Rogue FM unit 1503

On Steve Lynch's website there is a 1963 Roster.

It lists loco number 1503 as LIRR class FGP-15sc at 1500 horsepower and calls it an FM ALT 200.2A built in 1949. It's numbered amidst the FM H16-44 units, but has less horsepower (1600 vs 1500) and more tractive effort (42,200 vs 36,600). Yet it has the same weight.

A side note indicates it was converted to 1600 HP and reclassed FGP-16sc.

What was this unit? A demo that the LIRR bought?

Yes . . it was a demo.

Dave

According to John Scala's "Diesels of the Sunrise Trail" the unit was built in February, 1949, earlier than all the other units purchased by the LIRR.

With 1500 H.P. and previously classed FS-15a, it was upgraded to 1600 H.P. by the LIRR and reclassed FGP-16sc.

If you can borrow a copy of Scala's book, there's a great color shot of #1503 in her original FM demonstrator livery on page 14.

Dave

P.S. If you're interested in obtaining a hard-copy 8x10 BUILDER'S photo of the #1503 in original FM color scheme and numbering, contact me off-forum at: [email protected]

Oh heck, so I'm an idiot.

I HAVE Scala's book. Heck, it's even autographed! I've still got some stuff at my old house.. will have to go get it. (BTW.. wish Scala would get his promised revised edition out)

Suffering from CRS.

Somewhere I had the idea that the Long Island had some Lima Hamiltons. I remember seeing some unusual units in late 1963 during my high school days, but guess they must have been the H16-44s.

Pat:

We dinosaurs ALL suffer from CRS!

Here's a LIRR Baldwin unit: VO-660 #403 at Hunterspoint Ave.



And here: DS4-4-1000 #450 at O.B.



Dave

That 1963 date is about the time the LIRR sold off the few Baldwin Lima Hamilton switchers. We never ran straight Lima units.
Up until the MTA years when leased BAR Geep 9's were run on the Island, I can only think of two Reading RS3's that spent time on our rails. Can anyone think of overs?

Richard_Glueck wrote:That 1963 date is about the time the LIRR sold off the few Baldwin Lima Hamilton switchers. We never ran straight Lima units.
Up until the MTA years when leased BAR Geep 9's were run on the Island, I can only think of two Reading RS3's that spent time on our rails. Can anyone think of overs?

You mean locomotives from other railroads, demonstrators, or both? I believe that the LIRR ran a few Pennsy cab units (Sharks or PAs, maybe both) and I think I recall hearing mention of them testing an E60 as the Harold Protect engine back in the 80's. There was also a time in the late 70's and/or early 80's that DH boxcars were used in place of baggage cars.

That 1963 date is about the time the LIRR sold off the few Baldwin Lima Hamilton switchers. We never ran straight Lima units.

Ah ha! Maybe I'm not losing my marbles (OK, maybe a few).

I'm not referring to the H16-44 or the DS4-4-1000 or the VO-1000. I seem to recall units that looked like an RS-1 only Lima-Hamilton variants.

The rosters posted on the web are from 1949 and 1963, but nothing in between.

Pat:

The DS-4 and VO Baldwin units were the only Baldwin diesels on the LIRR roster.

There was one other Baldwin demonstrator, a DRS4-4-1500 built for the LV as their #200 and used on the LIRR between November 20-27, 1948 as a demonstrator while in LV livery.

And, as Dick says, the Reading RS3 units ran here as well as a D&H RS3. They were the only RS3s run on LI and not on the roster. While the RDG units (#'s 466, 469, 470) were in use quite a bit during 1968, the D&H #4036 was here for only about 3 weeks in early 1963, when it suffered a cab fire in Speonk and was returned (data courtesy of Scala's book. I ain't THAT smart!!!).

No other Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton units . . . .Unless you want to talk about H10's!!!!

Dave

Oh well... Here's the rub. I've got two beautiful brass HO Baldwin AS-16 models. I bought them when I misremembered the LIRR roster. Long Island's Alco S-1 diesels were LIRR class AS-6 and I somehow crossed that up in my head with the H16-44 units.

I would love to use them... hmm... perhaps as visiting power?

Damn...

Oh well... Here's the rub. I've got two beautiful brass HO Baldwin AS-16 models. I bought them when I misremembered the LIRR roster. Long Island's Alco S-1 diesels were LIRR class AS-6 and I somehow crossed that up in my head with the H16-44 units.

I would love to use them... hmm... perhaps as visiting power?

Hey, its your model railroad and in your reality, you can run what ever you want. Hey, Nothing like mu'ing a NYC Shark with a LIRR RS3, just like I do.

Darn right, Paul!

Anything goes on a 4x8 piece of plywood.

When I first started modeling at age 14, there was NOTHING with LIRR lettered thereon or of matching equipment to purchase. I ran an old HO-scale Lionel Pacific class around, with a piece of black-painted cardboard glued over "Lionel Lines" on the tender and hand-letterd "Long Island" on the cardboard. Then I took the pony wheels off, because they kept derailing the engine as I went through switches!

The thing looked like a hockey player with no front teeth!

I was a kid . . . .Whatever works!

Dave

Speaking of FM's, Struby-doo tells me that an original FM prime mover from a LIRR H16-44 is currently providing power for a tug boat in the northeast. SOme testament to FM engines!

He told me it was the "Socrates," which would have been #1504.

An amazing feat that the prime mover is still going strong after all these years!!!!

Dave