Electric, Diesel and Steam Locomotives

[Sterling1]

This question/idea has been on my mind for a few days now: Back in the 1970s-present there have been "master" and "slave" helper units. Now the question: is it possible to lead with the slave units in a train and the master units all the way in the rear of the train? Is it possible to have an engineer and conductor in the slave units up front, while an engineer in the master units in the rear controls the train?

I know the questions are dumb, but I wondered about them for a few days!

[Sterling1]

OK, this does not have to do with locomotives of any kind: Does anyone know of any great websites that feature railroad crossing signs such as wig-wags, crossbuck, and the yellow and black round warning signs?
All help is greatly appreciated!!![;)]

[Sterling1]

I have noticed that there are variations in the front end lights on locomotives. Who made the rotating or moving lights and who governs what kinds of headlighting or markers must be on the ends of a loco? What are those rules?

[Sterling1]

What the most common controls one would find on a late steam era steam loco? I have pictures of diesels, but not electrics or steam. In a coal powered steam loco, how would the stoker be powered by? Also what would the vents the water tank section of the tender look like in the case of New York Central's Niagara class? I know that there were instances where the trains would be coming to pick up water via water scoop at 80 miles per hour!

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Reserve Mining Company was the "pure railroad"; one commodity, hauled loads downhill and empties uphill.
Actually, Reserve Mining Co. was a private intraplant carrier owned by Republic Steel Co. and Armco Steel Co. which operated between an open pit taconite mine in Babbitt, MN and the pellet plant on Lake Superior at Silver Bay. Its fleet consisted of some SW1200's and various non-turbocharged SD's (SD9/18/28/38-2). It shut down in the wake of the collapse of the steel industry in the 1980's and was later re-opened under new ownership as Cyprus Northshore Mining Co.

[Sterling1]

This question is somewhat related to what I am going to ask: Who was Reserve Mining? What kind of locos did they roster? I noticed a recently repainted SD38-2 in Trains Magazine with a Mars light on the front.
Matt

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Poppet valves (same as the valves in a gasoline engine) improved steam locomotive performance dramatically. They were controlled by either oscillating cams or rotary cams actuated by driver motion.

Unfortunately, operating and maintenance costs were higher primarily due to the fact that only a handful of locomotives on any road were so equipped and suffered from being oddballs.

[Sterling1]

How would you control poppets( to control flow of steam into the cylinder) in a steam loco? Does it help or hinder the performance, maintenence, and/or costs of the loco?

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

What's a Lempur steam exhaust system??? I noted a response in the Trains magazine after an article about Chinese steam.

The "Lempor" is an exhaust system using multiple jets instead of a single nozzle. The name comes from a combination of "LE Maitre" and "PORta". Le Maitre was French and developed the idea of five small diameter nozzles in a circle, used in England by Oliver Bullied of the Southern Railway. The UP used similar systems on the 800 class 4-8-4s. Porta was an Argentine engineer who improved Le Maitre's design.

Peter

In the case of the Chinese steam locos, how would this system be applied? Does make the steamer more or less efficent in what way?

[M636C]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

What's a Lempur steam exhaust system??? I noted a response in the Trains magazine after an article about Chinese steam.

The "Lempor" is an exhaust system using multiple jets instead of a single nozzle. The name comes from a combination of "LE Maitre" and "PORta". Le Maitre was French and developed the idea of five small diameter nozzles in a circle, used in England by Oliver Bullied of the Southern Railway. The UP used similar systems on the 800 class 4-8-4s. Porta was an Argentine engineer who improved Le Maitre's design.

Peter

[M636C]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

I remember reading in the special collector's edition of Classic Trains on Steam locos and noticed some of the Mallet articulated locos had thermic syphons. What are thermic syphons?

Matt,

A Thermic Syphon is a pipe which starts at the front of the firebox, usually near the brick arch, and turns upward to join the top of the firebox (the "crown sheet"). The upward section is widened (in the fore and aft direction) and flattened, and fitted with stays to maintain the shape under pressure. It provides a path for cooler water from the bottom of the boiler to be heated and moved by convection to the top of the firebox. The convection effect causes it to act as a sort of pump (or syphon), hence the name. They are often called "Nicholson" thermic syphons, presumably after their originator. An "arch tube" performs a similar function but connects to the rear of the firebox near the top, and is the same diameter for the full length. Both of these can be used to support the brick arch.

Merry Christmas

Peter

[Sterling1]

What's a Lempur steam exhaust system??? I noted a response in the Trains magazine after an article about Chinese steam.

