I live in Erie PA. Wabtech has been more cunning, devious and cut-throat against their employees than even GE was. These workers have built locomotives for decades. They are skilled. But the company wants to move production to Texas and pay wages that are half or less, to laborers who have very little experience. In a short decade or so, watch for some Wabtech locomotives to have issues with quality and build. These will be the ones built by cheap labor.
As someone whos worked with those rebuilds, theyre nowhere near as powerful as the unrebuilt ones, but they are so quite and smooth. We got her in on a mow train. She didn't stay long but i liked her
Santa Fe was doing this 50 years ago, taking old covered wagon engines and rebuilding them with freight bodies. Check out the book "CF-7 From Cleburne to Everywhere. " by Cary Poole.Those engines got a new lease on life with ATSF. And then they were peddled off on shortlines all over the world. Even Amtrak owned several CF-7s. Many are still being used today, despite their non compliance with Tier 4 emissions requirements
@@Coloribus2004 maybe it was the short little nose? The first railroad I worked for had about a dozen CF-7s and a pair of GP-7s. Except for the position of the batteries and the nose shapes, they were almost identical to each other to us crew folk.
Those CF7s were built before the Environmental Police Agency really started mandating all these Tier rules. I think they overstepped their power and have caused many things to cost more because of their actions. Besides many older locomotives were grandfathered and allowed to keep running. Just look at the Alcos and MLWs that are still running. Anyway I thought that the EMD that opened the video was a rebuilt with EMD components. Thanks for the info.
Great video and great information. I enjoy your videos. There is a small group of us that railfan at Amtrak Station in Clemson.. Saturday evening, I was early ahead of the rest of the group when a grandmother showed up with 2 grandsons. They both had tripods and cell phones with scanners on their belts. They asked about you tube train channels. I provid we d yours, and several others including Distant Signal with Danny Harmon. Helped both of them with Grandmother's permission, to set up and subscriptions for all the channels. They were absolutely excited and loved it. I told the grandmother about rail day at Folkston, and she said they will attend in the fall.
Notice the Red light over the Ditch Lights on the Canadian National Unit. They use the Red light for rear DPU usage. I wished every Railroad would adopt this standard.
It's just one more accessory to maintain. Locomotives used to have marker lamps or sometimes called section lamps. There was a mechanical rod that changed the lenses from red to white and to green. While their usage became unnecessary in the 70s, any Locomotive equipped with such accessory had to maintain it in order to pass inspection. Broken or malfunctioning section lights were a defect and the engine could not pass an inspection while the accessory was defective. This included the bulb behind the lens that were not used! And yet in certain cases, it was cheaper to keep a working light bulb in the socket than it was to remove and cover the fixture altogether, so it stayed. Appliances, fixtures and other accessories that are not required or have been made obsolete, are really more hassle than their worth. And making something a standard requirement would need some safety background to justify its necessity. Red lights vs ditch lights or even a glowing headlight is probably not going to win any favor since both have the same meaning. "Train or engine here, stop before you reach the coupler, thanks!" The argument about flashing or "wig-wag" ditch lights has been a fundamental debate since the mid-90s when ditch lights themselves became a requirement. But the wig-wags are not required by law. Certain railroads prefer them because they feel it offers an extra level of safety while other railroads remain firm in the stance that its just not necessary at all.
Canadian RRs have been trend setters for safety. So while the previous reply seemed to think this use of a red marker used in DPU mode at the rear end is just another item to repair and won’t last, I think it is a good idea. After 40 years working the ATSF mainline (now BNSF Transcon) a red marker on a crowded main I think it is much better than a headlight on dim.
@@railscenes4959 Yeah, that Lac Megantic incident was a real trend in safety! Made the FRA panic and set new standards that slowed carload switching to a crawl.
@@SD40Fan_Jasonwhat you’re referring to simply are classification lights. And that red light is automatic when used for distributed power (simply DP) on the rear of the train. A mid-train set of power won’t see it lit.
Some red flashing or orange flashing beacons also indicate that the locomotive is also operating via remote control and is not operating with an engineer
01:30 haha, I was the conductor on that 1714 when it went from Spartanburg, SC to Kingsport, TN, probably not long after you took that video. It isn't a really good engine, it loves to drop its load when it goes from its sub-21 MPH to 21+ MPH ?gearing?, which isn't a good idea when it is the only engine pulling a train up the mountain.
I can completely understand Rehab, Rebuild and Reactivate especially when the Cost of New Units is one (1) to two (2) Million plus dollars. Thanks Charlie. 👍🙏
I can remember seeing F7 and Fairbanks Morris running through Rondout Lake County Illinois. Biggest train I have seen had 24 SD-40 and 240 Coal cars test run for train control electronics Chicago & Northwestern main line along US 41 near lake Forest Ill in the Mid 70's
I saw 1713 several months ago when it was pulling one of CSX's geometry trains. It was parked in a nearby yard over the weekend I saw it. But I barely missed it when it left due to having to go do something else.
Thank you. Great video. I’m working in the industry as a mechanical engineer for 50:years. Always something to learn. Boy, have diesel-electric locomotives come a long way from when I started in 1974!
EMD nose and flared radiators make these stunning. I love these things and wish they’d escape Barr Yard here in Chicagoland more often. Very photogenic.
