estoniaman It's an Alco in all but name. Copied and built in Russia and improved from a 6 cylinder engine to a 8 cylinder inline engine rated a 1200 horsepower. I'd love to see about 50 or more imported into the U S. There are lots of them running all over the former East Bloc countries so parts must still be available. Often wondered if the parts for the Russian copy would fit a American production 539 engine. And there all 6 axle 6 motor locomotives.
In the past, we had early series ТЭМ2 shunter in our station (Piriatin, Ploltava region, Ukraine), and it sounds and smokes very same) Later I read about Alco, which was common Base for ТЭ1, ТЭ2, ТЭМ1, ТЭМ2 locomotoves, and Д50, ПД1 engines.
Like others said, music to your ears for those of us that appreciate the old alcos. Yes they all had little tweaks here and there but these are real brutes. They'll take a beating in the short time rating all day long while all the new fangled electronic controlled BS cuts out or derates or just flat gives up and catches on fire. Say what you will naysayers, they may not have all the HP and creature comforts but these beauties were built to last.
***** Yes, for the ones that could/can maintain them they are almost bullet proof. I really enjoy them all. They (all models) just have that look to them that says "rock solid"!
That's an original Alco,you can tell how fast he was able to start it right after entering the cab and the unique sound the turbo makes on the cold start...excellent video!!. No draining the cylinders BEFORE startup.This is a EMD requirement.
αиσиумσυѕ James Normally you don't but on a cold day, you might have to open the test ports on 3 of the 6. And deactivate those three injection pumps too. If it has been sitting for a long time, it is a good idea to open all of them to make sure the cylinders are clear. They do leak water into them at times and a hydraulic lock will ruin your day.
There's an old Alco down around Sheridan, OR I'd love to see restored. My father remembers the exact same loco being used to haul lumber from the mills back in the late 50's and through the 60's. Last I saw it... in '02... it was still doing it.
Sounds a bit like some of the Soviet era diesel engines that are still around. I do miss the sound of the old MLW FPA4s - essentially BB versions of PA’s. Nothing like hearing them accelerate uphill from a signal stop with 8 or more coaches behind.
Reflex Photography NZ..... Starts a heck of a lot easier than most all British locomotive diesels I've ever witnessed.... at least the older ones from the same time era as this Alco. The British locomotive diesels of the era were some of the finest examples of complete overly complicated engine wizardry I've ever laid eyes on, Barr None!! lol ; )
What I'm wondering is why they don't cut out the cold cylinders until it warms up a bit. You can do that on a 539 engine to reduce the smoking. Turbo sounds real good on her though!
I don't know if it's true with locomotive engines, but semi truck engines will, on a cold start, get up to idle speed, then revert to firing on only three of its six cylinders, in order to make the engine work harder, to warm up faster. Yes, you get lots of unburned diesel fuel, and lots of smoke! Nice video, and nice catch!
Never heard of such a thing, the engine runs on all six after it starts. If it’s only running on 3, then there’s only half the heat being made and it takes longer to warm up, plus the only way something like that could even be done is with EFI. An EFI engine can go into high idle for faster warm up in cold weather because a computer is controlling the engine speed. My Duramax does just that below about 35*F, it runs slow until the oil is well circulated then after about 3 minutes the ECM speeds the engine up from 700 RPM to about 1200 until it’s warm or is put in gear to drive.
It is due to mass of the motor one fire has enough power to speed up the motor enough that the one or more combustion cycles after have little to do causing the note to change. when forward is selected it often loads the motor enough to fire on every combustion cycle.
1000 horsepower for traction,probably 1300 at the crankshaft. The other 300 horsepower being used for driving the compressor and other auxiallary devices.The six cylinder engine came in two types non-turbo and turbo.The non-turbo delivered 600 horsepower for traction and the turbo 1000 for traction. For example the Alco S1 600hp and the Alco S2 1000hp yet look at the loco's from the outside they are all most the same.
@251CE RSD1 sorry for the typo...they all ride on the A1A truck design and the way the cabs are shaped is identical...but horsepower differs from the models but one thing is for sure u got to love the sound of the 251..up in scranton Pa there are a fleet of RS3...M636's and i think a few others and they roar like crazy..nothing like a 4 cycle engine..btw can u tell me more about the class 48?
