Refuelling at passenger depots...did they?

PhilH Nov 2, 2015

  1. PhilH

    PhilH TrainBoard Member

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    During the transition era did any railroad ever install rudimentary diesel locomotive refuelling apparatus at passenger depots? If there were such things could anyone post a link to photos of these?

    Many thanks for any replies to this question.
     
  2. wcfn100

    wcfn100 TrainBoard Member

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  3. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Phil, I don't have any photos from the transition era. However, Amtrak contracted with a local Pensacola. FL dealer to refuel Sunset Limited F-40s during the 1990s. I can't locate a photo of that operation, but it was similar to this VIA refueling operation.

    upload_2015-11-2_11-22-52.png
     
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  4. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    The answer is yes. Try searching the 'Net for a photo of Deer Lodge, Montana, on the Milwaukee Road. Even post passenger days, those "facilities" remained in place and use until abandonment.
     
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  5. Kenneth L. Anthony

    Kenneth L. Anthony TrainBoard Member

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    I believe I remember Amtrak "Texas Chief" being refueled at its Houston Union Station overnight layout, from a fuel truck, in 1973. I may possibly have a slide but not scanned or on railimages, and not quickly displayable...
     
  6. PhilH

    PhilH TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the replies. I found this photo on Railpictures which is almost exactly the scenario I want to replicate (I assume that this fuel and not water being supplied to the engine..is that right?). But it does raise one question..where did the supply to the fuel line come from? Would there have been a large tank adjacent to feed the (presumably) underground pipe?

    edit...not convinced that this is a fuel line. Possibly water for steam heat boiler?

    Close but no cigar I think.
     
  7. PhilH

    PhilH TrainBoard Member

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  8. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Phil, the following is an incidence where local fueling was important, but was missing. Sometime in the early 2000s Amtrak switched to GE Genesis engines for the Sunset. Genesis have almost twice the fuel capacity of the F40s, so Amtrak cancelled the intermediate fueling at Pensacola. One day every Genesis in Florida was laid up, so Amtrak hauled two F40s out of storage, apparently forgetting about intermediate fueling at Pensacola. At any rate, both engines ran out of fuel behind my house in Gulfport, MS. Unfortunately this was mid-July, the windows on Superliners do not open, and no one was allowed off the train onto the ballast. It took over four hours to negotiate a CSX rescue engine over forty miles away, pull the Sunset back to a passing siding, run the engine around, hook to the front and drag the train to New Orleans....all this because there was no fuel available at the Pensacola station platform. I wish you good luck finding photos of intermediate refueling stations during the transition era.
     
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  9. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    In a photo similar to Hytec's, here's Amtrak's short-lived Gulf Breeze refueling by truck in Greenville, AL in November 1990. It doesn't get any simpler than this. From a photo composition view, I wish the truck wasn't parked there!

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Same as this... When I lived in Kansas the Amtrak stopped in my hometown at about 2 AM. A guy I knew worked for the local truck stop. He drove a truck down there and fueled it every single night.

    Charlie
     
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  11. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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  12. subwayaz

    subwayaz TrainBoard Member

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    Straw, excellent pictures there. I've seen Freight Trains Refueled in Tucson at the Old Sp Staging Yard by Small Trucks but never got the opportunity to see Passenger Trains getting Refueled.
    Love this site I learn something new each day from the Knowledgable folks on here about our Hobby. Thanks much
     
  13. PhilH

    PhilH TrainBoard Member

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    Again thanks for the replies.

    Off topic but I notice in the photo referred to in post #7 that the F7s had lifting eyes on the front of the engine. I haven't noticed this in photos of other F7s, was this peculiar to the Sante Fe RR?

    I wonder why they felt it necessary to have these on their engines when other rrs didn't.

    Edit looks like they only had them on their freight engines.
     
  14. wcfn100

    wcfn100 TrainBoard Member

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    I don't know how many other roads had these, but Great Northern did for sure.

    Jason
     
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  15. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    The Santa Fe added lifting lugs to their F units in the 60s to facilitate in heavy repairs.
     
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  16. mmi16

    mmi16 TrainBoard Member

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    In the days of steam heating and cooling of passenger equipment, it was more frequent to see the passenger engines being watered at stations stops.
     
  17. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Speaking of refueling, I had never seen this done before. The fuel truck called to fill up the SW1200 was late and we needed to get going. Procured enough to last until the fuel truck arrived.
    DSC_0015.jpg
     
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  18. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    It looks like the hose is connected to the tractor's right-side tank. Does the tractor have the capability to pump directly from its own tanks, or is there another tank and pump out of sight in front of the tractor?
     
  19. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    He had a little electric pump that is setting on the step over the fuel tank. They turned the truck around and pumped some from both tanks.
     
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  20. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Neat, what a great guy. I sure hope it doesn't get back to his fellow drivers that he helped the "enemy". :rolleyes:
     

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