There was a *GP* 23T4 at UP's Stockton, CA yard last time I was there. It's used for yard work. It was specifically on the industry switcher job last I've heard.
Can also confirm that the 23s are supposed to be only in MoW service........ our mto got yelled at for using her as a second engine on the local while waiting for the mow to finish relaying the yard lol
I left out of Tilford one time with 6 U18Bs, all painted orange for mow service “only”, on a revenue train, because they were the only engines left in the yard lol
@@mikeingeorgia1 sounds about right lol, there was a time we were down to two engines to cover all of our locals (7 at that time) and one for switching lol
They have two assigned to road service on the former Pan Am territory. Crew hate them, they are constantly breaking down, load slow, are slippery, and are gutless. For the longest time they were getting sent into the shops every other trip.
These rebuilds from CSX are just another in a long line of crazy rebuilds railroads would pump out, and there have been some wild ones over the course of history! You should check out some of the ones Frisco and MKT for example pulled off! Alco RS units rebuilt with GP7/9 long hoods and prime movers, Santa Fe's famous "Beep" locomotive, PA-1s rebuilt with EMD engines, the list goes on! Love them, or hate them, these SD23-T4s are just following in the footsteps of some of the more zany rebuilds of yesteryear!
Illinois Central Paducah-builts with their strange ox-bow intakes. Santa Fe CF-7s where they took a F-unit car body off, and replaced it with a unique freight body. And then some one-of-a-kinds that served as a way for locomotive shops to flex their muscles and show just how much skill they had at building a jalopy of a locomotive. I've been railroading almost 25 years and only just recently learned about the "Beep" haha!
@@Biker_Gremling loads like a road engine. Shit for yard work. We need motors that load quick and put power down but once it loads up it pulls anything we put on it. But there are a lot of faults that keep popping up. It spends alot of time in the pit
A good friend of mine & other railfans I know caught one of those SD23T4 rebuilds leading a loaded coal train in NE Ohio back in March. Very unusual but I imagine they were testing these to see how they would do. Excellent video!!
T4? Nah, as someone who worked for the railway new GEs are not even close to T1 on a good day. Emissions from locomotives will always be high but way lower than semi trucks
Again another excellent video. Your in-depth explinations are great and I learned quite a bit this morning watching and listening. Your video quality is secomd to none!👨🎓
Then Metra in Chicago might decide that they want a 710 with DEF in something rather than add the 265/1010 to the mix, as they have an all-EMD fleet except for the electrics and the yet to be delivered Stadler MUs.
What a great video! The very smooth images, combined with drone and the bunch of information make this one of the best train channels. My favorite one. Greetings from Mexico!
EGR doesn’t really treat the exhaust. It treats the intake air. The idea of EGR is to reduce the oxygen content of the charge (intake) air so that it burns more slowly and produces less nitrogen oxide emissions. You could do this by piping in CO2 from a tank to blend with the intake air. But exhaust is a cheaper and easily available source of air with less oxygen in it. So you pipe some exhaust into the intake air. This reduces trace emissions. But it doesn’t do it by treating the exhaust. SCR does treat the exhaust. I hoped to hear what all the additional cooling was for. It’s possible it’s for cooled EGR. Surely a tier 4 prime mover uses cooled EGR. This works by cooling the exhaust gases before recirculating them. But I wasn’t aware cooled EGR uses so much cooling. In a truck it doesn’t seem to. But locomotives do work a lot harder.
Yup weird , those morphydite's are GE powered EMD's :( See them up here on the CSX Main thru New York, usually trailing the head end power. Actually one was a regular on the "Trash Train" manifests last summer
Every time I see those giant radiators I always think SD45 or GE U-Boat. Doesn't help that when my dad tells me he saw a U-boat he really saw an SD70ACE or some other modern junk.
U-boats don't have particularly large radiators. And if anybody tells you they've seen a U-boat today, they're almost certainly mistaken. There are almost none still running. Barely even any Dash-7s, which people keep calling "U-boats" but they're a generation later.
@@beeble2003 Most didn't, true, but it is worth noting the U36B and C had larger ones, and I think my dad associates radiator wings with U-boats as a result. Dad and I are both into trains, and we have had a number of Lionel O gauge and Bachmann HO and N U36Bs over the years, so he makes the association, as he is much more casual a railfan, in that he enjoys seeing them, knows some units, but that's about it. To him, every road unit GE has made is a U-boat.
In the top 2 or 3 Rail Channels overall and the best with regard to Motive Power details and information. Excellent video! Just found your channel and subscribed immediately.
Saying they’re “water cooled, don’t use antifreeze” is a bit of a misnomer lol. Also, they need the larger radiators because these engines have a higher thermal efficiency, and usually employ particulate filters or other exhaust treatments that generate a TONS of additional heat as well.
There's about 2 or more of those new CSX engines in my area, and I still haven't caught one. 😅I absolutely love the horn and bell on them along with their looks. I just took a trip to the Huntington Shop a few days ago! They've got a lot of SD70s rebuilt since my last visit in 2022. They just built a new hydrogen powered locomotive last month. As Always, another Enjoyable and Informative video! Keep Up the Great Work!
As far I’m aware, the reason why locomotives use water instead of antifreeze is the engines leak too much. Antifreeze contamination of the oil will ruin its lubrication qualities & turn it into a milkshake.