EMDSD14R The Alco RSD-1 is a 6 axle 6 motor locomotive built to operate on European railroads which have tighter clearances the railroads in the US. The truck were designed to be field adjustable from 5 foot Russian gauge all the way down to 3 foot track gauge" the were specially designed for the US Army for service overseas. When Stalin was enroute to meet with Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt if I remember correctly in Malta Stalins train was hauled by a lend-lease Alco RSD-1. Stalin was so impressed with the reliability of the engine he ordered it copied. This resulted in the locomotive first produced in 1946. Class TEM-1-20 was the result of Stalins order which as the Russians improved on the design became the TEM-2. Look up the TEM-2 on UA-cam if you like 539 Alco power or an SM48.
And here I go, worried about my 3.0TDI making a thumping sound when its cold (it's rather a paranoia). This is a pure hammer vs. metal, yet it's a healthy machine.
You know the engine is really cold when you have to open up three of the cylinder cocks and kill 3 of the injector pumps to get one running. Once it cranks, if the exhaust barely makes it out the stack, falls on the hood, rolls onto the walkways, and off onto the ground, then you know its cold. Then you get to start closing the cocks and putting the injector pumps cutouts back in.
gravelydon I helped the engine house forces restart an S-2 switcher that had died in February 1974 ran out of fuel. Showed up to use it and when I tried cranking it over with three cylinders cut out and open cocks still needed a jump start from another S-2 after they refilled the fuel tank with the fuel truck.took just over a 90 seconds of cranking before one cylinder fired and another 30 seconds or so before I could let go of the starter button with the throttle at half throttle. Then closed the three open cocks and kicked in the injector pumps one at a time 45 minutes or so was running smoothly on all 6 but didn't get any heat until I tied onto 30 loads of stone to make up a westbound freight. By the time I got a stop signal over the radio I was at 170 degrees and had plenty of heat but it was another hour before everything in the cab warmed up to a comfortable level in the cab. Most of the Alco S switchers were built during WW II and it is a testament to the design and men who built them on the fact there are so many still running today.
The last DL-109 left imagine if she had been saved and rebuilt NH's DL-109 were used for passenger by day and hauled freight at night they even leased some to Bangor & Aroostic Railroad Back in the mid 50's to haul potatoes during their rush the B&A was all EMD imagine the shop and engine crews With those units.
Nice video! I work at a railroad museum in Southern California that has 2 ex US army RSD1 locomotives I don't have any video of them starting up but I do have video up of them running in one video I show them running together. I will post a video response with for that video please approve thanks.
May have been cold for Alabama, but given the way people int he clip are dressed, it can't have been all that cold! For a diesel I believe, *white* smoke = unburned fuel, very incomplete combustion. Going back out of the cylinders and up the stack as fuel. Sometimes you see it actually catch fire briefly. Scary!
As far as I know, Detroit series 60 did this for a few years only, more to save fuel at idle. It was a very limited time and they have been programed to not do it now. I know of no other domestic diesels that did this.
You know, these locos with a turbocharged engine would start much better if you put a starter motor on the turbo as well as the engine rated for the turbo idle speed, because it would get air into the motor faster and pressurise the cylinders so it'd start quicker because of correct compression.
the grass is green and the sun is out and he calls it a "cold winter morning" somebody clearly lives in the southern hemisphere if that's what you call cold
Nice explanation, ok so basically only 1 or a few cylinders are firing, the rest aren't combusting or not combusting much when there isn't a load on the engine.
Irgendwie denke ich da an den alten Scania V8 Turbo Diesel, erst ein Krummeln vom Diesel, dann kommt der Turbo mit seinem Pfeifen hinterher. Hat doch was für sich, was einen Diesel angeht. Aber wenn er Rundläuft ist er nicht mehr zu Halten.
