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Diesel Names

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StillGrande
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Diesel Names
Posted by StillGrande on Friday, July 30, 2004 2:06 PM
In the steam era, every type of locomotive seemed to have a name: Hudsons, Consolidations, Mikados, Big Boys, Challengers, etc. Other than the Trainmasters and Genesis, I can't really think of any diesels with names. Why no more names? It would also be interesting to see what you would name the locos of today (let's keep it clean and positive!).

For example, the new SD70ACes would obviously be Aces. What names would you like to see?
Dewey "Facts are meaningless; you can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true! Facts, schmacks!" - Homer Simpson "The problem is there are so many stupid people and nothing eats them."
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Junctionfan
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Posted by Junctionfan on Friday, July 30, 2004 2:50 PM
SD90Mac "Big Mack", C39-8 "Hunchback"
Andrew
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adrianspeeder
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Posted by adrianspeeder on Friday, July 30, 2004 3:10 PM
Dont forget geeps, uboats, ive heard alcos called "blubs"

Adrianspeeder

USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman

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corwinda
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Posted by corwinda on Friday, July 30, 2004 3:24 PM
How about the SD9 'Cadillacs'?
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mudchicken
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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, July 30, 2004 5:35 PM
Centennials, Buffaloes, DeWitt Geeps, Junk (GE), Bricks, TechnoToasters, Jacks, Beep, Covered Wagons, Centipedes, Mice (GE45Ton), Goats, critters, snouts, alligator, sharks, Ichabods (B40-7A's & SD60B's), slugs/drones/mates....cow/calf/herd (EMD TR-5).....
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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mudchicken
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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, July 30, 2004 5:39 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by adrianspeeder

Dont forget geeps, uboats, ive heard alcos called "blubs"

Adrianspeeder



They don't blub...they burble, chortle & wheez.....
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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JoeKoh
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Posted by JoeKoh on Friday, July 30, 2004 6:08 PM
dont forget smoke
stay safe
Joe

Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").

 

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mudchicken
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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, July 30, 2004 6:11 PM
(Alco=honorary steam engine smoking it up for the fans)
Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 30, 2004 6:46 PM
UP's "Fast Forties" which were SD40-2's gear for high-speed service. And "camelback" for C32-8's and C39-8's.


mudchicken,
I've never heard of a B40-7A or SD60B... do you mean B30-7A or GP60B??
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 31, 2004 12:21 AM
"Big Blow", "Little Joe", "Jawn Henry"
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MP57313
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Posted by MP57313 on Saturday, July 31, 2004 12:30 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

, Goats,


There's the "Green Goat" (does it qualify as a diesel?) on the Pacific Harbor Lines...
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ericsp
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Posted by ericsp on Saturday, July 31, 2004 2:15 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

, Goats,


There's the "Green Goat" (does it qualify as a diesel?) on the Pacific Harbor Lines...


Its the "girlie man" of diesels, at least as far as the engine itself.

"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)

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adrianspeeder
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Posted by adrianspeeder on Saturday, July 31, 2004 5:05 AM
Wait now, it does have a diesel on it, and i never disrespect ANY diesel.

Adrianspeeder

USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman

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Junctionfan
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Posted by Junctionfan on Saturday, July 31, 2004 8:56 AM
DDA40X "Beast", alcos-"rock and roller", C40-8M "giant slug with a cab" also "draper taper", C44-9W and AC4400CW "GE with wings"
Andrew
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 31, 2004 11:34 AM
DD40AX ( aka the 6600hp track straightener )
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 31, 2004 1:45 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

, Goats,


There's the "Green Goat" (does it qualify as a diesel?) on the Pacific Harbor Lines...


Its the "girlie man" of diesels, at least as far as the engine itself.


There's also the Green Goats little brother called the Green Kid.
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espeefoamer
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Posted by espeefoamer on Saturday, July 31, 2004 3:10 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jruppert

"Big Blow", "Little Joe", "Jawn Henry"

None of these were diesels!
How about Alcohaulics.
Nickel Plate's PAs were called Bluebirds.
Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool.
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Paul Milenkovic
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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Saturday, July 31, 2004 11:30 PM
On the subject of Alcohaulics (and Kraus-Maffaihaulics), but was wrong with the Diesel hydraulic? They use them in Europe but seem to be allergic to them here.