Water works fine. Antifreeze is expensive and toxic. In cold weather, diesels are kept running to prevent freeze-up. Water in oil will also destroy engines.
@@Greatdome99 That is interesting. My thought was that water lacks corrosion inhibitors (the primary reason I change my car's antifreeze according to the service manual)?
@@PaulN-x2q - For some reason, I know more about antifreeze than I should. In your car, when you add fresh antifreeze, it reacts with bare metal and forms a protective film to prevent further corrosion. As the miles add up, the pump slowly wears down, constantly exposing “fresh metal” that then reacts with the same corrosion inhibitors. Eventually the system “uses up” those inhibitors and that’s when you need to change the coolant. When carmakers switched to long-life coolants a few years ago, they had to redesign the pumps to reduce cavitation and erosion, some even switched to non-metallic pumps in spite of the high cost of glass-reinforced nylon parts.
@ClockworksOfGL the main reason locomotives do not use antifreeze is because they are running more often than not. And if they are running, the coolant will not ever freeze in normal conditions. That being said, I remember seeing instructions on a locomotive in Alaska to leave it running idle in Run 3 (throttle position) when the outside temperature was below -25C. I've also been a (trainmaster) of a short line that had to get out of bed at 11pm and go fire up some engines that would freeze otherwise.
With all the locos that have been rebuilt with EMD prime movers - ALCo’s, Baldwins, FM’s, and even Brush across the pond - it’s extremely surreal seeing an EMD with a foreign power plant
Seen those Diesel-electric-electric hybrids in Spain? They’re basically Diesel-electric locos with a pantograph ontop so they can run off overhead electric power when desired & run off the Diesel generator when required, or even put power into the lines, say on long descents, etc. Means a lot more versatility at I assume not that much more cost.
Quite a bit more cost, and you end up as lower power in either diesel or electric mode. Neither diesel nor electric locomotives have enough free space in them to accommodate the equipment of the other.
@@beeble2003 You do know that virtually all diesel locos use their diesel engines to generate electricity to run electric motors. ‘Diesel-electric-electrics’ are also known ‘electric Diesels’. BtW there’s no space issue that can’t be resolved by making the locos a couple of metres longer. Go do a search. It really is as simple as sticking a pantograph unit ontop with the added electric switching & wiring. Yes some are a compromise, but there are ones like the Spanish ones that run like both a full power Diesel-electric loco & a full power electric loco, just with a choice of either. Although some have huge banks of batteries as well, that’s really another type that I wasn’t referring to.
@@mickvonbornemann3824 Thanks, I know how diesel-electric locomotives work. The problem is that you seem to think that an electric locomotive is simply an empty box with a pantograph on the top, traction motors at the bottom and wires between the two, so all that's needed is sticking a diesel engine and generator/alternator in the empty space. They're not empty boxes.
@@beeble2003 i know, but it’s not rocket science, do a search on “electric-diesels”, not all are compromises. There are ones that exist that match the full specs of both full powered electric locos & full powered diesel electrics, & they’re only a few metres longer. Go check out the Spanish ones. They really do make more sense on rail systems that are only electrified in urban areas & greater populated regional areas, leaving most of the country regions unnelectrified. Take Australia, where the big trans continental trains all have to change over to diesel locos about 100 to 300km out from capital cities
An uncountable amount of time from now when the Universe achieves heat death and the end of time comes, in a sea of leptons that will never meet there will be a single thing that still exists : A beat up EMD SD40-2.
Hi v12 awesome video good information on locomotive is USA thanks for sharing the information I have been watching your videos for same time now from Australian Queensland . Jason.
The branch line in Washington iive on was always a host of various 4 axle power mostly GP38s when I moved here. Then we started seeing rebuilds even had an old Dash 8 on the line. Now we see GP60s or even a 75M but the real head turner is hearing a Gevo come thru. Big 6 axle power. They did some major upgrades to the line to serve as a backup empty only coal drag route back to the main. But all tbr upgrades didn't go to waste when the backup didn't pan out. But not arguing seeing big power come thru. Only sad part is I could hear tbr 38s come into town coming back at midnight mostly due to the dynamics howling. Those Gevos pretty much slip thru quietly (quiet zone after 10pm) even with 60-70 cars in tow. Don't hardly hear their dynamics.
It's interesting that alot of the older power is being rebuilt with lower horsepower output. I would have to believe it isn't JUST for emissions but for the reason that older units are being used in yard and local service, where horsepower is not as important due to low speed use. And at low speed those old high power units just wheel slipped under full power. For example the 3800hp SD60 and 3600hp sd45s being rebuilt into SD32ECOs or UP calls them SD59Ms making 3200hp. Most SD50s and SD45s have been derated to 3000hp today if still in service.
I've never been a fan of the GE radiator wing, and thanks to chasing emission standards it keeps getting bigger. At least EMD kept their radiators forward a few feet of the rear hood so it doesn't look so ridiculous when running long hood forward. Of course I'm only commenting from a pure esthetic view, GE makes great locomotives, I just wish they could dial it back a bit on their boisterous radiator wing...lol
Sometimes a rebuilt unit is cheaper than a new unit. And I hope you get to go to Germany and do some filming there. Especially two stops away from the Porsche Factory. Where they have a huge classification yard in Kornwesthiem. And an a intermodal yard
The 40-2 is a good motor. "I wanted to hear the 6cyl 4" .. They run SD60's on all the locals up here, I'm actually surprised, sometimes, the power in them.
