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Union Pacific is planning to retire the 844?

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Union Pacific is planning to retire the 844?
Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Thursday, April 1, 2021 7:41 AM

April Fools.

 

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, April 1, 2021 7:48 AM

Very funny.  But remember the curse of Trains Magazine!  This is a Kalmbach forum, and might partake of that...  Wink

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, April 1, 2021 8:42 AM

Thought the 844 was being made into a electric 'tea pot'.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:07 AM

Thanks a lot!  I just sprayed coffee all over the laptop!  Angry

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:08 AM

BaltACD

Thought the 844 was being made into a electric 'tea pot'.

In the interest of "green," I heard they were going to stretch catenary and put heating elements in the boiler...

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Posted by BurlingtonNorthern2264 on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:50 AM

Hmmmm, don't give them that idea...

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, April 1, 2021 10:03 AM

tree68
BaltACD

Thought the 844 was being made into a electric 'tea pot'.

It can be interesting to calculate just how much electricity would be required to produce 300psi operation... even with a very large proportion of the electrical 'losses' winding up as usable heat in the Rankine cycle.
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Posted by Juniatha on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:16 PM

... haa - haa ...

hmmm

(=J=)

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Posted by seppburgh2 on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:29 PM
 

I believe the Swiss had such an engine that drew current to heat the water in the boiler.

 
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Posted by MMLDelete on Thursday, April 1, 2021 9:40 PM

You had me there for a minute, BN.

Smart not to try that with the 4014! Smile

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Thursday, April 1, 2021 11:47 PM

I was thinking about reworking the firebox to put a small BWR core in it... The main boiler shell would be for the ECCS water storage.

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Posted by Juniatha on Friday, April 2, 2021 1:39 AM

Well, Overmod of course just writes '8055' - how many readers know this is not one odd PRR number but the incomplete number of a 52.80 class, way over the Atlantic and into Europe, an ex DR Decapod, unhappily revamped at SLM, Winterthur, Switzerland into a so-called 'NG' engine, 'new Generation' (the Swiss have the same subservience as the Germans about their own language). As far as I know, the engine has a special small burner in the middle of the firebox for keeping pressure during stand-by. If she had later received that electric heating, it is because it was one of the more successful features of Waller's, SLM, small cog engines where it made sense because on these tourist railways there is no running over the night but engines should be kept warm. It would be of much lower versatility in an engine in regular traffic, like were the 52.80s on DR in full steam time where there was little more than 1/2 h, maybe h, standing in a shed before the next scheduled run. That was covered even without having to put some coal on the existing fire. Overnight standing in shed was rare and then there was a shed fireman putting on some in periods.

Unhappily revamped: well, just look at some pictures of '52 8055 NG, SLM' - you see a formerly harmonious and well proportioned engine made into something broad and thick and unwieldy. 

Juniatha

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, April 2, 2021 5:34 AM

Juniatha
Well, Overmod of course just writes '8055' - how many readers know this is not one odd PRR number but the incomplete number of a 52.80 class, way over the Atlantic and into Europe, an ex DR Decapod, unhappily revamped at SLM, Winterthur, Switzerland into a so-called 'NG' engine, 'new Generation' (the Swiss have the same subservience as the Germans about their own language).

I can never remember the precise numbering notation or 'syntax' for that locomotive, but there is (perhaps mercifully!) only the one so far, and it is, truth to tell, easy enough to find it by just 8055 if anyone has further technical interest.

As far as I know, the engine has a special small burner in the middle of the firebox for keeping pressure during stand-by.

The information I got was relayed from Andreas Schwander, who could be contacted for more specific technical details of what was actually done.  As I recall, part of the 'idea' was to permit the locomotive to rest unattended over weekends and other fairly long periods with the boiler 'hot' and at some percentage of service pressure, to minimize thermal-cycling stresses on the boiler structure, without being in a temperature-controlled building or even a shed in what might be Swiss winter conditions.  Apparently, at least at one time that was thought to be easier using thermostatically-controlled electric heat than a burner arrangement using the locomotive's main fuel (which as I recall is light gas oil equivalent to #2 diesel here).

Extensive lagging and insulation was provided on this locomotive, which does make it look ... well, charitably, remember Ralphie's kid brother in the Christmas Story movie?  The "official" excuse is that this is the look of thermodynamic efficiency, on a locomotive designed for 'plandampf' service to make money; with aesthetics or nostalgia comparatively unimportant.  There was much the same 'argument' made for the ACE 3000 in the '70s.

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