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Re: UP steam on Donner-- moderrn locomotives from overheating in long tunnels?
Author: FEF
Date: 09-08-2018 - 15:37
Hot Water Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Pechner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 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.....
Train never did come a complete stop, thus never
had to restart. There was NO standing start inside
the tunnel. It began accelerating as soon as both
steam locomotives got in stride.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Pechner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 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.....
Train never did come a complete stop, thus never
had to restart. There was NO standing start inside
the tunnel. It began accelerating as soon as both
steam locomotives got in stride.