The GEs always catch fires and they don’t last as long as the EMDs because EMD finds replacement parts and easily rebuild their locomotives while GE rushes newer locomotives out the door
Ironically, GE Transportation made a lot of money rebuilding EMD locomotives for a while, as did MK, which became Wabtec in a somewhat complicated history before buying the GE Transportation division.
Computer in trains don't mix's. When the SD 70's were new and came to our line they were shutting down left and right. The display reed overheating with a short train in tow and not the normal size load. Lastly how does this system work on a steam engine? UP 4014 has a system in it's coal tender and steam never had such things back then. Please tell me what you think about this. Thanks for the post.
@ 7:46... turbochargers... so in the early days of dieselization, there were some turbocharged locomotives... but it seems that back then they were unreliable... so much so that some roads ordered new locomotives WITHOUT turbos because they were ALWAYS a maintenance headache... question... at what point did turbos stop becoming a maintenance headache and start becoming more reliable???????
When you quote the horsepower and torque figure, is it for the traction motor or the diesel engine? If diesel engine, what are the specs for the electric traction motors? Also is there a significant difference between traction motors used in an electric loco Vs the diesel electric loco? Thx.
I'm no locomotive mechanic or anything but I know the way they measure a locomotives horsepower in the field is by attaching a dynamic grid to the generator output and measuring the amperage at max throttle. 3500 amps at 600 volts is just a little over 2000 horsepower. And then you are dividing that amperage between 4 or 6 traction motors, one with an ammeter in the cab for the engineer to see.
Railroad locomotive builders are going to Discord and Reddit to find the most cursed images of freak locomotives and spending thousands of dollars making it a reality.
I live in Erie PA. Wabtech has been more cunning, devious and cut-throat against their employees than even GE was. These workers have built locomotives for decades. They are skilled. But the company wants to move production to Texas and pay wages that are half or less, to laborers who have very little experience. In a short decade or so, watch for some Wabtech locomotives to have issues with quality and build. These will be the ones built by cheap labor.
They want to hire ILLEGALS YES I said ILLEGALS for the job.
Boeing all over again!
Meh ge’s have always been junk so they will be even worse!
Do you mean cheap, Mexican labor ?
se habla espanol
As someone whos worked with those rebuilds, theyre nowhere near as powerful as the unrebuilt ones, but they are so quite and smooth. We got her in on a mow train. She didn't stay long but i liked her
They are slippery from what I heard and have had issues in the colder climates.
Santa Fe was doing this 50 years ago, taking old covered wagon engines and rebuilding them with freight bodies. Check out the book "CF-7 From Cleburne to Everywhere. " by Cary Poole.Those engines got a new lease on life with ATSF. And then they were peddled off on shortlines all over the world. Even Amtrak owned several CF-7s. Many are still being used today, despite their non compliance with Tier 4 emissions requirements
ATSF is my favorite railroad, I've heard of them before.
The CF7’s looked ugly to some, but they were real miracle workers. I’ve heard crews praise the CF7’s for their flexibility and large windows
@@Coloribus2004 maybe it was the short little nose? The first railroad I worked for had about a dozen CF-7s and a pair of GP-7s. Except for the position of the batteries and the nose shapes, they were almost identical to each other to us crew folk.
@@atsf47legitsame
Those CF7s were built before the Environmental Police Agency really started mandating all these Tier rules. I think they overstepped their power and have caused many things to cost more because of their actions. Besides many older locomotives were grandfathered and allowed to keep running. Just look at the Alcos and MLWs that are still running. Anyway I thought that the EMD that opened the video was a rebuilt with EMD components. Thanks for the info.
Great video and great information. I enjoy your videos. There is a small group of us that railfan at Amtrak Station in Clemson.. Saturday evening, I was early ahead of the rest of the group when a grandmother showed up with 2 grandsons. They both had tripods and cell phones with scanners on their belts. They asked about you tube train channels. I provid we d yours, and several others including Distant Signal with Danny Harmon. Helped both of them with Grandmother's permission, to set up and subscriptions for all the channels. They were absolutely excited and loved it. I told the grandmother about rail day at Folkston, and she said they will attend in the fall.
Don’t forget 7 Idea Productions my guy.
That's really cool! Thanks for sharing the channel with them.
The sd40 lives on. Sd40-2 is one of the best locomotives ever built
with electronic bell !!
Notice the Red light over the Ditch Lights on the Canadian National Unit. They use the Red light for rear DPU usage. I wished every Railroad would adopt this standard.
It's just one more accessory to maintain. Locomotives used to have marker lamps or sometimes called section lamps. There was a mechanical rod that changed the lenses from red to white and to green. While their usage became unnecessary in the 70s, any Locomotive equipped with such accessory had to maintain it in order to pass inspection. Broken or malfunctioning section lights were a defect and the engine could not pass an inspection while the accessory was defective. This included the bulb behind the lens that were not used! And yet in certain cases, it was cheaper to keep a working light bulb in the socket than it was to remove and cover the fixture altogether, so it stayed. Appliances, fixtures and other accessories that are not required or have been made obsolete, are really more hassle than their worth. And making something a standard requirement would need some safety background to justify its necessity. Red lights vs ditch lights or even a glowing headlight is probably not going to win any favor since both have the same meaning. "Train or engine here, stop before you reach the coupler, thanks!"
