Yes, steam fans. The steam nut has found some diesel roster shots in the Harold Vollrath collection. How about an early paint scheme on a pair of Alco FA's, and pair of Sharks? Actually the Alcos are in action pulling a typical NY Central freight from that era. I did not look up the locations, can anyone identify them?
Jim, I don't believe either were from our neck of the woods, especially the FAs. Looks more like mid-west flatlands. However location doesn't detract from two great NYCS photos. Thanks. BTW, "Steam Nuts" are permitted to post early NYCS diesels, especially ALCOs.
I may have told this before but, We had the sharks at So. Anderson and they were a new learning curve. The controls were air operated and would only mu with other sharks . They did not have notches on the throttle ,so it was place the throttle in a position and see what happens. When coming to a hill or grade you had to learn what lead to give the throttle because of the air operation in order to keep the slack stretched . The load meter would not move much when starting or dragging a heavy train . As the speed increased and the train was rolling along the load meter would start going up . If the train would ever reach 50 mph or more the load meter would be where other load meters would be on a hard pull and slow speed. In other words they worked backwards of all other locomotives . We would have a 2 unit train out of So. Anderson and the power would be 2 sharks which worked well but, as a rule we would have a three unit train out of Elkhart . Elk. would have to give us three units but could not use the sharks on trains out of Elk . because of size . We would end up with three good units with 2 sharks added on giving us five unit pay . Taking the sharks back to So. Anderson and back to Indy . I believe they solved the problem by taking them to Pittsburg and keeping them on the coal trains . LEW
LEW, thanks for your experience with them. I knew little or nothing about them, and it's great to hear from someone who actually ran them. Supposedly there are two preserved somewhere in the mid west by someone who was upset with railfans and keeps them hidden.
When last I'd heard of these, they were stored on the Escanaba & Lake Superior. I wonder if they're still there? I believe that one unit, many years ago, had some sort of major prime mover failure.
Was looking to see if I had worked on the Alco 1006 and came across this tidbit. On July 22 deadheaded to Greensburg to pilot a train coming from Cincy. And guess what ! the engine consist had the shark 3812 in the lead and 2 " b " units 3703, 3707 . I found the Alcos I worked the lowest 1009 and the highest 1199. They were all just Alco and that tells it all. They were not to bad if the train was of medium size and weight . Our trouble with them was on hard pulls they slip and spin ,yes spin , and you had a hard time getting them to stop. The problem came from the fact that the units had run on big rail and cupped the wheels. When they came on the Mich. with 105 lb. rail the cupped wheels would grip the side of the rail and the center of the wheel tread did not touch the rail . The only way they would grip was if you had a full sand pipe of sand coming out of the sand pipe . The GE 2500,2800 had this same problem . We came through Wabash ,,with a riding road foreman, and was 1/2 the way up the south hill on sand at 40mph when the lead unit started to spin . I started to apply independent brake and reducing the throttle. It would not stop the spinning and we went from 40 to stop in 10 car lengths . The road foreman said he was glad he was on the train because he could not believe a train could stop that quick without using the brakes . These are some of the things you did not learn in school . LEW
LEW, thanks for more of your experiences. I echo what Boxcab said above. It is so interesting to hear of your actual experiences that most of us can only imagine, and wish that we had been there.
