National Geographic channel; Show is called "Break It Down".
Scrap yard cutters strip, gut and breakdown two 184-ton locomotives.
8pm CDT tonight
11pm CDT tonight
4pm CDT March 5
It was an interesting program. KCS SD40 (-2?) 672 was scrapped. I thought the program was more professionally done than the "Extreme Trains" show and yet wasn't boring. Even my wife was interested and watched the whole thing with me.
Dan
Excellent show.
I don't get the NG channel on my cable subscription, so I didn't see it. But one of my co-workers - who spent some time in the Navy and so is familiar with the Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston design diesels that are favored there - was just telling me about it. He said that it showed all kinds of details of the engine block - the cylinders, timing gears, inspection hatches, crankshaft, and pistons - enough that he could figure out that it wasn't the usual 4-stroke engine and was a V-type block. He said they dismantled 1 block for parts, the other was sold "as-is" to a buyer. The generator was good for scrap copper only, but many other parts were salvaged for reuse. The cab of one was purchased to replace a vandalized cab; when they cut the nose off the other one, all the left-over sand in the sandboxes was running onto the ground. He said the working conditions shown were not good - forklifts running around in mud, workers with only rubber boots (but hardhats !), no big cranes - they torched the 3" thick frame in half, while the burner was standing on top of it - the forklift was balancing the huge batteries on the forks as it maneuvered through the mud, etc. So it does sound more informative than Ex-Trains. Maybe another time . . .
He said next week they're showing the scrapping of a nuclear submarine !?!?
- Paul North.
Paul,
That's what the preview of next week's show said. Scrapping a Nuclear Sub of Russian (former Soviet) variety. Hard to tell what class based on the differing clips but I'm sure it will be interesting.
I liked how the program showed where each part went; cab, block, etc. I might try to watch it again on replay to make sure I got all of what I needed. One thing I missed: did 672 and 605 run when taken there or were they hauled DIT? As the scrap yard found a buyer for 605 I was under the impression that it would run yet.
Paul_D_North_Jr I don't get the NG channel on my cable subscription, so I didn't see it. But one of my co-workers - who spent some time in the Navy and so is familiar with the Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston design diesels that are favored there - was just telling me about it. He said that it showed all kinds of details of the engine block - the cylinders, timing gears, inspection hatches, crankshaft, and pistons - enough that he could figure out that it wasn't the usual 4-stroke engine and was a V-type block. He said they dismantled 1 block for parts, the other was sold "as-is" to a buyer. The generator was good for scrap copper only, but many other parts were salvaged for reuse. The cab of one was purchased to replace a vandalized cab; when they cut the nose off the other one, all the left-over sand in the sandboxes was running onto the ground. He said the working conditions shown were not good - forklifts running around in mud, workers with only rubber boots (but hardhats !), no big cranes - they torched the 3" thick frame in half, while the burner was standing on top of it - the forklift was balancing the huge batteries on the forks as it maneuvered through the mud, etc. So it does sound more informative than Ex-Trains. Maybe another time . . . He said next week they're showing the scrapping of a nuclear submarine !?!? - Paul North.
Of the 2 SD40's the scrapper bought one was dismantled and one was resold "as is" to a locomotive dealer (who app. wanted to return it to service). The Prime mover that was shown being dissasembled was in the process of being rebuilt, not cut up for scrap.They did show the main alternator being dismantled for metal recovery ....
I enjoyed the program although there were many errors in the script the narrator was reading. Still, the visual documentation of the process was very well done.
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
POOEY,I MISSED IT !
I was somewhat surprised at the condition of the body of the unit that was scrapped- definitely not a rust bucket. Looks like KCS took decent care of their units, at least on the outside. The show gave a good opportunity for a close look at a generator. That huge prime mover attached to a seemingly tiny generator makes me wonder why it takes so much horsepower to turn it. Also, I noticed the traction motors were absent, apparently retained by KCS for re-use. This program was well done and informative even though I hate to see an old unit reach the end of its' service life. You can't save all of them.
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