ALCO 539T engine idle 275 rpm full throttle 740 rpm 12-3/4 inch bore by 13 inch stroke. Used to run one from first street Yard South Boston NHRR out to Andrew Square yard present Amtrak yard and shop Boston. Pull 25 or more loads from first st Due to heavily clogged radiator cores engine would run hot by the time you pulled into Andrew yard halfway down the lead reduce throttle to One half the put reverser into neutral keep throttle at one half till engine cooled down to 160 or so then close throttle to idle. If coolant was over 180 or higher would shut down if you went to idle hence the half throttle position 99% S-2/4 and on rare occasions one Alco HH-600 with a 531 engine would be our power for the day. I was 15 at the time 1965, Only thing I regret was an old passenger engine sitting in the dead line. After they Conrail scrapped did I discover it was the last DL-109 left and was completely intact but hadn't run in years! I believe it was scrapped in 1974.
James Shanks.... I believe you and I are the same age.... and from the same area, originally. I had a couple of my uncles that were train crew on the NHRR as well.... in that same time period. Definitely a crying shame about that DL-109!!.... some railroads just have No heart and No shame!
Is it/was it common to start on a limited number of cylinders in cold weather, then close compression releases once things get rolling? That is an old crewboat/tugboat trick. I did it on a 645 EMD on accident once. Engine started really well with only one bank running and the other shooting soot and what looked like actual fire. Set off smoke alarms galore of course.
Wonderful! I have an unusual question: does anybody have any figures about how much fuel this kind of locomotive burns when in idle (volume/time or weight/time)?
Just a few gallons an hour at most, is it just needs to overcome pumping friction / vacuum and have just enough power to keep the rotational mass going. If you want to figure out how much fuel it sucks at full tilt though thats easy, just take into account the maximum power output (1080-1300hp) - for the sake of simplicity we'll go with 1100. Now diesel has an energy density of 49.76hp/hr. Im going to assume that older diesel engines did not benefit from modern combustion chamber design, maximum allowable combustion pressure, injection technology, valvetrain timing, or even boost pressure - among other modern improvements so I'm just going to assume a total thermal efficiency of 30.0%. at 75 gallons per hour, this will net you 1,119.6hp, or just over our 1100hp figure. You can safely assume that at full power, the ALCo 539T is burning 70-75 gallons per hour, at least approximately so. Modern diesel engines, particularly large industrial ones similar to the 539T, like the EMD 710 & 1010, GE GEVO, CAT 3516, Cummins QSK-95, and in particular giant marine (shipping) engines like the ones from Wärtsillä and MTU can range anywhere from about 40.0% thermal efficiency to over 50.0% thermal efficiency. It's pretty wild how far diesel technology has come in spite of shitty VW and their Dieselgate scandal.
the constant problem with alco diesel engines. in the cold start if you hear the video not alll the cylinders work,and then the clag (white smoke)is present. this is because rhe compression ratio isnt equal in all the cylinders,and is necesary observ and repair fuel injectors as injector fuel pressure, fuel pressure angle, and fuel flow as spray(microdrops).
Most diesels will smoke like that(or though not as much as an alco.) The reason is that the temps inside the cylinder are not up to operating temp. Therefore it is not able to burn all the fuel the injectors put in the cylinder until it warms up. The compression is constant in all cylinders(baring ring ware) EMD's Detroits, Cats, Cummins etc will all emit smoke white smoke when cold. I had an International Scout II with a Nissan SD33-T in line 6 turbo diesel and it belched clouds of white smoke until the engine warmed up. Now Diesels have electron fuel injection,and improved "swirl" so that white smoke at warm up is cut down or eliminated. Also There might be turbo lag creating more fuel than the engine can burn.
That is why on the 6 cylinder 539s there are cutouts and cylinder cocks for each cylinder. On a really cold engine where it is just above the freezing point you open three of the ports and disconnect three of the injection pumps. That puts more load on the other three cylinders and allows them to warm up quicker. Then you start closing off the ports and putting the injection pump cutouts back in. Then just wait for it to come up to operating temp. You can run up the RPM a little to warm it up faster but it is best to leave near idle if possible. At Idle the excess fuel which is warmed a little is returned to the fuel tank. That helps warm the engine as warm fuel burns better than fuel that is just above the waxing point.
nonom95..... That has to be the most exquisite expose of uninformed BS trying to sound intelligent, that I've read on YT, to date!! Congratulations!! : )
@251CE well i am not sure on the internals of the class 48 but the RS1 is a different model.the class 48 in my opinon from what i've seen is simular to an (Alco RSX4)or (MR412) both powered with the 251F and rode on simular trucks to the class 48.the RSX4 & MR412 were two models and were only built for war time..during the War both Alco and EMD made them in the same car body but EMD used the 567 in theres.i think the RS1 and the RSC3 are all simular to the class 40 becuase of the A1A trucks/cabs
Why do big diesels make that inconsistent thudding sound? I'm not talking about the misfires because it's cold but it seems like switcher locomotives and other small locomotive don't have a constant sound as if the combustion isn't consistent but I think it's just because of beat waves or something among the cylinders?
