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Locomotive plant tours?

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Posted by YoHo1975 on Friday, April 7, 2017 10:48 PM
Nah, they aren't that crazy. They'll just make you wear steel toed boots, a hard hat, sign a waiver and go during a non-work time.
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Posted by Firelock76 on Friday, April 7, 2017 8:34 PM

Not too likely in this lawsuit-happy age we live in, the company lawyers would have an attack of the vapors at the mere suggestion.  What if something, anything, happens?

Can't blame them though, they're supposed to be the worrywarts, that's what they're paid for.

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Posted by YoHo1975 on Thursday, April 6, 2017 10:11 PM

I was able to go on a private tour of the Sacramento Seimens plant while they were building the first ACS-64s. very very cool. 

 

Not something you can regularly do though. 

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Posted by highgreen on Thursday, April 6, 2017 3:58 PM

CBT

Was just wondering if any locomotive manufacturing plants offer tours? Thanks!!

I once toured CR's and later NS's major loco servicing facility in Altoona, PA. At that time, NS was assembling locos from kits for itself and various other roads mostly Class IIs. I doubt they offer such insider views post 9/11.

 

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Posted by Boyd on Sunday, March 26, 2017 2:00 AM

Through a friend of my dads brother in law,,, me and my brother toured the Melbourne shops in the mid 80s. Then the RR was government owned. I don't know if it's still government owned. It was not a normal thing for them to do. Seeing Diesel engines the length of a pickup, superchargers the size of a garden tractor, and Turbo chargers the size of one person hot tub was impressive. 

Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, March 25, 2017 7:28 PM

I have been on three or four tours of the EMD plant in McCook (LaGrange P.O.).  All but one were during open houses (the one was a private tour for a house guest of ours who had been with the military in Central America; I was invited along).  They were interesting.  To me the neatest thing was the number of different orders on the erecting bay at once.

One tour had an amazing variety of museum-owned locomotives on the property as well, many of which were open to go through.  I think the high point of tha for me was being in the very cramped cab of the Monon BL2... BL2s were the common locomotive around my hometown in my preteen years (just a little bit before I could have wangled a cab ride).

However, the last public open house there was after production had been moved to London.  At that time, I wondered, "What's the point?"  It was just another parts factory by then.  Now, most of the plant that had been most exciting has been leveled.

Carl

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, March 25, 2017 3:49 PM

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by richg1998 on Saturday, March 25, 2017 2:55 PM

You can find videos on You Tube.

A few shows on cable TV have shown how diesels are built. Quite dangerous environment.

About five years ago I was on a tour of the roundhouse and backshops at Steamtown and they watched you very carefully. No wandering.

Rich

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Posted by tree68 on Saturday, March 25, 2017 2:54 PM

Frink Sno-Plow plant was about seven miles from where I live - I knew a number of the fellows who built them.

There's a hotel there, now.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, March 25, 2017 12:26 PM
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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, March 24, 2017 10:27 AM

Perhaps not what you had in mind...

                                       at least it's a peek inside.

Regards, Ed

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, March 24, 2017 6:53 AM

I doubt it.  Based on what I saw at EMD at the various open houses, it isn't all that different from an auto assembly plant, just bigger products and a slower production rate.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
CBT
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Locomotive plant tours?
Posted by CBT on Thursday, March 23, 2017 8:27 PM

Was just wondering if any locomotive manufacturing plants offer tours? Thanks!!

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