electric (overhead lines) electric locomotive noise

[Anonymous]

greetings to all present fellow railfans

   I am a thirty-four-year-old railfan having been raised alongside a line, the Maine Central Railroad line from Waterville to Lewiston and points further south, to be exact. Up until an unfortunate loss I had a 1972 publication by author/rail photographer Don Ball, Jr (I miss that book). In it there were photos of all train and locomotive types I poured over for the almost eighteen years I did have it. Anyway, one photo I especially treasured in the post-steam era was of a West Virginia coal train emerging from a tunnel. There were two power units refered to as "rectifiers" on that train, electric units feeding off lines overhead like a trolley or street car. What I would like to know is what does such a large high-nose 'GP-type' electric locomotive sound like?

   I might find out on YouTube but in the meantime can anyone give me a description in reply?

   Sincerely, Lifelongfan

[spikejones52002]

WRRRRRRR-WIIIIIIII

[ndbprr]

Well it depends.  When at rest there is only the hum of the blowers like a muted fan sound.  When moving you will here traction motors like on diesels and possibly some gear lash.  now if it was one of Virginians side rod electrics you will also hear rod clank like a steam engine.  You will also hear air traps popping and the compresor at times.

[tomikawaTT]

On a catenary motor moving at speed it is possible for the overhead wire to vibrate fast enough to 'sing.'  Otherwise, the pantograph shoes make a sort of sighing sound.

The rectifier units didn't have side rods, so their only sounds were those normally associated with electric traction - blower hum and gear whine.

Chuck

[DMUinCT]

I think you are refering to the GE type E-33 Rectifier Electrics.   After the N&W takeover of the Viriginian, they were sold to The New Haven and lasted into the merger that formed Conrail.   "O" gauge models, Lionel made them in all three paint jobs, MTH in Virginian and New Haven.

I watched them on The New Haven, they "growled" loudly.   As a Freight only Locomotive, they moved slowly always in coupled pairs back to back.   I don't recall they being fast enough to make the wires sing.

Lots of photos can be found in the definitive book titled the "The Virginian Railway" by H. Reid and any book on the New Haven Electrics. 

  

[ndbprr]

PRR catenary in the Philly area sang regardless of the engine type.  Maybe this was a function of shoe contact pressure.  About 1/4 mile before the train arrived you would get a metallic hiss sound that would be inundated as the train approached and the normal train sounds drowned it out.

[DMUinCT]

The E33s were built for the Virginian to haul coal over the mountians.  With the N&W takeover, loaded trains now went over the N&W by way of the Bluefield Tunnel while the empties were hauled back over the hills on the old Virginian tracks.  No need for Electric power!   The Black and Yellow Virginians were sold to the New Haven and painted Orange with Silver stripes. The New Haven was included in the "Penn-Central" merger.  The Pennsylvania had newer E-44s (looks similar) but electric freight operations were short lived by the Diesel wave.

To my knowledge, all E-33 are gone, but one E-44 was saved and is in the Pennsylvania State Railroad Museum at Strasburg.  Worth a trip, it is also the site of the Strasburg (steam) Railroad and the National Toy Train Museum.

"O" gauge models