After 28 years parked and cold the first diesel switcher the CPR brought to Toronto comes back to life a week before the 70th anniversary of its arrival. Located at the Toronto Railway Museum in Roundhouse Park. www.trha.ca
I can’t believe you got her to start again after being idle for so many years. I was born in Toronto in 1968, I’ve lived in the city my entire life, and I remember seeing that train when it was in service still, and then I remember seeing it just sitting there, rusting outside for years and years. I just thought it was a piece of junk, I had no idea it could ever be brought back to life, you guys are amazing mechanics! For those of you who remember, the area around the round house has changed a lot over the past 30 years hasn’t it? I still remember as a little kid driving along the gardener in the school bus on day trips, having to hold our breath as we passed by the Cherry Street smelting plant, remember that stench? And then as we went along on the right you’d see the railyard, it was absolutely massive, at least it seemed like it when I was 10 years old, I still remember the very first go train that went through there, I just look at it now, it doesn’t even look like the city that I grew up in. My Toronto is long gone, buried under a mountain of sky high Glass and steel skyscrapers, you can’t even see the Royal York anymore, but you can still see the round house, not to mention the steam whistle brewery, always have to make a stop there first before going to the train museum! But I wish I was alive before that, when steam trains ruled the rails, what I wouldn’t give to have seen the round house filled with steam trains. I haven’t been to union station for a long time, but the roof used to still bare the marks of the steam era, as black soot coated the ceiling. Now it’s become all glass, I know change is inevitable, but that entire area changed way too much too fast, and took away something that was, at least for me, so precious about the character of our city, now we’re just another generic forest of skyscrapers, with zero aesthetic appeal, and the round house is now nothing but a big tourist trap, how I long for the days before all the change begin to happen, the days when the CN Tower stood alone, when there was nothing else around it except train tracks. That’s the Toronto that I remember and love.
That's one thing I love about these old Locomotives! Sometimes it takes some coaxing, many times alot of coaxing and they always come back to life. Tilcon Wallingord had a GE 44 Tonner with 1948 CAT twin prime movers. When she was overhauled, some parts had to be made and the hunt was on for new cylinder heads. 6 months later and no more smoke, starts right up and purrs. Growing up 200' from the New Haven in the 60's, I saw every make and model at their best and worst. Rarely did I see a Locomotive dead in tow.
There's something mesmerizing about the sound these old Alco's make... Gotta love the S1's, 2's, 3's and 4's... Late first gen diesels that help start a revolution.Thanks for the video...
yes that is the sound. Makes me wish I was still able to work on them. They were great four stroke engines. They would actually run on one cylinder, if well maintained. Of course, I loved the EMDs, too. Baldwin not so much. Too hard to install rod bearings on those things. Alcos were of course tuff to install rod bearings in. I installed 96 traction motor brushes on a cow and a calf, in one day. They had the hold downs that you had to hold to install them, tight squeeze for a big guy up in there. You know what they say, if you actually did it, it ain't bragging, just facts.
Yes it's all about the ALCO sound and night light show. As I can remember way back in the 1960's hear in NYC on the LIRR across the street from my parents house. At night used to run outside to see the light show as many a Alco's would show off as they moved freight in and out of the yard up a slight grade. It got so that I would know which loco was on the leed just by the sound of the exhaust. And on a hard pull of a stone or coal drag not only did I see sparks but flames and wheel slip sparks. Wow thank you guys for the memories.
Friend of mine was trying to start an engine with ether and he didn't notice that he got too close to the alternator terminal. He was resting the can on the block and leaned the can over to spray into the intake and accidentally hit the hot terminal. It melted a hole in the can and sprayed all over the place. It was a wonder it didn't catch on fire or explode. It's nice to hear old iron come to life.
Its amazing how this old stuff always pick up again. No matter how hard the start is and how long ago the last run. I remember a video of some guys in Germany who found an old Panther tank from the second world war. They only put new oil in it and after a long start the engine came alive for the first time since the second world war 65 or more years earlier. You can see this also with a lot of old diesel locomotives like this one. Sometimes i have the impression that in the old days they made it to last forever.
+jpsholland They did make it to last forever, or for at least 40 years in the case of railway rolling stock. It was often FAR more reliable and generally nicer than today's plastic rubbish.