....and she wakes up with that asthmatic wheeze all Alcophiles die for!
+James Pendergrass that is NOT a she it's an it
+Thomas Ninan Go be politically correct somewhere else....
Rebel N. Coltrane amen!!
@@thomasninan947 if the locomotive identifies as a "she" who are you to tell her she's an "it"
Classic Alco, rhythmic and smokey, A Diesel with the soul of a steam engine.
They rightfully earned the Title of honorary Steam Engines
You can't beat the sound of an Alco
ТЭМ2 могёт.
tramwayz
TEM2 basically is an ALCo :D
estoniaman
It's an Alco in all but name. Copied and built in Russia and improved from a 6 cylinder engine to a 8 cylinder inline engine rated a 1200 horsepower. I'd love to see about 50 or more imported into the U S. There are lots of them running all over the former East Bloc countries so parts must still be available. Often wondered if the parts for the Russian copy would fit a American production 539 engine.
And there all 6 axle 6 motor locomotives.
That is right.
Nope. EMD 16-645-E3 (SD40-2). Sounds just like a gigantic automotive V8.
Ah Nothing like an Alco coldstart to get your day going, Great catch!
SWEEEEET!!! Some Alcos always wanted to be steam engines, looks like this is one of them.
The way the turbo pulses reminds me of a C-130 Hercules sounds like when the engines start
In the past, we had early series ТЭМ2 shunter in our station (Piriatin, Ploltava region, Ukraine), and it sounds and smokes very same) Later I read about Alco, which was common Base for ТЭ1, ТЭ2, ТЭМ1, ТЭМ2 locomotoves, and Д50, ПД1 engines.
That turbo is godlike.
Yes it is godlike
Indeed it is :)
@@Texan_red_pandayes yes it is. I have been brakeman on this engine multiple times.
Like others said, music to your ears for those of us that appreciate the old alcos. Yes they all had little tweaks here and there but these are real brutes. They'll take a beating in the short time rating all day long while all the new fangled electronic controlled BS cuts out or derates or just flat gives up and catches on fire. Say what you will naysayers, they may not have all the HP and creature comforts but these beauties were built to last.
Mark Reardon 539s are always nice to hear running.
***** Yes, for the ones that could/can maintain them they are almost bullet proof. I really enjoy them all. They (all models) just have that look to them that says "rock solid"!
A properly wired and tuned 244 is nice to hear also. But making a new wiring harness for an RS-3 is a pain.
Mechanical simplicity that just WORKED!
L'on ça nepolluePAS!!!!
The most beautiful sound in all of railroading. Nothing sounds like an ALCO 539T; thanks for posting!
Actually the British Rail class 20, 37 and 40 locomotives sound quite a lot like ALCOs. Very similar turbo sound.
Im a professional skydiver and I go on UA-cam for videos like this. Thank you. Train woody!!!
Ahhh, music to my ears!
That's an original Alco,you can tell how fast he was able to start it right after entering the cab and the unique sound the turbo makes on the cold start...excellent video!!. No draining the cylinders BEFORE startup.This is a EMD requirement.
That legendary turbo spool.
I agree
MrMjsmith626 This isn't a EMD locomotive This engine was made By Alco. So there are no Draining cylinder requirement
αиσиумσυѕ James That's what MrMjsmith626 said
αиσиумσυѕ James Normally you don't but on a cold day, you might have to open the test ports on 3 of the 6. And deactivate those three injection pumps too. If it has been sitting for a long time, it is a good idea to open all of them to make sure the cylinders are clear. They do leak water into them at times and a hydraulic lock will ruin your day.
