I recall receiving a Turbo tie clip from a gentleman who was employed by United Aircraft. He was departing Denver for the U S east coast after having tested the train in Pueblo, Colorado. Later, someone at TWA, for whom I then worked, stole the clip from my uniform.
These trains ran in the US near my house. On one trip, some idiot dropped a big rock off a bridge onto the turbo. It smashed through the windshield of the rear power unit, killing a passenger. Regrettable.
One of the interesting things that my father explained to me about the gas turbine turbo engine was the air intake on top which was very innovative... water - either from snow or rain had to be removed before mixing with the fuel. The air intake spun the air as it came in, and through centripital force it was sprayed to the outside of the air intake cone where it was drained away from the dried air. The braking system was innovative too - dynamic.
I'll have th check out he book. Alan Cripe, and my father, Tom Wheaton, designed the turbo train back then while they were at United Aircraft. My father went on to design the Atlanta MARTA system. I later worked for Alan in Philly when he designed the "RoadRailer" at Bi-Modal Corp.
As a kid, my father brought home small models of the Turbo Train that they used in demos to CN. In spent the summer in Montreal during the Worlds Fair while my father worked with CN in 1967.
Such a beautiful "space age" design from the 1960's, too - damn, they looked (and look!) futuristic - especially in their original livery of silver and black with the red-orange nose "cone"!
My folks both worked for VIA, so as a kid I could travel in coach free...which I did alot. Always used to take the Turbo to visit the Grandparents in Hamilton over the summers. What a train it was...I would grab a pop and hike on up to the club area above the engine, and stay there the whole trip (standing usually, or rarely I could grab a seat). Remarkably quiet inside considering what you were sitting on top of, very similar to being inside a jet today...it was cool, so glad I got to do it!
I saw one trainset in storage under Central Station in Montreal a long time ago, and I heard that there was to be 2 power units and a car saved and donated to the railway museum in Delson, but I don't think that ever happened. Too bad!
I rode this train a bunch of times in the late 70's early 80's. It was awesome, like an airliner inside, not at all like a train. Sat up in the loco behind a glass partition you could watch the engineers driving the train and see the track ahead. Even the engineers wore airline style uniforms.
no shit, really, thats cool, my dad used to work for Via rail and he also rode on the turbo , he never mentioned about the engineers wearing airline style uniforms. What happened to the airline style uniforms the engineers used to wear. Probably in some museum in ottawa or montreal?
Do you have more real footage of the Turbo? I also recall that the Turbo had some sort of an analog tilting mechanism. Difference with the LRC is that it has powered tilt, though I hear that it has problems as well.
I remember booking a trip from the Maritimes to Toronto. We stayed over in Montreal for several hours just to ride the Turbo. An absoloute thrill for a young boy as I was at the time. By the way, the clip at the end looks like the Turbo train visiting Thomas the Tank Engine set.
Great book! Been reading it recently, you must've done a lot of work to get all those great colour pictures! I might buy more of your products once I can afford model railroad hehe.
I can't understand why they didn't try to prefect the technology
carpetime 2 months ago
the first thing i noticed of the train on this vid,it that it's a noisy one
TheStefan188 8 months ago
I recall receiving a Turbo tie clip from a gentleman who was employed by United Aircraft. He was departing Denver for the U S east coast after having tested the train in Pueblo, Colorado. Later, someone at TWA, for whom I then worked, stole the clip from my uniform.
jslasher1 11 months ago
the last train is a toy !!
tarzan694 1 year ago
These trains ran in the US near my house. On one trip, some idiot dropped a big rock off a bridge onto the turbo. It smashed through the windshield of the rear power unit, killing a passenger. Regrettable.
ccolimon 1 year ago
@ccolimon did he get the chair ?
NaziJuice 4 months ago
One of the interesting things that my father explained to me about the gas turbine turbo engine was the air intake on top which was very innovative... water - either from snow or rain had to be removed before mixing with the fuel. The air intake spun the air as it came in, and through centripital force it was sprayed to the outside of the air intake cone where it was drained away from the dried air. The braking system was innovative too - dynamic.
tabhorian 1 year ago
I'll have th check out he book. Alan Cripe, and my father, Tom Wheaton, designed the turbo train back then while they were at United Aircraft. My father went on to design the Atlanta MARTA system. I later worked for Alan in Philly when he designed the "RoadRailer" at Bi-Modal Corp.