[Sterling1]

I remember reading in the special collector's edition of Classic Trains on Steam locos and noticed some of the Mallet articulated locos had thermic syphons. What are thermic syphons?

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by arbfbe

Sterling1

Are you writing a book or something?
Have you tried any of the commonly available reference sources first?
Will you remember any of this long enough to make it worthwhile for the providers?
Do you just want to see lots of stars by your name?

Alan

I like the stars part [(-D] The main reason I ask this many questions is that just do have the current resources to buy RR reference currency. I have a very good feeling what you may say to that strategy and yes I am in the last few months under parental coverage ere I leave and find a lasting career.
I don't intend to . . .

I like to rid myself of this tiresome molting cloth in the near future . . . and run over continual depression and reluctance (depression + reluctance = soth + procrastination)

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by oltmannd

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

I noted the new radiators and the air intake box. Since the Dash 8 models of locos the air intake screens/vents have shrunk down to narrow. Is it less or more efficient now? The radiator section is quite a styling and mechanical departure from the norm. Can anyone provide me with information on these new locomotives?

Older GEs had the dyn brk grids in the rear and used the mechanically driven radiator fan for cooling. Dash 8s and 9s have the DB equipment behind the cab, so the rad air intake can be smaller.

Always go out the front door when you load box dash 7s.
Randy

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

I noted the new radiators and the air intake box. Since the Dash 8 models of locos the air intake screens/vents have shrunk down to narrow. Is it less or more efficient now? The radiator section is quite a styling and mechanical departure from the norm. Can anyone provide me with information on these new locomotives?

Older GEs had the dyn brk grids in the rear and used the mechanically driven radiator fan for cooling. Dash 8s and 9s have the DB equipment behind the cab, so the rad air intake can be smaller.

[jkeaton]

A few other ostensibly "freight" locomotives that came with passenger 'options':

Fairbanks Morse H16-44 and H24-66 could both be equipped with steam generators - certainly the CNJ, SP and CP's were. FM even developed a dual-power, third-rail shoe equipped passenger steam-generator "concept" H24-66 for the NH, but FM and NH were both short on financial resources so NH bought the FL-9 instead. Of course, nearly the whole FM C-Liner line were available with and without steam generators.

MLW RS-18s had a steam generator option. A few of these were later rebuilt by CN with separate diesel-generator sets for HEP, replacing the steam generator.

RS-2s and RS-3s had a steam generator option.

The GP40TC came factory-equipped with a separate diesel-generator sets for HEP, but you could still call them a GP40.

Jim

[jkeaton]

Much freight in Germany is hauled by 80 class 145 electric locomotives (4.2 MW - 5600 HP) and 400 class 185 electrics (5.6 MW - 7500 HP), built by Bombardier between 1995 and 2002. Bombardier's reference page:

Bombardier main entry page: http://www.bombardier.com/index.jsp
Just keep following the links.

Bombardier also builds diesel-electric locomotives in Germany for European service. Which brings me to another point - Mark Hemphill, in his otherwise excellent answer to your much earlier question about locomotive builders, restricted himself to diesel-electric locomotives, stating that GM and GE had 80-90% of the available market. True. But, outside of North America and Australia, electrification is much more common, and diesel-electrics are rare - restricted to low traffic lines only.

In the electric locomotive world, Bombardier is the leader (because of it's acquisitions in Europe). There are also competitive builders in France, Japan, the Czech Republic, Sweden, to name a few. And that's not including passenger equipment builders, in which case you have to add in Italy and Korea. And even the Russians and the Indians export their railway equipment now.

Jim

[arbfbe]

Sterling1

Are you writing a book or something?
Have you tried any of the commonly available reference sources first?
Will you remember any of this long enough to make it worthwhile for the providers?
Do you just want to see lots of stars by your name?

Alan

[Sterling1]

There seems to be common locations for headlights on both ends: on the cab and on the nose. On the rear end of the GEVO ES44AC, the lights are in two positions. Why?

[Sterling1]

There is this box next to the inverter box and on the walkway. This detail did not show up on the pre-production and early AC4400CW locos. What is this box?

[Sterling1]

I noted the new radiators and the air intake box. Since the Dash 8 models of locos the air intake screens/vents have shrunk down to narrow. Is it less or more efficient now? The radiator section is quite a styling and mechanical departure from the norm. Can anyone provide me with information on these new locomotives?

