Can anyone tell me, in which states were UP’s turbines used.
Form pictures I know that they were used in Utah for sure, but which other states had GE turbines running through them?
UP Turbines were based in the locomotive depot in Green River Wyoming. I’ve seen excellent pictures of different types of UP turbines with the very distinctive Bluff Rock in the background. One winter photograph suggests that the turbines would have worked very well in the cold weather - turbines are much more efficient in cold weather.
M636C
…I remember seeing some of them…{up close}, right along side the highway while on an automotive test trip someplace out west but can’t remember just where…I do remember they took my eye as being massive and impressive and different…
Since you saw one of these things, I assume then that you are not the guy on the right on that picture in your profile [:D]
I wish I lived back then!
How did they sound? People say like a jet plane, but is it a high pitched whine like when a plane is on the airport or more of an afterburner-like rumbling sound?
I remember reading somewhere, I think it was Union Pacific: Salt Lake Route, that operating in arid, windy conditions caused a lot of problems with the turbine blades (sand abrasion). Combined with the inability to run them through urban areas, it meant that there were few routes they were suited for. I know I’m probably talking out my**** but how much truth is there to this?
electro-ortcele, there is a free .mpeg of a UP turbine on the MRR website under Resources/photos, audio, video. It will give you an idea of the sound they made at low speed. Sounds like an airplane taxiing—medium/high pitched whine.
…Hi electro-ortcele…Guess I better clear up what’s in the picture in my Bio…On the right is our granddaughter and that’s me relaxing on the bench with communications radio in hand and my green pickup in the background…Now it has been replaced by a blue one…Pic was taken a few years ago…not many though…Location is at our hiking, walking trail which is constructed on the ROW of a CSX rail line…30 plus miles of smooth paved trail…!
On the engines…Don’t remember too much specifics on the sound as we were passing them in our several test automobiles and simply got real close as the tracks were parallel to the highway at that point but I do remember they were large and massive and certainly different…That was nearly 40 years ago…
yea, I knew you were the man on the left of course, i was just joking [:)]
I’ve seen the video, but the sound is mixed with that diesel that is behind it.
I’ve got a new pentrex video comming in a few days (UP’s mighty turbines), so I guess I’ll get lots of great sound recordings of it.
Anyone know which was starting and continuous tractive effort of 10000hp big blow and 4500 veranda?
ok, another question regarding this, anyone know which horn did these UP turbines have on them?
These turbines were pretty much confined to upen country runs, noise being an issue in urban settings. There was a story told that at one time a crew had spotted an idling turbine under a bridge, possibly in Cheyenne, and the exhaust heat liquified the asphalt on the bridge…
ok, but what about the horns, anyone have any idea which horns did UP use on GE units of that time?
I heard that story too. It “blew” a hole in the overpass as big as the exhaust stack, which is quite large. OOps!! They are lucky a small car didn’t come along and drop down into the exhaust stack. That would be one for the newspapers.
I know that the turbines quickly got the respect of the pigeons in Cheyenne that had the habit of nesting under the overpasses. Almost ever5y time a turbine left town you could see the pigeons dropping from the overpass cooked very quickly.
They did get into Omaha on occassion, and were very loud going through the depot.
Paul
Let me add a note. If you can locate a book by Rev. Harold Keekley entitled "Big Blow’ you will have many of your questions answered. A fairly detailed account of all the turbines (with pictures) is given.
Paul
The turbines mainly ran between Council Bluffs and Ogden. They ran a few of the 4500HP units on the LA&SL, including one that used LPG as fuel. There is a video out, UP’s Mighty Turbines, or something like that… Lots of good turbine noise there.
I thought they sounded like the safety valve on a steam loco letting go.
The hole in the bridge and roasted pigeons sound like urban legends to me. First, the exhaust wasn’t THAT hot, the object of the game was to extract as much heat as possible from the fuel to spin the turbine. This is unlike a jet aircraft in which the useful energy comes out the back as thrust. Consider also the large steam locos were running at the same time, blasting the undersides of bridges.
I worked as a trainee engineer for GE, both at Erie when the 8500 hp were built and 3 months as service engineer at Omaha, NP and SLC.
so, do you know which horns were installed on them?
Wyoming for sure. I heard that the big three unit turbines used to melt overpasses!!!