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 1, 2004 2:06 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

QUOTE: Originally posted by jruppert

"Big Blow", "Little Joe", "Jawn Henry"

None of these were diesels!
How about Alcohaulics.
Nickel Plate's PAs were called Bluebirds.


They were not diesels, but they had names !
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 1, 2004 2:49 AM
RDCs are diesel hydraulic.
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adrianspeeder
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Posted by adrianspeeder on Sunday, August 1, 2004 6:53 AM
DHs needed more mantainance than rrs were willing to put out. So they went the way of the steam engine.

Adrianspeeder

USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman

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Paul Milenkovic
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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Sunday, August 1, 2004 10:51 PM
The reason I am really interested in the Diesel-hydraulic story is that the City of Madison goes through its periodic consideration of commuter rail/light rail, and the State of Wisconsin is considering a high-speed rail network, and one fine day a Colorado Railcars DMU shows up parked outside where I work and is bandied about as the solution to all of our transportion problems.

The RDC was Diesel hydraulic, and I guess it worked OK. The Budd company tried an updated RDC in the form of the SPV -- an Amfleet car with the inside-roller bearing "streetcar" trucks hooked up to truck Diesels through a couple of torque converters. I read that the SPV didn't work -- I guess the guys at Budd who knew how to make an RDC work had retired.

Anyway, the Colorado Railcars DMU has two 600 HP Diesels (double the HP of the RDC) and is rated for pulling a trailer. So, is this DMU a Good Thing, or if Dane County wants to dabble in commuter rail, are they better off with a second-hand GP38-2 pulling a couple of cars? Does Diesel-hydraulic work OK for this later-day RDC but not scale well for big locos, or is the Colorado Railcar DMU a "fancy gadget" that is going to require a lot of maintenance?

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 2, 2004 7:56 AM
RDCs are being rebuilt by a company in Canada, maybe somebody knows more on that.
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jchnhtfd
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Posted by jchnhtfd on Monday, August 2, 2004 8:31 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jruppert

RDCs are diesel hydraulic.

and very low transmitted horsepower (relatively speaking) -- so they can use what is basically a truck transmission and truck power line components (such as universal joints and the like), which have lots and lots of testing... [:)]

Paul -- I'm not a marketing bloke (thank God), but what I've heard about the DMUs is good, and 600 hp isn't all that much really (again, in the range of well proven truck components). And there is the point that a good heavy equipment diesel/transmission mechanic can work on them -- and they are a good bit easier to find than a good electrician (ask Randy Stahl[:D]!).

In larger sizes -- particularly now that all big road engines use alternators -- the flexibility of electric power transmission has some very very real advantages over DH, never mind the maintenance issues (for instance: it is a lot easier to implement wheel slip control with electrics than with hydraulics -- and dynamic braking with hydraulics is a real bear).
Jamie
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espeefoamer
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Posted by espeefoamer on Tuesday, August 3, 2004 1:32 PM
I saw Amtrak #4 Sunday night, and P42 #182 is now named "Gov.Tony G. Thompson".
Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool.
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Anonymous
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 3, 2004 4:58 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd

Originally posted by jruppert

RDCs are diesel hydraulic.

and very low transmitted horsepower (relatively speaking) -- so they can use what is basically a truck transmission and truck power line components (such as universal joints and the like), which have lots and lots of testing... [:)]

And there is the point that a good heavy equipment diesel/transmission mechanic can work on them -- and they are a good bit easier to find than a good electrician (ask Randy Stahl[:D]!).

I DIDN'T just hear that !!!!!
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rvos1979
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Posted by rvos1979 on Tuesday, August 3, 2004 6:07 PM
Paul:
I was the conductor on the test trips, the DMU from colorado railcar was not a true D-H, the two Detroit Series 60 engines had torque converter-style transmissions which drove one axle per truck.

Back on topic, the ex-IC SD20s that WSOR owns are nicknamed 'skunks'.
Randy Vos
WSOR Engineer

Randy Vos

"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings

"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV

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