The Alco-GE Steam Turbo-Electric of 1938 on the NYC after bein returned to GE in 1939 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9mo9Ald6EI
A very interesting bit of film deserving of restoration!
Thanks!
Watch the firing smoke – note the brief black smoke as the locomotive accelerates. This is a Steamotive plant, buiilt with the advantage of a few years’ improvement, not all of which I suspect was actual improvement. That white stuff is unlikely to be steam; the Steamotive plants worked at 1200-1500psi, necessarily with distilled water, and this was condensed in the rear of the locomotive where the very large “radiators” are located. I suspect you can further gauge the weather by the fact that the thermostatic shutters on both units are firmly closed…
I do see evidence of train steam heat on the lead unit in one of the departing shots. I don’t remember what the arrangements for train-heating steam on these locomotives was, but I’d expect an OK-style steam generator using the same oil as the Steamotive system – I don’t think train heat was generated as part of the condensation system.
Maybe something similar to what a GG1 had?
I remember watching a video of a GG1 being prepped for a run and a few frames showed a “fuel oil” tank being filled. I had to think about that, “What’s an electric locomotive need fuel oil for?” Then I remembered the need for steam for train heating.
If I remember correctly the passenger GG1s had (single) OK4620s.
I think it’s telling that these were installed when PRR had every reason to adapt 11kV power to produce train heating. The OK series was enormously better than, say, the little tubular boilers used on the DD1s ‘as built’ – just enough to keep the train warm between Penn and Manhattan Transfer.
The references used for Wikipedia on the UP turbines note that the locomotives did not use steam heat – only an early version of HEP (probably off the 220V auxiliary generation, but I don’t have the reference source). An interesting detail they add was that dynamic-braking heat was recovered into the Steamotive Rankine cycle, an interesting approach to regenerative braking. I have no real idea what the visible steam in the clip would have been coming from.
UPDATE: Douglas Self’s page on these locomotives has an elevation and plan diagram of the equipment and item 31 is a ‘Train Heating Evaporator’ (which appears to be a cylindrical pressure vessel with a heating coil low inside). As I cannot find item 12, the ‘braking resistances’ (which ought to be under the visible pair of cooling fans visible on top, if not ‘regenerated’ in full), the plot only thickens. Note the ‘raw water’ tanks in the nose, which would have been relatively useless for high-pressure steam generation – but would have been nifty to spray over the condensers at those ‘difficult’ times.
[quote user=“BEAUSABRE”]
The Alco-GE Steam Turbo-Electric of 1938 on the NYC after being returned to GE in 1939 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9mo9Ald6EI
GE steam turbine locomotives - Wikipedia
[quote user="BEAUSABRE"]
Firstly, Thanks for posting that You Tube Video ! [:D]
There are, or seem to be, very few actual photos of [GE’s+NYC’s Testing of] UPRR #1 and#2; post 1939 ! Most, previously, have been artistic representations, of those units in operation; very few photos or their consists seem to make it into print…[bow]
+For Me, 'The jewel ’ In that video was the short, acion, video, of the NYC&HR RR’s #999, doubling with the NYC ‘heavy’ !
Built in (W) Albany, NY Shops in 1893; she was an era, typical 4-4-0 American. Built for fast passenger service out of NYC to the North and Western NY. She origionally had 100" drivers, as delivered. Was reportedly the Fastest Engine [spd was checked with watches by reporters]. with her 100" drivers, as built, was apparently capable of speeds in the 100mph to 112 mph range. Her service was on the NYC’s ‘Empire State Express’.
In early testing, she exceeded 100mph; surpassed only by the U.K.s [BR] steamer ’ City of Turo’, also a 4-4-0, built @ Swindon, in 1905.
In 1948/49 #999 was sited at the Chicago Railroad Fair; through her working life she was rebuilt on several occasions, with drivers suitibly downsized to smaller diameters as her railroad role was seduced in importance. After being retired by NYC she
My memory may be no less clear (and correct me, if so) but I think some things are different:
In my opinion, she was anything but typical, built with an experimental firebox and lightweight running gear optimized for ‘uneconomically’ high speed.
86".
There has been some discussion that the actual timed speeds were in the 80mph range, still highly credible for the early 1890s. Of the engines that should be replicated ‘as built’ for record-run testing, 999 ranks even higher than the Milwaukee A…
The proper name is ‘City of Truro’, and the person timing her was in my opinion a reputable source (Rous-Marten).
To 70". She was made rapidly obsolete first by Atlantics and then six-coupled power as trains grew more luxurious and steel-framed equipment came into use; the story I remember was that she wound up working a milk train in upstate New York – Watertown?
We should be so lucky. She w