Aaaahhhhhhhh...... I love the smell of diesel in the morning!
Thanks for posting the vid!
best listened to with good headphones loudly!!
love the 539's, we would warm ours 30 min at least before installing block heat(the way to go if you want to save money)
There's an old Alco down around Sheridan, OR I'd love to see restored. My father remembers the exact same loco being used to haul lumber from the mills back in the late 50's and through the 60's. Last I saw it... in '02... it was still doing it.
beautiful noises !!!...I love it !!!
...best cold start on youtube...chug...chug...chug...turbo screamin'...gotta luv it...
@scobrown1 it does make loud hammering noises when it idles even when it's warm but not near as violently as it does when cold
99% vapor? You think? More like 99% unburnt fuel. Hate to live downwind from this set of tracks.
So AWESOME! Love the dirty diesel.
Love it!Just like and ALCO should be.Cold or warm day,still nice and smoky.Long live ALCO,s.And great shot too.
Sounds a bit like some of the Soviet era diesel engines that are still around. I do miss the sound of the old MLW FPA4s - essentially BB versions of PA’s. Nothing like hearing them accelerate uphill from a signal stop with 8 or more coaches behind.
Model 539T 1000 BHP turbocharged (Elliott built Busch designed) straight 6, 4 stroke engine putting out the signature ALCO smoke
Really sounds similar to an English Electric Class 20 starting up.
You ain't heard nothing until you start one of those things with an air starter. First time I ever did that it scared me out of a years growth....
Clags like an old British diesel. Old school engineering at its finest
Reflex Photography NZ..... Starts a heck of a lot easier than most all British locomotive diesels I've ever witnessed.... at least the older ones from the same time era as this Alco. The British locomotive diesels of the era were some of the finest examples of complete overly complicated engine wizardry I've ever laid eyes on, Barr None!! lol ; )
@@Romans--bo7br That opposed piston jigsaw puzzle.
@@Romans--bo7br this locomotive is older than all British diesels. (Excluding the early shunters)
class 37 thrash 👌
i can almost watch every cold start train.
nice cold start
You can't beat the clunky, basey sound of an ALCo! Only about 1000 horse power but takes a licking and keeps on ticking!
Streamlined Steamroller so, your 2017 veyron needs a W16 to get 1000 horsepower? How cute!
nice video like
great sound
Great sound Borenkd, sounds like the British railways Class 40. Has that same whistle sound to it. UA-cam BR Class 40, sure you will agree.
i like the video and i like the sound of the locomotive
What I'm wondering is why they don't cut out the cold cylinders until it warms up a bit. You can do that on a 539 engine to reduce the smoking. Turbo sounds real good on her though!
I don't know if it's true with locomotive engines, but semi truck engines will, on a cold start, get up to idle speed, then revert to firing on only three of its six cylinders, in order to make the engine work harder, to warm up faster. Yes, you get lots of unburned diesel fuel, and lots of smoke! Nice video, and nice catch!
What?
@@gregoryhodge9452 To what are you saying "what"?
Never heard of such a thing, the engine runs on all six after it starts. If it’s only running on 3, then there’s only half the heat being made and it takes longer to warm up, plus the only way something like that could even be done is with EFI. An EFI engine can go into high idle for faster warm up in cold weather because a computer is controlling the engine speed.
My Duramax does just that below about 35*F, it runs slow until the oil is well circulated then after about 3 minutes the ECM speeds the engine up from 700 RPM to about 1200 until it’s warm or is put in gear to drive.
It is due to mass of the motor one fire has enough power to speed up the motor enough that the one or more combustion cycles after have little to do causing the note to change.
when forward is selected it often loads the motor enough to fire on every combustion cycle.
High speed trains have nothing on this true Alco brute!
Boy ALCO knew how to build em !! Good old Schenectady know how !! Used to live 15 minutes from where she was built
1000 horsepower for traction,probably 1300 at the crankshaft.
The other 300 horsepower being used for driving the compressor and other auxiallary devices.The six cylinder engine came in two types non-turbo and turbo.The non-turbo delivered 600 horsepower for traction and the turbo 1000 for traction.
For example the Alco S1 600hp and the Alco S2 1000hp yet look at the loco's from the outside they are all most the same.