[M636C]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many C40-9s did NS purchase? I am not talking about the ones with the wide cab. I am wondering was it at the time cheaper for NS to buy standard versus wide cab? Also why do they have full headlighting and ditch lights on both ends?

The Kalmbach "Field Guide" has most of these answers and other things you haven't thought of yet! It shows NS numbers 8764 to 8888 (125 units) as the standard cab locomotives. NS certainly used to run units with the long hood leading (they bought many set up that way) and they may still do so when necessary, and want the units properly equipped (with lights) to run that way. I cannot believe that GE didn't charge NS extra for the old design cab. I recall hearing that the final reason for changing to "W" cabs was that GE were charging too much for the old design


B39-8s were ATSF 7400 to 7402
LMX 8500 to 8599
SP 8000 to 8039

Only the ATSF units had the original curved roof and twin radiator fans.

GE test unit 809, with a prototype "W" cab is also a B39-8. (total =144)

Peter

Twin radiator fans?
Ge test unit#809; does anyone know of pictures for this unit, is it gone?

For the radiator fans, look back at what I said about early C39-8 units, they had them too!

I think there was a photo of 809 in "Trains" in the last article about GE at Erie, but, I can't remember how long ago that article ran! There is a photo of it in most recent "guides".

Peter

[Sterling1]

I was on Railpics moments ago and noticed that the Providence and Worcester RR's units had air horns tipped over the edge of the engine cover. What's the reason for that location?

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many C40-9s did NS purchase? I am not talking about the ones with the wide cab. I am wondering was it at the time cheaper for NS to buy standard versus wide cab? Also why do they have full headlighting and ditch lights on both ends?

The Kalmbach "Field Guide" has most of these answers and other things you haven't thought of yet! It shows NS numbers 8764 to 8888 (125 units) as the standard cab locomotives. NS certainly used to run units with the long hood leading (they bought many set up that way) and they may still do so when necessary, and want the units properly equipped (with lights) to run that way. I cannot believe that GE didn't charge NS extra for the old design cab. I recall hearing that the final reason for changing to "W" cabs was that GE were charging too much for the old design


B39-8s were ATSF 7400 to 7402
LMX 8500 to 8599
SP 8000 to 8039

Only the ATSF units had the original curved roof and twin radiator fans.

GE test unit 809, with a prototype "W" cab is also a B39-8. (total =144)

Peter

Twin radiator fans?
Ge test unit#809; does anyone know of pictures for this unit, is it gone?

[M636C]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many C40-9s did NS purchase? I am not talking about the ones with the wide cab. I am wondering was it at the time cheaper for NS to buy standard versus wide cab? Also why do they have full headlighting and ditch lights on both ends?

The Kalmbach "Field Guide" has most of these answers and other things you haven't thought of yet! It shows NS numbers 8764 to 8888 (125 units) as the standard cab locomotives. NS certainly used to run units with the long hood leading (they bought many set up that way) and they may still do so when necessary, and want the units properly equipped (with lights) to run that way. I cannot believe that GE didn't charge NS extra for the old design cab. I recall hearing that the final reason for changing to "W" cabs was that GE were charging too much for the old design


B39-8s were ATSF 7400 to 7402
LMX 8500 to 8599
SP 8000 to 8039

Only the ATSF units had the original curved roof and twin radiator fans.

GE test unit 809, with a prototype "W" cab is also a B39-8. (total =144)

Peter

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many C40-9s did NS purchase? I am not talking about the ones with the wide cab. I am wondering was it at the time cheaper for NS to buy standard versus wide cab? Also why do they have full headlighting and ditch lights on both ends?

NS purchased 125 C40-9's in 1995. I believe they are the only Dash-9 units with the air conditioner mounted on the roof.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many B39-8E and B39-8 (if any) were built? How many survive?

There were only 3 B39-8's built in 1984 as demonstrators and featured the rounded, Dash-7 like cab. 145 B39-8E units were produced from 1984-1988 and featured the common Dash-8 style cab. BN used 102 LMX B39-8E's and SP had 40 units. Many B39-8E's still serve in lease fleets and on various shortlines.

[Sterling1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sterling1

How many B39-8E and B39-8 (if any) were built? How many survive?

Owned by which companies?

[Sterling1]

How many B39-8E and B39-8 (if any) were built? How many survive?

[Sterling1]

How many C40-9s did NS purchase? I am not talking about the ones with the wide cab. I am wondering was it at the time cheaper for NS to buy standard versus wide cab? Also why do they have full headlighting and ditch lights on both ends?