Thanks gentlemen of the vast unpaid research department! Raymond Hall,
sent me the first note, then Lee elaborated--and everybody
agreed--better than politics of any kind! I do have a couple of turbine
books, but I don't recall reading them--I always get stuck looking at
"them pruddy pictures"! I also have an old video but I don't believe
them mention the change of diesel engines to Cooper, but considering the
other changes it was probably a minor one.
I guess I now have to find that photo of all those A&B connections.
I'll have you know I bit my lip and did a moderate amount of weathering
to my set--mostly the trucks, exhaust area and dust and grime on the
roof. I didn't have the guts to put those really large black spills on
the side of the fuel tender. Besides my cutoff date is 59', so my units
would have been fairly new.
I'll also have you know the price of that turbine set was just a couple
hundred $$ less than my 71 Chevy Vega. On the other side, the turbines
have already outlasted the Vega--probably nearly all of them!
I'm just starting an assignment for an engineering firm (local manager
is a good friend, fellow operator and a HO passenger train guru). Two
of the locations I have to document are rail/road crossings--not
terribly exciting but I'm glad to have the work.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 11/14/12 11:33 AM, Lee Johnson wrote:
Bob,
Yes, the B unit generated the electricity which powered the traction
motors on the A unit. Also, the water cooling the turbine in the B
unit was controlled by running it through radiators in the A unit.
There were many hoses and electrical cables between the A and B units
of the gas turbine locomotives. From the frame to the roof there air
brake trainline and MU hoses, electrical control MU jumper cables,
electrical power cables, and cooling water hoses. If you ever
wondered what those four little tabs (two on the A unit and two on the
B unit) were at the end of the roof between the A and B units, they
are supports for the cooling water hoses.
BTW, the diesel engine in the 4500 HP turbines were Cummins engines,
and the diesel engine in the 8500 HP turbines were Cooper Bessemer.
Lee Johnson
On Nov 12, 2012, at 11:08 AM, Bob Werre wrote:
However, another question arises---since the B unit was really the
prime mover, did the B unit supply any electrical connections to
power the A unit's traction motors?