The argument about flashing or "wig-wag" ditch lights has been a fundamental debate since the mid-90s when ditch lights themselves became a requirement. But the wig-wags are not required by law. Certain railroads prefer them because they feel it offers an extra level of safety while other railroads remain firm in the stance that its just not necessary at all.
Canadian RRs have been trend setters for safety. So while the previous reply seemed to think this use of a red marker used in DPU mode at the rear end is just another item to repair and won’t last, I think it is a good idea. After 40 years working the ATSF mainline (now BNSF Transcon) a red marker on a crowded main I think it is much better than a headlight on dim.
@@railscenes4959 Yeah, that Lac Megantic incident was a real trend in safety! Made the FRA panic and set new standards that slowed carload switching to a crawl.
@@SD40Fan_Jasonwhat you’re referring to simply are classification lights. And that red light is automatic when used for distributed power (simply DP) on the rear of the train. A mid-train set of power won’t see it lit.
Some red flashing or orange flashing beacons also indicate that the locomotive is also operating via remote control and is not operating with an engineer
01:30 haha, I was the conductor on that 1714 when it went from Spartanburg, SC to Kingsport, TN, probably not long after you took that video. It isn't a really good engine, it loves to drop its load when it goes from its sub-21 MPH to 21+ MPH ?gearing?, which isn't a good idea when it is the only engine pulling a train up the mountain.
Looks like an ES44AC and SD40-2 had a baby lol
yes😂
It's a SD23T4
The only difference is that it has a GEVO engine
@@bowlinglegendofleftwich4775so like an ES44AC...
@@RaisedLetter yeah, ES44ACs and ET44ACs use the same engine, except that they used an ET44AC engine for the Tier 4 specifications
I loved this video! You put a lot of work into it and it shows. Those 1713 & 1714 are crazy looking locomotives.
Thank you, sir!
I can completely understand Rehab, Rebuild and Reactivate especially when the Cost of New Units is one (1) to two (2) Million plus dollars. Thanks Charlie. 👍🙏
I can remember seeing F7 and Fairbanks Morris running through Rondout Lake County Illinois. Biggest train I have seen had 24 SD-40 and 240 Coal cars test run for train control electronics Chicago & Northwestern main line along US 41 near lake Forest Ill in the Mid 70's
I saw 1713 several months ago when it was pulling one of CSX's geometry trains. It was parked in a nearby yard over the weekend I saw it. But I barely missed it when it left due to having to go do something else.
Harrison,
NICE work. I absolutely enjoy watching you repair model trains. Thanks for your time and effort.
Rich
Thank you. Great video. I’m working in the industry as a mechanical engineer for 50:years. Always something to learn. Boy, have diesel-electric locomotives come a long way from when I started in 1974!
The SD23T4 also have their dynamic brake fan section raised a little, which i assume to accommodate necessary Tier 4 components
Great video. Those wonderful drone shots are so necessary when looking at these monsters, especially while they're working. 🚂
EMD nose and flared radiators make these stunning. I love these things and wish they’d escape Barr Yard here in Chicagoland more often. Very photogenic.
There was a *GP* 23T4 at UP's Stockton, CA yard last time I was there. It's used for yard work. It was specifically on the industry switcher job last I've heard.
Can also confirm that the 23s are supposed to be only in MoW service........ our mto got yelled at for using her as a second engine on the local while waiting for the mow to finish relaying the yard lol
I left out of Tilford one time with 6 U18Bs, all painted orange for mow service “only”, on a revenue train, because they were the only engines left in the yard lol
@@mikeingeorgia1 sounds about right lol, there was a time we were down to two engines to cover all of our locals (7 at that time) and one for switching lol
They have two assigned to road service on the former Pan Am territory. Crew hate them, they are constantly breaking down, load slow, are slippery, and are gutless. For the longest time they were getting sent into the shops every other trip.
Nice shots Charlie! Glad we were able to see 1713 at Howell in March!
Thanks man!
Great video! Interesting to see how rebuilt that unit!
My first teir 4 gevo I ever saw was Norfolk southern 3648, definitely something special for me
This was extremely informative and well put together.
Another flawless documentary from V12 Productions
These rebuilds from CSX are just another in a long line of crazy rebuilds railroads would pump out, and there have been some wild ones over the course of history! You should check out some of the ones Frisco and MKT for example pulled off! Alco RS units rebuilt with GP7/9 long hoods and prime movers, Santa Fe's famous "Beep" locomotive, PA-1s rebuilt with EMD engines, the list goes on! Love them, or hate them, these SD23-T4s are just following in the footsteps of some of the more zany rebuilds of yesteryear!
Illinois Central Paducah-builts with their strange ox-bow intakes. Santa Fe CF-7s where they took a F-unit car body off, and replaced it with a unique freight body. And then some one-of-a-kinds that served as a way for locomotive shops to flex their muscles and show just how much skill they had at building a jalopy of a locomotive. I've been railroading almost 25 years and only just recently learned about the "Beep" haha!
We have been using one of these sd23t4s as a bowl job in Radnor for about 2 months already. We call it the Frankenstein
Is it any good?
