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Re: UP steam on Donner-- moderrn locomotives from overheating in long tunnels?
Author: Hot Water
Date: 09-08-2018 - 05:49
Mike Pechner Wrote:
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> One of the more notable failures of a GE AC-44
> inside the Big Hole on Donner was in May 1999 on
> the Union Pacific Steam Special with #844 and
> #3985, myself, Ted Benson, and the incomprable
> Carol Voss and others were aborad the westbound
> move to Sacramento. The GE Unit was right behind
> the #3985 and it oughed and wheezed and then died
> about a quarter mile inside the T-41. I had my
> scanner on and heard the conversatioin between the
> conductor and Steve Lee. As I recall, they could
> not restart the unit. There some discussion about
> getting permisson for a reverse move and back out
> downgrade outside the "Big Hole." For what ever
> reason, the crew decided to go for it. The two
> steam engines started the 22 car, train weighing
> about 1650 tons minus the two water bottles from a
> standing start.
Not quite true, Mike. We were already progressing into and through the tunnel, when that GE tripped the ground relay, and stopped loading. Engineer Bob Krieger, on 3985 saw the red light come on on his Diesel MU Control Box, and felt the lack of "help" from the MU'ed GE. He hollered over to me, and quickly went to full throttle on 3985. Luckily, we were wearing those air pack/hoods, so we could breath OK, but the heat in the cab got really intense, and a bit smoky even with everything all closed up.
As soon as we started up, we
> closed the vestibule (dutch) doors but despite
> that the roar inside the tunnel with thunderous. I
> think that we got up to about 12 mph before the
> train exited the westbound end of the 10,500 foot
> bore. I got off the train at the scheduled service
> stop at Norden. Steve Lee got down off the #844
> and I asked him about the trip thru the tunnel.
> He said two things to me in short succesion: He
> said he knew why SP used cab-forwards in the
> Sierra and also said despite being the oxygen
> masks, it got so hot insie the cab, that he
> thought if they were inside another minute in T-4,
> that has bib overalls were going to catch on fire.
> In steam days, all westbound passengers trains
> over 12 cars required helpers. UP stean did a
> great job from a standing start to get the Special
> moving. Anyone else, including Carol can chime
> hear with their observation.....
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the more notable failures of a GE AC-44
> inside the Big Hole on Donner was in May 1999 on
> the Union Pacific Steam Special with #844 and
> #3985, myself, Ted Benson, and the incomprable
> Carol Voss and others were aborad the westbound
> move to Sacramento. The GE Unit was right behind
> the #3985 and it oughed and wheezed and then died
> about a quarter mile inside the T-41. I had my
> scanner on and heard the conversatioin between the
> conductor and Steve Lee. As I recall, they could
> not restart the unit. There some discussion about
> getting permisson for a reverse move and back out
> downgrade outside the "Big Hole." For what ever
> reason, the crew decided to go for it. The two
> steam engines started the 22 car, train weighing
> about 1650 tons minus the two water bottles from a
> standing start.
Not quite true, Mike. We were already progressing into and through the tunnel, when that GE tripped the ground relay, and stopped loading. Engineer Bob Krieger, on 3985 saw the red light come on on his Diesel MU Control Box, and felt the lack of "help" from the MU'ed GE. He hollered over to me, and quickly went to full throttle on 3985. Luckily, we were wearing those air pack/hoods, so we could breath OK, but the heat in the cab got really intense, and a bit smoky even with everything all closed up.
As soon as we started up, we
> closed the vestibule (dutch) doors but despite
> that the roar inside the tunnel with thunderous. I
> think that we got up to about 12 mph before the
> train exited the westbound end of the 10,500 foot
> bore. I got off the train at the scheduled service
> stop at Norden. Steve Lee got down off the #844
> and I asked him about the trip thru the tunnel.
> He said two things to me in short succesion: He
> said he knew why SP used cab-forwards in the
> Sierra and also said despite being the oxygen
> masks, it got so hot insie the cab, that he
> thought if they were inside another minute in T-4,
> that has bib overalls were going to catch on fire.
> In steam days, all westbound passengers trains
> over 12 cars required helpers. UP stean did a
> great job from a standing start to get the Special
> moving. Anyone else, including Carol can chime
> hear with their observation.....
