype.I will send you a photo if You like.

[GEARHEAD6PACK]

I have the book 'Motive Power of the Union Pacific', which has the complete history, roster, and pictures of most (if not all) of the McKeens. I live about a hundred miles from you, and if you'd like, I can mail you copies of the dozen or so pages out of this book. If you were ever in this area, you could see it in person.

[Mimbrogno]

You might be interested to know that there is one McKeen car surviving. For many years V&T #22, a 70ft Baggage, RPO, Express and Passenger McKeen motor car sat in the Nevada desert as a roadside diner after being sold in 1947 for the grand sum of $1,000. It was later incorporated into the structure of Al's Plumbing Shop. A few years ago, the Nevada State Railway Museum purchased the aging body, and took it to their shop in Carson City. The last time I was there (a few years ago), the paint had been stripped and dents were being pounded out, as evidenced by the din of hammer blows eminating from the restoration building. Plans are for a complete restoration to as built condition, including the procurment or fabrication of new trucks and engine. Hopefully, perhaps in a couple of years and a little luck, the sound of a McKeen motorcoach trying to shift into reverse may be heard once more.

One other thing I'd like to bring up is the fact that powered motorcars weren't the only thing McKeen manufactured. They also made 33' trailers, which were basically two rear ends riveted together and put on a pair of regular trucks. I don't know the exact circumstances of their development, but I believe they came about because extra capacity was needed, but regular cars were too heavy to be pulled by the motorcar. So, McKeen built these special trailers. This ment that the baggage and express compartments could be taken out of the motorcar, and moved into the trailer.

That's about all I got. If I find anything more I'll be sure to post it!
Matthew Imbrogno
Mechanical Vollenteer, Arizona Railway Museum 

[West Coast S]

I might add that one of these McKeen trailers still exist as well in the custody of the California State Railroad Museum. Seems SP converted one to caboose status with window and door modifications and four wheel trucks, it operated until 1963.


Not all trailers were built with the single axle Mckeen upgraded the design to use standard truck designs by the second year of production..


Dave


<BLOCKQUOTE><table class="quoteOuterTable"><tr><td class="txt4"><img src="/trccs/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif">&nbsp;<strong>Mimbrogno wrote:</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="quoteTable"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" class="txt4"><P>You might be interested to know that there is one McKeen car surviving. For many years V&T #22, a 70ft Baggage, RPO, Express and Passenger McKeen motor car sat in the Nevada desert as a roadside diner after being sold in 1947 for the grand sum of $1,000. It was later incorporated into the structure of Al's Plumbing Shop. A few years ago, the Nevada State Railway Museum purchased the aging body, and took it to their shop in Carson City. The last time I was there (a few years ago), the paint had been stripped and dents were being pounded out, as evidenced by the din of hammer blows eminating from the restoration building. Plans are for a complete restoration to as built condition, including the procurment or fabrication of new trucks and engine. Hopefully, perhaps in a couple of years and a little luck, the sound of a McKeen motorcoach trying to shift into reverse may be heard once more. </P>
<P>One other thing I'd like to bring up is the fact that powered motorcars weren't the only thing McKeen manufactured. They also made 33' trailers, which were basically two rear ends riveted together and put on a pair of regular trucks. I don't know the exact circumstances of their development, but I believe they came about because extra capacity was needed, but regular cars were too heavy to be pulled by the motorcar. So, McKeen built these special trailers. This ment that the baggage and express compartments could be taken out of the motorcar, and moved into the trailer. </P>
<P>That's about all I got. If I find anything more I'll be sure to post it!<BR>Matthew Imbrogno<BR>Mechanical Vollenteer, Arizona Railway Museum </P></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

[West Coast S]

<BLOCKQUOTE><table class="quoteOuterTable"><tr><td class="txt4"><img src="/trccs/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif">&nbsp;<strong>ammoguy5 wrote:</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="quoteTable"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" class="txt4">The Great western railway in Colorado had 2 Mckeen motorcar's both 70ft long.purchased from the Denver, Laramie & Northwestern in 1917.
<br /> I have a 50ft brass Ken Kidder model in Ho scale which I was lucky enough too find at a local train show.i have since painted and lettered it for the great western rwy.even tho it is shorter then the prototype.I will send you a photo if You like.</td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>


I've got a SP 70 footer in process on the workbench, 100% scratchbuilt, except for the wheels and motor. The use of .80 copper sheet permits etching of the window/doors and raised belts, rivets will be indvidually applied using scale rivets used by model ship builders. The price of modeling in s scale! I do love a challenge!! A trailer would be just right to complete the package....

Dave

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

EMC, in addition to selling its own motor cars, did a pretty good business in converting McKeen cars to gas-electrics, which improved their reliability and extended their service lives.

CGW converted some of its McKeen cars into a 3-car gas-electric motor train, the "Blue Bird", which ran between Minneapolis and Rochester MN.  An article in TRAINS in 1967 or 1968, "Great Trains of the Great Western", describes this train quite well.