@@Biker_Gremling loads like a road engine. Shit for yard work. We need motors that load quick and put power down but once it loads up it pulls anything we put on it. But there are a lot of faults that keep popping up. It spends alot of time in the pit
Interesting design, though the radiator overhang means it's lost its ladder, which may make maintenance a pain.
A good friend of mine & other railfans I know caught one of those SD23T4 rebuilds leading a loaded coal train in NE Ohio back in March. Very unusual but I imagine they were testing these to see how they would do. Excellent video!!
I saw one of those before it was painted into CSX, it had a grey body with the big radiator and an NS cab/short hood, it had marks for GECX
T4? Nah, as someone who worked for the railway new GEs are not even close to T1 on a good day. Emissions from locomotives will always be high but way lower than semi trucks
Really now. I need proof of this
It the trucks now
Again another excellent video. Your in-depth explinations are great and I learned quite a bit this morning watching and listening. Your video quality is secomd to none!👨🎓
Awesome video! Really enjoyed the information about the different engines and how they meet tier 4 emissions requirements
your approach to creating content is refreshingly original!
The EMD 710 would meet t4 standards if DEF is used, but the railroads did not want that. As far as I know the 710 can still be bought for marine use.
Then Metra in Chicago might decide that they want a 710 with DEF in something rather than add the 265/1010 to the mix, as they have an all-EMD fleet except for the electrics and the yet to be delivered Stadler MUs.
@@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis CSX got rid of the t4 SD70s they had, well gave them back to Progress Rail, anyways.
Because they sucked irrc
@@bluegrassman3040 They were on a 5 year lease, CSX never owned them, Progress did.
@@alexmarks7275 yes I know that.
What a great video! The very smooth images, combined with drone and the bunch of information make this one of the best train channels. My favorite one.
Greetings from Mexico!
Many thanks!
EGR doesn’t really treat the exhaust. It treats the intake air.
The idea of EGR is to reduce the oxygen content of the charge (intake) air so that it burns more slowly and produces less nitrogen oxide emissions. You could do this by piping in CO2 from a tank to blend with the intake air. But exhaust is a cheaper and easily available source of air with less oxygen in it. So you pipe some exhaust into the intake air. This reduces trace emissions. But it doesn’t do it by treating the exhaust. SCR does treat the exhaust.
I hoped to hear what all the additional cooling was for. It’s possible it’s for cooled EGR. Surely a tier 4 prime mover uses cooled EGR. This works by cooling the exhaust gases before recirculating them. But I wasn’t aware cooled EGR uses so much cooling. In a truck it doesn’t seem to. But locomotives do work a lot harder.
Yup weird , those morphydite's are GE powered EMD's :( See them up here on the CSX Main thru New York, usually trailing the head end power. Actually one was a regular on the "Trash Train" manifests last summer
Every time I see those giant radiators I always think SD45 or GE U-Boat. Doesn't help that when my dad tells me he saw a U-boat he really saw an SD70ACE or some other modern junk.
U-boats don't have particularly large radiators. And if anybody tells you they've seen a U-boat today, they're almost certainly mistaken. There are almost none still running. Barely even any Dash-7s, which people keep calling "U-boats" but they're a generation later.
@@beeble2003 Most didn't, true, but it is worth noting the U36B and C had larger ones, and I think my dad associates radiator wings with U-boats as a result. Dad and I are both into trains, and we have had a number of Lionel O gauge and Bachmann HO and N U36Bs over the years, so he makes the association, as he is much more casual a railfan, in that he enjoys seeing them, knows some units, but that's about it. To him, every road unit GE has made is a U-boat.
In the top 2 or 3 Rail Channels overall and the best with regard to Motive Power details and information. Excellent video!
Just found your channel and subscribed immediately.
Saying they’re “water cooled, don’t use antifreeze” is a bit of a misnomer lol.
Also, they need the larger radiators because these engines have a higher thermal efficiency, and usually employ particulate filters or other exhaust treatments that generate a TONS of additional heat as well.
That SD23 Looks like if the AC6000CW and sd40-2 had a baby
There's about 2 or more of those new CSX engines in my area, and I still haven't caught one. 😅I absolutely love the horn and bell on them along with their looks. I just took a trip to the Huntington Shop a few days ago! They've got a lot of SD70s rebuilt since my last visit in 2022. They just built a new hydrogen powered locomotive last month. As Always, another Enjoyable and Informative video! Keep Up the Great Work!
Will do. Thanks!
just when i think your videos can't get any better, you prove me wrong!
Just found your channel. WOW, this was a fantastic video ! Love all the different scenes injected into the video !
Thanks!
Seeing that Winchester and Western unit was a real treat, I live next to one of the lines operated by them!
Bottom Line is EMD Engines are still Thee Best Engines ever made and also Good Looking Engines period.
I remember going down to the steam loco scrap yards in N.J. Nice to see some Diesels being rebuilt.
As always, fantastic content and information!
Thanks!
As far I’m aware, the reason why locomotives use water instead of antifreeze is the engines leak too much. Antifreeze contamination of the oil will ruin its lubrication qualities & turn it into a milkshake.
Water works fine. Antifreeze is expensive and toxic. In cold weather, diesels are kept running to prevent freeze-up.
Water in oil will also destroy engines.
@@Greatdome99 That is interesting. My thought was that water lacks corrosion inhibitors (the primary reason I change my car's antifreeze according to the service manual)?
while they could use the same pink antifreeze as RV drinking water systems, it is probably still too expensive and messy most of the time.