I ran lots of alcos on the BCRAIL
The last steamers..... I saw 1 in a railyard with a steam generator, paired up with an sd-40
Cold hahaha!Trees is green!
@251CE RSD1 sorry for the typo...they all ride on the A1A truck design and the way the cabs are shaped is identical...but horsepower differs from the models but one thing is for sure u got to love the sound of the 251..up in scranton Pa there are a fleet of RS3...M636's and i think a few others and they roar like crazy..nothing like a 4 cycle engine..btw can u tell me more about the class 48?
EMDSD14R
The Alco RSD-1 is a 6 axle 6 motor locomotive built to operate on European railroads which have tighter clearances the railroads in the US. The truck were designed to be field adjustable from 5 foot Russian gauge all the way down to 3 foot track gauge" the were specially designed for the US Army for service overseas.
When Stalin was enroute to meet with Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt if I remember correctly in Malta Stalins train was hauled by a lend-lease Alco RSD-1. Stalin was so impressed with the reliability of the engine he ordered it copied. This resulted in the locomotive first produced in 1946. Class TEM-1-20 was the result of Stalins order which as the Russians improved on the design became the TEM-2.
Look up the TEM-2 on UA-cam if you like 539 Alco power or an SM48.
Ah, gotta love ALCO 539's! Nice one sounds just like our ALCO
Damned thing going to hammer itself to death.
And here I go, worried about my 3.0TDI making a thumping sound when its cold (it's rather a paranoia). This is a pure hammer vs. metal, yet it's a healthy machine.
You know the engine is really cold when you have to open up three of the cylinder cocks and kill 3 of the injector pumps to get one running. Once it cranks, if the exhaust barely makes it out the stack, falls on the hood, rolls onto the walkways, and off onto the ground, then you know its cold. Then you get to start closing the cocks and putting the injector pumps cutouts back in.
gravelydon
I helped the engine house forces restart an S-2 switcher that had died in February 1974 ran out of fuel. Showed up to use it and when I tried cranking it over with three cylinders cut out and open cocks still needed a jump start from another S-2 after they refilled the fuel tank with the fuel truck.took just over a 90 seconds of cranking before one cylinder fired and another 30 seconds or so before I could let go of the starter button with the throttle at half throttle. Then closed the three open cocks and kicked in the injector pumps one at a time 45 minutes or so was running smoothly on all 6 but didn't get any heat until I tied onto 30 loads of stone to make up a westbound freight. By the time I got a stop signal over the radio I was at 170 degrees and had plenty of heat but it was another hour before everything in the cab warmed up to a comfortable level in the cab.
Most of the Alco S switchers were built during WW II and it is a testament to the design and men who built them on the fact there are so many still running today.
....great sound.... calling bullshit on the "cold winter morning" part LOL! From Wisconsin here... We'd still be golfing in that type of weather!!!
Exactly my thought lol cheers from New York.
Different kind of music :D ..sounds great
Great beat!
smoky old lady damn
The last DL-109 left imagine if she had been saved and rebuilt NH's DL-109 were
used for passenger by day and hauled freight at night they even leased some to Bangor & Aroostic Railroad
Back in the mid 50's to haul potatoes during their rush the B&A was all EMD imagine the shop and engine crews
With those units.
Does not look like "a COLD winter morning" to me.
You being a Fin are allowed to say so..
: - ))
I like it
need to start this next to an epa branch office and watch em start screamin
Nice video! I work at a railroad museum in Southern California that has 2 ex US army RSD1 locomotives I don't have any video of them starting up but I do have video up of them running in one video I show them running together. I will post a video response with for that video please approve thanks.
One reason why I love ALCO's !
May have been cold for Alabama, but given the way people int he clip are dressed, it can't have been all that cold! For a diesel I believe, *white* smoke = unburned fuel, very incomplete combustion. Going back out of the cylinders and up the stack as fuel. Sometimes you see it actually catch fire briefly. Scary!
As far as I know, Detroit series 60 did this for a few years only, more to save fuel at idle. It was a very limited time and they have been programed to not do it now. I know of no other domestic diesels that did this.