It's alive !!!! Tried and true Alco 539's. My local road was the proud old Boston & Maine and my local yard was Castle Hill in Salem, Mass. growing up in the 1960s and into late 60s and the 70s when I got around more we would go to Big B&M yard in Somerville, MA. and also Lawrence, MA at the Andover St. yard and there would always be some tired looking very weathered B&M S1, S2, S3 or S4 Switchers idling around in the B&M Switcher Black and Red stripes, Maroon and Gold Minuteman or Plain "Blue Dip" paint schemes, they were always a favorite as they burbled along ! There used to be 45 S-Type switchers on the B&M now I believe this is just one S3 left #1186 used on a summer tourist road way upstate in Lincoln, NH. Thanks for this video ! : )
FSXNOOB - GAMES & MORE ......wouldn’t even make it that long as it would be scrapped more than likely. Sad that most things are considered disposable these days
That's why I like older vehicle's in general. They were built to last. They could take a beating. Not like the newer junk that's built to go kabang when the dealer wants a vacation.
i still remember when CP Air was around...orange early-model 737s with the Pac-Man logo on the tails. :) Love that diesel engine noise, though....*clunketaclunketaclunketarattlerattlerattlerattlerattlerattle*
Boy I have seen that done a lot of times, There used to be three rail to river coal plants here,and every cold morning it was a job to get those old S2's started, but they ran like a top and pulled like hell!!
@Satunnainen Katselija No, no I wouldn't at all...then again, I don't own a camera. I don't need to be as close as the camera guy, anymore either--not as interested these days. 😅
@RODALCO2007 The cylinder bore is 12.5 inches (~318mm) and the stroke is 13 inches (~330mm). These actually rev up to about 740 rpm maximum. Slower than a truck engine but yeah when you consider the size of the components (piston, con rods, etc...) this thing is going fast.
@@BenjaminEsposti That's why they have lasted, they were built in the days when you didn't need 5,000+ revs in order to get the load moving.There is more to go wrong on a modern one - and of course that suits the makers as you will rush to buy the latest model, it's all down to "Corporate Image". If you just restyled the body the public wouldn't be any the wiser as to what's underneath it - and 9 out of 10 wouldn't care just as long as they arrived on time. I know it's a switcher/shunter as opposed to a 'mainline' engine but the same could be done to all of them with exactly the same results.
Fat Retarded Conservative Fox Viewer ALCOs deserve more credit. They helped usher in 4 stroke engines which gave us GE. The fact that this thing can still run on only a couple cylinders after many years of sitting proves that it’s not some pile of shit.
Mel Colp Well really why would it not start ??? The engine itself has no sense of the time that it has been idle - it is 'hermetically sealed' from the outside world and is well protected against rust and oxidisation by lubricants, In reality - to take nothing away from the guys who started it - there is little difference between starting an engine after 28 days 28 weeks or 28 years. Hope I do not offend you or anyone else -- but those are the facts.
E pensar que aqui no Brasil tivemos "circa" 50 locomotivas modelo RS-1 com a mesma configuração de motor (engine). Eu não pude conhecê-la, mas eu noto no vídeo o quanto o conjunto motor (engine) 539T encanta pelo barulho que ele produz; um barulho diferente, até fora de "sinfonia", mas muito bonito de se ouvir (very beaultiful to listen)!!!
@Joe Madej well Joe I watched the Cat Engine Video & I thought it would be a 4 Stroke but they made it a 2 Stroke. ! & Stated that they had to. Like all the others. But you may sure know something I don't...! Not claiming any. But the GM are for sure. & Look just like the 238 & 318 & 460 Ect. Ect. Witch I Drove for 31 yrs. They were all GM or Detroit. 2 Strokes & then in 1988 Because of the EPA they stopped building & we got first 60 series 4 stroke DETROIT or they were really John Deere Tractor Engines. EPA EMISSIONS Restrictions. ! I tell ya Something else. If ya don't have any Either you can use a Rag & wet it Gas & lay it over the intake. Works just the Same. But they WILL GET ADDICTED to it !!!
i know Im asking randomly but does anybody know of a method to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost the password. I love any assistance you can give me
@Jimmy Bryant i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
that Alco sounds like it is running GREAT. I work around several tug boats that sound similar. I am sort of curious what sort of engine they run on now.
At the 1:40 time mark, is that man spraying Starting Ether in the intake? If so, that is really potent stuff. I was told to use that to start a Case 570 backhoe years ago in cold weather. I was new to the job, but did was to told to do. When that engine started, it went crazy as if a runaway engine with sparks flying and went crazy for a few seconds. Later when I asked a local farm mechanic, he said not to use too much as it might destroy the engine. The job was my first introduction to heavy equipment. I quickly learned that the water district and the equipment they used, were old, antiques, and in major need of repair or replacement. I hated that job which only paid $4.00 an hour since it was classified as Farm work.
Only way to get one to start on a really cold day. ;-) That and cut out 3 cylinders and cross your fingers. Fun to watch the smoke come out of the exhaust, fall on the hood, fall on the running board, and then fall on the ground.
All through Diesel school, Never use starter fluid. never use starter fluid. never ever use starter fluid. First day working in a shop. First thing we used. Starter fluid. :D I still laugh,.
