LIRR Alco Century 420 memories

The LIRR's Alco C420's were a really cool class of locomotives. From what I've seen, other LIRR forum members are like-minded. Post your favorite C420 stories here......

I hope its ok for me to share stories when asked too> Dont want to get jumped on by poppa bear or Brakeman.
They were good engines. I remember the Low Idle sound, almost like a slow chugging sound. (chug-chug-chug-chug)
The G-P 38's had a much higher idle.
There used to be fireman on them, then they eliminated the firemans job and used to call out a second man on the engine job for the centurys.
The reason was the long hood, and the difficulty seeing some signals.
They had steam Generators on them, for heat on the passenger coaches. We used to have to carry steam hammers, so when we uncoupled the engines, we also needed the hammer to uncouple the steam metalics
( the steam line between the engines and cars) .
In some old photos of them, you can see the steam being generated by them. This from trains are fun.com
You can see the steam..

I found a nice video of one idleing.. In the video, when the train stops in the station, listen to the low chugging sound.. ya never forget it!
Who ever made this video, thanks for the wonderful memories!

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/lirr- ... cid=acvsv1

That's my video. I bought my first video camera back in 1986 and was able to capture the last three years of the 222-229 series working freight and work trains. I plan on putting more of my stuff on the Youtube site in the future. http://www.youtube.com/user/mrjv61

John, what station was that? And please get a tripod, or at least a monopod to steady camera.
The C420 is a favored loco among modelers. HO has had some Atlas units, and maybe other MFRs, but all low hood versions, I think. Atlas recently produced C420 low hoods in N scale, but have hinted at high hood, ala LIRR, units. I said hinted! Atlas has done Alco RS-1, RS-3 and S-2/4 locos in LIRR paint.
The Century's were smokers tho, eh?
Joe

Smithtown Station.

Many years back, late evening, Mineola platform, eastbound train making station stop. Engineer gets signal to go, throttle in 8th notch very quickly, on the move with lots of smoke, flames and noise, train moving at a good clip when last car passes.
OH!!! WHAT MEMORIES.
Noel Weaver

I believe that unique to LIRR C420's were the "smoke lifters" on hood sides ahead of cab.
Joe

joetrain59 wrote:I believe that unique to LIRR C420's were the "smoke lifters" on hood sides ahead of cab.
Joe

Joe: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrc420.htm


A condensed version of this topic, photos, and a roster.
Best,
Steve

PS Folks: In using others photos, how about referencing the info: C420 #207 LI City Collection: Dave Keller

We didn't run the Centuries with a second man. Not to be blunt, but that was incorrect.

We ran them alone after the Firemens job was eliminated. It was the BLE that asked the LIRR to run them long hood foward with the Engineers control stand on the right side. This was to lessen the chance of the Engineer being scalded to death from the steam generator if they had a grade crossing accident.

I liked them because they had tremendous pulling power. I really enjoyed the Town/Country horn. The fun we used to have dumping smoke on passengers in the stations (I was a kid once too!). You would put the reverser in Neutral and rev it up for a while and then draw power. Smoke, smoke, smoke!

That was a classy engine that had beautiful metal work and had the feel of something built by a time honored locomotive manufacturer.

Hi All,

Great video, and it brought back some memories. I spent about ten years with AIL in Deer Park, L. I. I always took my lunches in the north parking lot so I could see the C-420's race by with their consists. Got used to seeing them running long hood forward, a PRR tradition. I even remember the derailment caused by some kids placing a boulder in the frog of the switch going to the hospital, just past the Commack rd. intersection. They saved the C-420, but buried the ripped apart passenger cars. Now, even AIL is ancient history.

Back in the mid-80's, winter of '85-86, I remember seeing the 228 laying over in the Garden City freight yard with a cut of Penn Central gondolas, El Rexene, W.R. Grace & Co. and American Hoescht covered hoppers, some reefers and a caboose, during a snowstorm. Wish I'd had my camera handy for that.

I caught the C420's at Hicksville Yard a few times too, usually in pairs, or with MP-15ac's, but once caught 222, 223 and 229 coming into the yard on a Saturday morning. There were mixed freight cars on the middle and eastern spur in the yard. They pulled those out, dropped off a cut of tankcars and then pulled out again with the empties. I thought they were leaving, but then they pushed back eastbound, picking up a long cut of boxcars and empty flatcars that had been spotted on the spur that parallels the Main Line between the yard and the Hicksville Post Office.

I also caught the 224 and 226 pulling an Amtrak welded rail train eastbound through Hicksville onto the Ronkonkoma Branch once. My Dad saw the 222 and 225 pulling a ballast train westbound through Floral Park from the Hempstead Branch, I guess from the Garden City Yard.

Someone who is deceased told me either the engineer or fireman were actually from Deer Park with that wreck in Manual block near Pilgrim state Hospital. I didn't know about a boulder in the frog. Supposedly the conductor was killed and they buried one the of passenger coaches right there at the scene. I had heard from a LIRR engineer, the engine had already passed the switch indicator and it was too late when they realized someone inadvertenly lined them for the siding. AIL plant and property is the future site of yet another Tanger Mall.

was the conductor killed in that wreck?

The Kids/ vandals were eventually caught and reprimanded. It was a short walk from AIL to the site, at Pilgrim state hospital, and so we saw the Big Hook come out and place the C-420 back on the tracks and leave with it. I had a couple of great lunchtimes watching all of that. The local newspapers reported that the frog of that switch, turnout, had been fouled with a large boulder. The C-420 didn't have a chance.

RetCondr reminded me of story I heard from a senior guy (retired?) a few years ago. I'm not going to tell it but if someone out there knows the real story, please do. These are the basics:

1) debris throwing kids at the bottom of a hill, diesel territory.
2) ticked off crew on old stuff.
3) dark, dark night.
4) The Train from Hell explodes out of the gloom.

I know another good story 'bout an engineer pulled over by a cop. Ask Tom S. to tell it.