@@PaulN-x2q - For some reason, I know more about antifreeze than I should. In your car, when you add fresh antifreeze, it reacts with bare metal and forms a protective film to prevent further corrosion. As the miles add up, the pump slowly wears down, constantly exposing “fresh metal” that then reacts with the same corrosion inhibitors. Eventually the system “uses up” those inhibitors and that’s when you need to change the coolant. When carmakers switched to long-life coolants a few years ago, they had to redesign the pumps to reduce cavitation and erosion, some even switched to non-metallic pumps in spite of the high cost of glass-reinforced nylon parts.
@ClockworksOfGL the main reason locomotives do not use antifreeze is because they are running more often than not. And if they are running, the coolant will not ever freeze in normal conditions. That being said, I remember seeing instructions on a locomotive in Alaska to leave it running idle in Run 3 (throttle position) when the outside temperature was below -25C.
I've also been a (trainmaster) of a short line that had to get out of bed at 11pm and go fire up some engines that would freeze otherwise.
So I’ve been in the 1717 and 1719 and they where strictly rebuild for MOW duties ( rail trains, geo trains, dumping ballast etc)
Is CSX planning to put them in local or normal service anytime soon?
@@TealGuy like k said strictly MOW duties. They was the ones who funded the rebuilt
@@tylerrose5232 oh ok
the SD23T4's are often seen in Maine on the trains coming in and out of Waterville
Very good 👍 show 😎. You Do a very good job 👏🚂 . Thanks: alan.
With all the locos that have been rebuilt with EMD prime movers - ALCo’s, Baldwins, FM’s, and even Brush across the pond - it’s extremely surreal seeing an EMD with a foreign power plant
Seen those Diesel-electric-electric hybrids in Spain? They’re basically Diesel-electric locos with a pantograph ontop so they can run off overhead electric power when desired & run off the Diesel generator when required, or even put power into the lines, say on long descents, etc. Means a lot more versatility at I assume not that much more cost.
Quite a bit more cost, and you end up as lower power in either diesel or electric mode. Neither diesel nor electric locomotives have enough free space in them to accommodate the equipment of the other.
@@beeble2003 You do know that virtually all diesel locos use their diesel engines to generate electricity to run electric motors. ‘Diesel-electric-electrics’ are also known ‘electric Diesels’. BtW there’s no space issue that can’t be resolved by making the locos a couple of metres longer. Go do a search. It really is as simple as sticking a pantograph unit ontop with the added electric switching & wiring. Yes some are a compromise, but there are ones like the Spanish ones that run like both a full power Diesel-electric loco & a full power electric loco, just with a choice of either. Although some have huge banks of batteries as well, that’s really another type that I wasn’t referring to.
@@mickvonbornemann3824 Thanks, I know how diesel-electric locomotives work. The problem is that you seem to think that an electric locomotive is simply an empty box with a pantograph on the top, traction motors at the bottom and wires between the two, so all that's needed is sticking a diesel engine and generator/alternator in the empty space. They're not empty boxes.
@@beeble2003 i know, but it’s not rocket science, do a search on “electric-diesels”, not all are compromises. There are ones that exist that match the full specs of both full powered electric locos & full powered diesel electrics, & they’re only a few metres longer. Go check out the Spanish ones. They really do make more sense on rail systems that are only electrified in urban areas & greater populated regional areas, leaving most of the country regions unnelectrified. Take Australia, where the big trans continental trains all have to change over to diesel locos about 100 to 300km out from capital cities
I've wondered why this isn't done elsewhere. Other than railroading's gigantic mutatiaphobia.
Good video. Very informative. That SD23 looks like the result of a one night stand between an EMD and a GE.
An uncountable amount of time from now when the Universe achieves heat death and the end of time comes, in a sea of leptons that will never meet there will be a single thing that still exists : A beat up EMD SD40-2.
Great video and information. However these unit are being rebuilt in Wabtec’s factory in Erie, PA. Not being done by CSX.
Hi v12 awesome video good information on locomotive is USA thanks for sharing the information I have been watching your videos for same time now from Australian Queensland . Jason.
Now this is totally awesome how some of these locomotive's gets rebuilt or replaced totally awesome 😊
The branch line in Washington iive on was always a host of various 4 axle power mostly GP38s when I moved here. Then we started seeing rebuilds even had an old Dash 8 on the line. Now we see GP60s or even a 75M but the real head turner is hearing a Gevo come thru. Big 6 axle power. They did some major upgrades to the line to serve as a backup empty only coal drag route back to the main. But all tbr upgrades didn't go to waste when the backup didn't pan out. But not arguing seeing big power come thru.
Only sad part is I could hear tbr 38s come into town coming back at midnight mostly due to the dynamics howling. Those Gevos pretty much slip thru quietly (quiet zone after 10pm) even with 60-70 cars in tow. Don't hardly hear their dynamics.
It's interesting that alot of the older power is being rebuilt with lower horsepower output. I would have to believe it isn't JUST for emissions but for the reason that older units are being used in yard and local service, where horsepower is not as important due to low speed use. And at low speed those old high power units just wheel slipped under full power. For example the 3800hp SD60 and 3600hp sd45s being rebuilt into SD32ECOs or UP calls them SD59Ms making 3200hp. Most SD50s and SD45s have been derated to 3000hp today if still in service.
