ALCO's Biting the Dust?

[quote="RS-3"]Well Aaron that works out really well as I don't care what you think either.

were are the mods with this thread?

and for pablo.........

"Repeat after me, amoreho1, murray, etc.: the units have potential, and the NYSW has now shown they are interested in care and upkeep, which means rebuilding what they have to work better. Read some posts, please."

these units have been in your area for how long??? 1 or 2 years? and i lived near the mine for 15+ years....oh yeah,sorry i don't know what i'm talking about do i?i know how they were run,i've watched them run,i've seen them tarped and i've been in the cab of many cartier units.

this is so sad,many of you are getting worked up at this kid over TRAINS i'll repeat...TRAINS.....this has gone way past foaming,its turned into insults at others,last time i read the rules of this site i thought it was to keep to civil conversations?

also if you don't like what i said in another forum,PM me,don't use my name in another forum i don't read unless that makes you feel better.

GOLDEN-ARM wrote: (NOT wide cabs, as some folks like to call them. EVERY cab I have been inside, is a standard width. NOSES however, seem to have gotten wider, in the last few years) If you talk the talk, of the uninformed, mindlesss or clueless, that's how you will be responded to, no matter what your age. Grow thicker skin, or stay in the TAMR forum...........

"wide cab" was a trade name used by canadian national in the 80's when they first released their 40-2's with wide noses,so in many ways your both correct.another term you'll hear some is crew cabs for the added comforts for the crews on long hauls.

Otto Vondrak wrote:
NOW... back to our Alco discussion? I'm curious to know what NYSW intends to do with their Alcos! They sure made quite a show last year, never saw them leading, though (but it looks like others did)!

-otto-

If you read the thread under "ALCO" NYSW ALCOS-Quick info, that may help answer your question.
All is not lost with these......
John

Hey, Murray. I AM a mod, from this thread. (didn't read the list, on the NYS&W homepage, did you ) No need to "shut down Aaron (or those responding to him), as he IS entitled to say what he said, even though it may be wrong. Not inflamatory, towards any single member, and not really OT, in this case)
The whole point being, if the Alcos are staying, or leaving, this would probably be a geat chance, to see the "last stand" of these units, in mainline, heavy tonnage service. Think of all the other models, that faded away, before you got a chance to see one, in person, in service. Not on some tourist line, museum, or hauling 3 cars, at 10 mph, on some rinky-dink shortline. History is closing another chapter, and count yourselves lucky enough, to have front row seats, cameras, video recorders, and the KNOWLEDGE that this is special, and also probably the end. Think of all the other "last stands", that were occuring, and nobody realized, cared or was there, to witness...........

UPRR, are you implying I might get a little "pants happy", when running an Alco? (Schwiiiiiiing!!!) I'll never tell. Sure wish I was back east, with my camera, and several dozen rolls of Kodak UC film, though What I wouldn't give, for one more trip over Sparta mountain, with ALL of those Alcos, on the train..............

Im not saying Alcos/MLWS are bad locos but every time I've seen them go by they were smoking like crazy and I'm sorry if anyone thought I was implying that they were bad locos.

if this unit now being worked on possibly fails....and thats an if i'm saying, i'd like to see this line try a mother slug set up kinda deal much like canadian pacific used and genesee & wyoming uses on some short lines with the 40X's,these units along with the larger emd's would be an interesting set up to see.

say,emd-alco-alco-emd as a 4 power set if the line is power needy and can't find decent power for the prices they can afford,turn these units into road slugs.

amoreho1 wrote:IM NOT SAYING ALCOS/MLWS ARE BAD LOCOCS BUT EVERY TIME I'VE SEEN THEM GO BY THEY WERE SMOKING LIKE CRAZY AND I'M SORRY IF ANY ONE THAUGHT IWAS IMPLYING THAT THEY WERE BAD LOCOS

Aaron,the smoke your seeing is typical to any alco made its what made them railfan favs,when i moved here to new brunswick the first canadian pacific train i seen had 10 units,all MLW's 630's and rs-18u's you think you seen smoke there? haha try then,i kinda miss those 424's and 18u's least some made their way down yer way

Young Aaron. Alco Diesel Electrics have not been given the nickname "honorary steam locomotives", for nothing. Those gigantic plumes of thick, acrid smoke, bellowing out every time you pour on the horses, is what makes Alccos, Alcos. I would have serious concerns, if I DIDN'T see massive clouds of black exhaust, blotting out the sun, as a set of Alcos roared away, from my vantage point.

amoreho1 wrote:Im not saying Alcos/MLWS are bad locos but every time I've seen them go by they were smoking like crazy and I'm sorry if anyone thought I was implying that they were bad locos.