You know, these locos with a turbocharged engine would start much better if you put a starter motor on the turbo as well as the engine rated for the turbo idle speed, because it would get air into the motor faster and pressurise the cylinders so it'd start quicker because of correct compression.
the grass is green and the sun is out and he calls it a "cold winter morning" somebody clearly lives in the southern hemisphere if that's what you call cold
Alabama's weather is absurd, it can be november and the grass still be green in lots of places, and be 20 degrees :P
K4Robotics Ha! How does -40F sound then?
Gorbachev almost as nice as 105F like the other day out here :P
I can imagine the humidity is a constant 100% as well. Missouri was bad enough. I quite like the desert now days.
Gorbachev Yeah, it's pretty humid all the time. 'specially after it rains, then it's like swimming when you go outside.
Love the sounds ALCOs make!
Worked with alcos lots on the BC Rail
what you see is 99% water vapour (steam)
Dat turbo.....
JRNipper. that's diesel exhaust not steam. steam locomotives are differant.
The're evergreen trees. Pine of some sort.
Nice explanation, ok so basically only 1 or a few cylinders are firing, the rest aren't combusting or not combusting much when there isn't a load on the engine.
also the way it was skiping sounds like it could use a new set of spark plugs and plug wires or maybe the distributer is out of time.
Um, it's a diesel.
yes I know.I was trying to be funny.I am actually a diesel mechanic(retired from ryder truck)
didn't have the choke pushed all the way in :)
Or maybe the float in the carb is sticking.I told him to go with a holley 780 double pumper and there would not be a problem.LMFO
2:33 when it finishes starting up
Wow alco is a excellent engine i love these alcos i wish i had a alco
Irgendwie denke ich da an den alten Scania V8 Turbo Diesel, erst ein Krummeln vom Diesel, dann kommt der Turbo mit seinem Pfeifen hinterher. Hat doch was für sich, was einen Diesel angeht. Aber wenn er Rundläuft ist er nicht mehr zu Halten.
ALCO 539T engine idle 275 rpm full throttle 740 rpm 12-3/4 inch bore by 13 inch stroke. Used to run one from first street
Yard South Boston NHRR out to Andrew Square yard present Amtrak yard and shop Boston. Pull 25 or more loads from first st
Due to heavily clogged radiator cores engine would run hot by the time you pulled into Andrew yard halfway down the lead reduce throttle to
One half the put reverser into neutral keep throttle at one half till engine cooled down to 160 or so then close throttle to idle. If coolant was over
180 or higher would shut down if you went to idle hence the half throttle position
99% S-2/4 and on rare occasions one Alco HH-600 with a 531 engine would be our power for the day. I was 15 at the time 1965,
Only thing I regret was an old passenger engine sitting in the dead line. After they Conrail scrapped did I discover it was the last
DL-109 left and was completely intact but hadn't run in years! I believe it was scrapped in 1974.
James Shanks.... I believe you and I are the same age.... and from the same area, originally. I had a couple of my uncles that were train crew on the NHRR as well.... in that same time period. Definitely a crying shame about that DL-109!!.... some railroads just have No heart and No shame!
Love the sound of a old alco!
Wait, does that have a Vulcan Foundry engine like the British Rail Class 40?! Because it sounds EXACTLY like one!
We have TEM2 in Russia, they sound like RSD1.
And my Honda civic failed emissions last month....lol
It’s trying so hard to be a steam locomotive
I have the feeling that unit is not tier 4 compliant ?!?!
Love that sound!
well in think when ALCO made the Big Boy in 1941 they wanted even Diesels to smoke like a steamer! hahah just joking! thumbs up for ALCO
Música para mis oídos!
Can't really be that cold now can it.... But looks can deceive..
There's just no sound in the world quite like an Alco 539T.
mmm that turbo
Love hearing the old girl turnover! Great video!
Doesn't get any better than this. Old Alco RS units rock on in daily use for some 70 years.😊
This almost sounds like an English Electric lump.
Is it/was it common to start on a limited number of cylinders in cold weather, then close compression releases once things get rolling? That is an old crewboat/tugboat trick. I did it on a 645 EMD on accident once. Engine started really well with only one bank running and the other shooting soot and what looked like actual fire. Set off smoke alarms galore of course.
Yeah.. let her warm up a bit. The hotter cylinders will be more efficient at burning off that excess diesel.
