Who is the genius that determined to install an electronic bell on that Loco? I couldn't take it watching/listening to this video. If you couldn't find a standard Loco bell, I think everyone could have settled for a farm bell. At least that sounds real!
That was a great video! I remember riding behind EMD E and F units when I was a kid! You know all the car manufacturers make retro looking sport cars. It would sure be great if they brought out a modern passenger locomotive with that great E body, but have modern motive power and dynamic brakes underneath. Those E and F units were some of the nicest looking locomotives ever built!
The old EMD E and F series locos were BEAUTIFUL! I remember watching them go by when I was a kid back in the 60's. They are still my favorite locos... except for the Big Boys of course!
porcheesie that is the worst sounding train Bell have ever heard no wonder it sounds so terrible I wish they'd get rid of that crappy belt and put on an original EMD pneumatic bell
I grew up in a small town in Florida in the 50's and 60's and loved watching the F units coming through town with freights and Passenger trains. However, as much as I love trains, this was like being on a train pulled by a herd of turtles.
I used to hostle those E8's at CNW's M19-A Diesel Ramp back in the 1970s-early 1980's. The E8 in this video was re-fitted with modern throttle control and 26L air brake.
I find classic locos fascinating. The cab view is great. But, while I know it isn't going to go at the speed of light, nor even break the sound barrier, it would have to get boring in rather short time when it fails to even approach the speed of smell. Imagine doing that all day, always moving so slowly that you never get past the smell of the engines exhaust. It is truly a shame that that beauty can't be out where it can run like it was designed for. And that bell...
They used to sound so good before the mufflers they now have . I remember as a a kid around 11 pm to Midnight listening to 2 interstate train, changing diesels in Albury, Australia. No bells here but lots of noise.
Thank you for the video train travel, we are in a big rail road country, and this video has only shown a small portion of what a giant of the rail system we know little about. Thank you for the great RIDE.
I love to watch these runs from the drivers point of view and you also got it inside the lead unit during the actual operation. I'd love to see more videos like this. Thanks.
Shipwright1918 That bell does sound ridiculous! I do like the electronic bells better because the piston cartridge wears out on the traditional ones, but most electronic versions sound more like the real thing.
I'm a retired engineer and I really lose it when I see someone putting a new control stand in these older engines. No 24 airbrake and controller? I hate that, it just takes the fun out of it.
I think you and I are the only ones even questioning that! I agree. But knowing that it served with Amtrak, I'm sure the "upgrade" was mandated. They had a lot of them.
There's a handful of mildly interesting things I can throw out here, given that I've lived very near this area my whole life: - also in Bensenville is a 1922 Chicago Gravel Co. steam engine, along with a 1947 Milwaukee Road sleeper car, and the Milwaukee Road's last steel caboose, sitting in a park not all that far from this line - the first bridge you cross at Irving Park Rd. is probably the newest (or at least one of the newest) on the route, as it's only been open a couple years; its construction was a component of the O'Hare expansion, and went well over budget and years beyond schedule - during the O'Hare Expansion, the City of Chicago attempted to buy the Bensenville Yard, and rather quickly found out that the CP has deeper pockets and is actually more stubborn than the city all in all it's really cool to see this line I've been around my whole life from this perspective, appreciate the work as always
Ow I forgot to mention. In Holland (The Netherlands) we don't have " Quiet " zones. Usually in Holland the engineer doesn't use the horn at all (except when the train driver / engineer feels like it, but not excessively.) and we don't have any bells on any train. The horn only gets used if the situation calls for it, like an accident or for railroadworkers or if the weather is really bad (fog).
This is an interesting video. Thank you for your work in making and uploading it. It would have been nice if you included a shot of what the train looked like from the outside, and also if you could have let us hear the sound of the diesel engines for a moment at some point.
Was wondering why they stopped so far back from the turnout? Seems like there's a waste of time having the trainman walk all that distance to throw that switch.
Since we weren't privileged to hear the cab conversation, loss of the cab video wasn't that bad. What was that annoying sound and why did it go on for so long? Why wasn't the video of the entire journey? Why was the locomotive traveling so slowly?>
I hope these kinds of locomotives will never disappear from the railroads. They are looking so iconic and awesome! But the bell sounds very harsh or unpleasant. I do understand it is all for safety, but the sound doesn't fit the locomotive very well. But awesome footage and awesome channel ! I'm not from the USA, but this is very cool !
This video is almost unwatchable from that damn bell never shutting off. Had to mute the thing half way through from my ears bleeding from it. Also, the railroad over pass at the middle of Bensenville yard is the UP Milwaukee Sub, the Geneva Sub is a few mile south.
Was this move done with only one prime mover running? Confused on why only one ammeter was moving. At the 21:50 mark the meter was all over the place at run 8, spinning, or weird transition movement?
when the train passes that long freight imagine your at a crossing in a rush and then that same length of cargo slowly passing you barely moving 4 miles and hour THAT WOULD SUCK
It's probably required practice to do so at grade crossings, rather than rely on the judgement of the engineer if someone is close enough to warrant the warning. It should just be done, regardless.
The Milwaukee Road and Alaska Railroad used them because mechanical bells froze in the frigid temperatures. Also you are required to have a bell, this engine's mechanical bell was stolen.
noisy job! imagine having a really bad heavy full on headache while driving this train. Ring ring, hoot hoot, honk honk in your ears all day. that would be a torture machine for me to someone who lives a in a very peaceful area with no cars or trains for miles but still a nice looking classic loco.
Everyone complains about the "bell" as if it is up to the production crew. This is "real time video". If you are such real rail fans you should study up on DOT safety requirements for train operations. Quit being such whiners! I only wish we had been given an exterior shot of the train consist. These were the looking locomotives ever built. But you can easily see the problems of being the engineer.
great video. Would liked to have seen a few more notches on the throttle. As as noted, invest in a real bell. This politically correct bell has no place on a restored classic locomotive. But it is nice to see one of my favorite EMD products, an E9, rolling down the tracks under its own power. Thanks