Yeah, I'm not saying they are bad locos, but my first post clearly stated that ALL the Alcos/MLW's should be scrapped. (That's what you "meant" to say, as that's exactlly what you said) Talk about backpedallin'......... I imagine you would faint dead away, if you had to see a steam engine, smokin' on by.................

You called for the scrapping of the entire Schenectady built roster, on the NYS&W, so, stick by your guns. You gotta have a better reason to scrap locos, on your railroad, other than they might be a little smokey. Hell, even Dash-9's smoke it up, when ripping them into the 8th, from a dead stop, with a light train......... (I do agree though, we should definately scrap those engines, for being smokey.... ) Besides the three times you saw them, making a little smoke, what other reasons do you have to justify scrapping the engines, they just spent hard earned money buying?
Just wondering where you are going, with this? The EMD's the "Q" is running, have done a fare share of "cloud building", as well. Gonna call for the scrapping of these, as well? Just curious..............

I JUST CALL IT AS I SEE IT

I MEAN ALCOS ARENT BAD LOCOS IF THERE AREN'T UPDATED TO TRY TO MAKE THEM LIKE MORE LIKE NEWER LOCOS IF THERE LEFT AS IS THERE GOOD (JUST TO CLEARIFY THERE GOOD IF THERE STOCK)
NOT ALL ALCOS/MLWS ARE BAD JUST THEASE ALCOS/MLWS ARE JUNK

IF CRAP THEY SHOULD BE SCRAP

THERE GOOD LOCOS IN THERE OWN RIGHT
SO NO IM NOT "backpedallin"

yes,these units are junk in some ways,not the alco unit itself mind you,its the computers that come along with it is whats making these units garbage.

from the cartier days these units were run hard,its not really a railroad its more of a pipeline of sorts,its back and forth all day from the mine to the dumper.upgrade after upgrade the mine owners eyed a purchase on another railroad close by,the quebec north shore and labador,similar set up and climate as their own.they purchased GE's that started the end for that lines SD-40's,the line had less maintance with these units and cut fuel costs by half along with the fact the crews loved them.

QCM liked what they saw and purchased their own GE's.how they're doing rite now i don't know,i haven't talked to anyone from that way in a few years but the fuel use has been cut down most likely.

What foolishness. Now, the units themselves aren't junk, but their computers are.

I've explained who I am and what I know separately. I'm excited that you live in New Brunswick, and currently work for a railroad. Or do you? Or do you just know someone who told you something? Ask anyone that runs ALCOs and maintains them about how durbale they can be, or fuel efficient...like the A&M, the GVT, the LAL, or any number of smaller opeartors. But, your friend worked on them for a bit, so what do we know...

It's also nice that you have some other suggestions for set-ups with locos. I'm sure the NYSW didn't think of that before, and is eagerly awaiting your advice.

Perhaps these units will be scrapped. That's to be determined. There's so much out there explaining what they are doing, and why, it's useless to argue with someone who watched them go by for 15+ years. Obviously, this individual knows better than all of us.

Dave Becker

where in posts did i ever say i work for a railroad currently?,you seem to be putting words in my mouth again,maybe you need to re read my posts?

your a school teacher whos done some minor electrical on a few alcos thats great too man congrats. but your not a mechanic nor an industrial electrician and neither am i or you'd be working on these locomotives so your opinion is just as equal to mine so drop the know it all attitude,its getting you know where.

maybe you should stop by at this line's human resources dept. from how you explain things this line is also eagerly awaiting your advice.

i get my knowledge from a mechanic i know,you get yours from.....who knows,opinions are like as*holes and everyones got them.

I'm glad you have talked to someone that used to undermaintain these units.

While your grammar and spelling demonstrate that you know very little, so does your reading ability. I purposely said:

I'm excited that you live in New Brunswick, and currently work for a railroad. Or do you? Or do you just know someone who told you something?

I know you don't work for a railroad. That was my point.

And true...I haven't done much of anything on a railroad in regards to locomotive maintenance.

However, I speak often to Kevin McGarvey, the CMO for the LAL family, who does the maintenance for the whole system, and my knowledge comes through him. I am employed by the WNYP.

Ask anyone around who he is. Let me know what you find out. He spent a bit of time looking over these units before. That's sarcasm, Murray, since I know you wouldn't see it.

I don't post something without knowing enough to say it. And I know a bit more than someone sitting by the rails foaming in New Brunswick, which is an enitrely different country from where these units reside NOW.

Dave Becker

I THINK HES SAYING DONT PUT COMPUTERS IN ANTIQUES