The back of it looks like a hammerhead shark lmao
Powerful and efficient locomotives is highly needed for longer trips passing states
Thank you for this amazing and informative video!!! 🚅
Thanks for watching!
Great vidio, lots of good info, just got an et44 for my Yard layout 0 gauge and shes a great runner.Thanks for the morning coffee...
Thanks for watching!
1:07 the K1L13 horn and Ekyrail bell remind me of the VIA Rail F40PH rebuilds
Yeah v12 great video as usual .👍🏻
I maybe old fashioned but EMD is still the best, especially when it's smoking and in notch 8; good report Mr Charlie, you always bring good content.
Emd all day
Pretty cool looking locomotive. I’d really like to run one! Cool video. Thanks 👍❤️
I have.
@@alexmarks7275 That’s great. Being a retired locomotive engineer I’ve run lots of locomotives but never one of those.
I've never been a fan of the GE radiator wing, and thanks to chasing emission standards it keeps getting bigger. At least EMD kept their radiators forward a few feet of the rear hood so it doesn't look so ridiculous when running long hood forward. Of course I'm only commenting from a pure esthetic view, GE makes great locomotives, I just wish they could dial it back a bit on their boisterous radiator wing...lol
Great Video!
Thanks!
Totally awesome locomotives and the new csx locomotives are being rebuilt Totally agree and the new ns locomotives too ❤
Sometimes a rebuilt unit is cheaper than a new unit. And I hope you get to go to Germany and do some filming there. Especially two stops away from the Porsche Factory. Where they have a huge classification yard in Kornwesthiem. And an a intermodal yard
I love Your intros! They're awesome!
Thanks!
"I NEED AIR- AUHG GIMME AIRRR" ahh sd 40
I still love and miss all the emd units!!!! Just wish they can bring them back. Even the sd 45!!!!
When he said surprise I just had to run and grab my popcorn great video V12
Thanks!
The 40-2 is a good motor. "I wanted to hear the 6cyl 4" .. They run SD60's on all the locals up here, I'm actually surprised, sometimes, the power in them.
Csx number 2789 is only used for local trips along the route
There It Is!!! That's The Locomotive I've Been Looking For!!!!
Just found your channel.
Very informative.
The GEs always catch fires and they don’t last as long as the EMDs because EMD finds replacement parts and easily rebuild their locomotives while GE rushes newer locomotives out the door
“GE” is a strange way to spell “Alstom”
Ironically, GE Transportation made a lot of money rebuilding EMD locomotives for a while, as did MK, which became Wabtec in a somewhat complicated history before buying the GE Transportation division.
@@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis Dash 8 are gone they got cut up like the Dash7 In 2006
@@williamgreeter1855Dash 8s would and should have been considered for rebuilds. Not many left around anymore.
@williamgreeter1855 CSX has a lot more GE's on their roster than EMD.
The UP EMD Tier 4 Engine shown is a SD70ACeT4.
Computer in trains don't mix's. When the SD 70's were new and came to our line they were shutting down left and right. The display reed overheating with a short train in tow and not the normal size load. Lastly how does this system work on a steam engine? UP 4014 has a system in it's coal tender and steam never had such things back then. Please tell me what you think about this. Thanks for the post.
Ooooo that trains looks great I love trains for 8 years I was 2 for that time wow!🎉
Another GREAT video! To bad EMD has fallen behind!
@ 7:46... turbochargers... so in the early days of dieselization, there were some turbocharged locomotives... but it seems that back then they were unreliable... so much so that some roads ordered new locomotives WITHOUT turbos because they were ALWAYS a maintenance headache... question... at what point did turbos stop becoming a maintenance headache and start becoming more reliable???????
When you quote the horsepower and torque figure, is it for the traction motor or the diesel engine? If diesel engine, what are the specs for the electric traction motors?
Also is there a significant difference between traction motors used in an electric loco Vs the diesel electric loco? Thx.
I'm no locomotive mechanic or anything but I know the way they measure a locomotives horsepower in the field is by attaching a dynamic grid to the generator output and measuring the amperage at max throttle. 3500 amps at 600 volts is just a little over 2000 horsepower. And then you are dividing that amperage between 4 or 6 traction motors, one with an ammeter in the cab for the engineer to see.
Saw one up one the Ohio river sub in benwood West Virginia on a test run was a great catch
Loved the quality of this video and the amount of info packed into it. Thanks. Subscribed.
You can't fool me. It'a an SDL-39.
Very informative.
Just one thing, I was told the first GEVO was 2004. If I’m wrong, I would love to know about the very first GEVO from 2002.
Tier 5? Chevron deference ruling says "Hold my beer"
VRF hasn't caught the "GEORGIA RAILROAD" Heritage loco, yet. Saw it first in this video. John
Railroad locomotive builders are going to Discord and Reddit to find the most cursed images of freak locomotives and spending thousands of dollars making it a reality.
Wow that was Locomotives NS and CSX Trains That Was a Fresh Paint?
I grew up in Tucker Ga I know Exactly where that's at, I'm not there at night without the 2A and a pit bull.😂
what does the pit carry?...besides pearly whites>>>
Like American Rail ! best wishes from UK .
1713 was hanging atound up here in Massachusetts for awhile