Wonderful! I have an unusual question: does anybody have any figures about how much fuel this kind of locomotive burns when in idle (volume/time or weight/time)?
Just a few gallons an hour at most, is it just needs to overcome pumping friction / vacuum and have just enough power to keep the rotational mass going. If you want to figure out how much fuel it sucks at full tilt though thats easy, just take into account the maximum power output (1080-1300hp) - for the sake of simplicity we'll go with 1100. Now diesel has an energy density of 49.76hp/hr. Im going to assume that older diesel engines did not benefit from modern combustion chamber design, maximum allowable combustion pressure, injection technology, valvetrain timing, or even boost pressure - among other modern improvements so I'm just going to assume a total thermal efficiency of 30.0%. at 75 gallons per hour, this will net you 1,119.6hp, or just over our 1100hp figure. You can safely assume that at full power, the ALCo 539T is burning 70-75 gallons per hour, at least approximately so. Modern diesel engines, particularly large industrial ones similar to the 539T, like the EMD 710 & 1010, GE GEVO, CAT 3516, Cummins QSK-95, and in particular giant marine (shipping) engines like the ones from Wärtsillä and MTU can range anywhere from about 40.0% thermal efficiency to over 50.0% thermal efficiency. It's pretty wild how far diesel technology has come in spite of shitty VW and their Dieselgate scandal.
600 ?...like a truck,very low power...for little trains only,there might not beyond steep slopes......
The sweet sound of reliability.
*CLUNK*
*CLUNK*
*CLUNK*
*CLUNK*
*CLUNK*
Edit: now that I think of it, this old diesel chugs like a steamer- and smokes like one too lol
Or it could be smoking like that because it is cold. Just like a car does or a truck.
the constant problem with alco diesel engines. in the cold start if you hear the video not alll the cylinders work,and then the clag (white smoke)is present. this is because rhe compression ratio isnt equal in all the cylinders,and is necesary observ and repair fuel injectors as injector fuel pressure, fuel pressure angle, and fuel flow as spray(microdrops).
Most diesels will smoke like that(or though not as much as an alco.) The reason is that the temps inside the cylinder are not up to operating temp. Therefore it is not able to burn all the fuel the injectors put in the cylinder until it warms up. The compression is constant in all cylinders(baring ring ware) EMD's Detroits, Cats, Cummins etc will all emit smoke white smoke when cold. I had an International Scout II with a Nissan SD33-T in line 6 turbo diesel and it belched clouds of white smoke until the engine warmed up. Now Diesels have electron fuel injection,and improved "swirl" so that white smoke at warm up is cut down or eliminated. Also There might be turbo lag creating more fuel than the engine can burn.
That is why on the 6 cylinder 539s there are cutouts and cylinder cocks for each cylinder. On a really cold engine where it is just above the freezing point you open three of the ports and disconnect three of the injection pumps. That puts more load on the other three cylinders and allows them to warm up quicker. Then you start closing off the ports and putting the injection pump cutouts back in. Then just wait for it to come up to operating temp. You can run up the RPM a little to warm it up faster but it is best to leave near idle if possible. At Idle the excess fuel which is warmed a little is returned to the fuel tank. That helps warm the engine as warm fuel burns better than fuel that is just above the waxing point.
nonom95..... That has to be the most exquisite expose of uninformed BS trying to sound intelligent, that I've read on YT, to date!! Congratulations!! : )
It's honestly amazing you don't know that engines sound rough during a cold start.
@251CE well i am not sure on the internals of the class 48 but the RS1 is a different model.the class 48 in my opinon from what i've seen is simular to an (Alco RSX4)or (MR412) both powered with the 251F and rode on simular trucks to the class 48.the RSX4 & MR412 were two models and were only built for war time..during the War both Alco and EMD made them in the same car body but EMD used the 567 in theres.i think the RS1 and the RSC3 are all simular to the class 40 becuase of the A1A trucks/cabs
Why do big diesels make that inconsistent thudding sound? I'm not talking about the misfires because it's cold but it seems like switcher locomotives and other small locomotive don't have a constant sound as if the combustion isn't consistent but I think it's just because of beat waves or something among the cylinders?