As a kid, my father brought home small models of the Turbo Train that they used in demos to CN. In spent the summer in Montreal during the Worlds Fair while my father worked with CN in 1967.
tabhorian 1 year ago
Why is it that the Turbo trains have a square headlight arrangment, but only use three lights? Yes, I know the one on the lower left is a MARS light.
BNSFandSP 1 year ago
i never liked the looks of the turbo train sorry =[ how fast does it go?
TheDylanJoyce 1 year ago
Such a beautiful "space age" design from the 1960's, too - damn, they looked (and look!) futuristic - especially in their original livery of silver and black with the red-orange nose "cone"!
Autostade67 2 years ago
My folks both worked for VIA, so as a kid I could travel in coach free...which I did alot. Always used to take the Turbo to visit the Grandparents in Hamilton over the summers. What a train it was...I would grab a pop and hike on up to the club area above the engine, and stay there the whole trip (standing usually, or rarely I could grab a seat). Remarkably quiet inside considering what you were sitting on top of, very similar to being inside a jet today...it was cool, so glad I got to do it!
StratCatGenius 2 years ago 2
my dad used to work for VIA and as a kid I rode in 1st class for free on the canadian . What happened to those Turbo equipment today.
Ringorangers506 2 years ago
I saw one trainset in storage under Central Station in Montreal a long time ago, and I heard that there was to be 2 power units and a car saved and donated to the railway museum in Delson, but I don't think that ever happened. Too bad!
StratCatGenius 2 years ago
I rode this train a bunch of times in the late 70's early 80's. It was awesome, like an airliner inside, not at all like a train. Sat up in the loco behind a glass partition you could watch the engineers driving the train and see the track ahead. Even the engineers wore airline style uniforms.
BeBeBeelzebub 2 years ago 3
Sir, i evny you, and the rest of the lucky basterds who got to ride that train lol
i wuznt even born yet grrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol
theGUYwho1 2 years ago 5
no shit, really, thats cool, my dad used to work for Via rail and he also rode on the turbo , he never mentioned about the engineers wearing airline style uniforms. What happened to the airline style uniforms the engineers used to wear. Probably in some museum in ottawa or montreal?
Ringorangers506 2 years ago
It would be nice to have one in Exporail's Museum layout!
BulletNoseBettie 3 years ago
I agree--especially since there is NO way we'll ever see one in "12 inch to the foot gauge" (they were all scrapped). BTW, nice You Tube name!
BulletNoseBetty 2 years ago
BTW I love your book, I went to your reading of it in Ottawa and you signed it. I must've been the youngest man there!
priestpilot 3 years ago
Do you have more real footage of the Turbo? I also recall that the Turbo had some sort of an analog tilting mechanism. Difference with the LRC is that it has powered tilt, though I hear that it has problems as well.
priestpilot 3 years ago
Weird horn.
modeltrainsarecool 3 years ago
I remember booking a trip from the Maritimes to Toronto. We stayed over in Montreal for several hours just to ride the Turbo. An absoloute thrill for a young boy as I was at the time. By the way, the clip at the end looks like the Turbo train visiting Thomas the Tank Engine set.
max86max 3 years ago
the horn is interesting on the model
shadowknight227 3 years ago
too bad they removed them because they too much problem
Trainfoamer101 3 years ago
Actually the reasons for retiring the Turbos were complex and largely political. The whole story is told in our book, TurboTrain: A Journey.
rapidotrains 3 years ago
Great book! Been reading it recently, you must've done a lot of work to get all those great colour pictures! I might buy more of your products once I can afford model railroad hehe.
priestpilot 2 years ago
@rapidotrains
I bought that book in Ottawa and you signed it, I love it! Thank you!
priestpilot 1 year ago
@rapidotrains
I bought that book in Ottawa and you signed it, I love it! Thank you!
priestpilot 1 year ago
@rapidotrains Thanks. I'll have to check that book out.
cochranexyz 1 year ago
@rapidotrains Does it have anything to do with foolish Liberals ?
NaziJuice 4 months ago
COOL! I remember seeing the Amtrak version out of South Station in Boston back in the 1970's. I never got to ride it. Life IN America.
Modeltrainguy 3 years ago
Very neat!
pennsyr1 3 years ago