Alco RS-3 and FPA-4 Diesel Locomotive Start-up

[LAFD54]

NICE!

[oldwarrant4]

Yeaaaaah! I worked on these engines when I was a machinist. They were a lot of work but I still like them.

[k421838]

this sound can have a concert of its own!!!

[UCSPanther20]

Reminds me of when my Dad's 1951 Cat D8 is fired up.

I'm guessing the big 12 and 16 cylinder diesels are cranked pneumatically.

[choirboyfromhell1]

@UCSPanther20 No, main generator in reverse polarity from the batteries. Only the late model C-636 used air start. Of course 251's in marine service are air started (can't have batteries in enclosed spaces).

[DeserTBoB93535]

@UCSPanther20 No, direct drive start winding in the generator.

[Fireheart528]

Wonder how people would react if you recorded a sound file from an RS-3 with the 244 engine and then modified your car so the engine sounds like this. Would give them quite a suprise if you had to go to work at 6:00 AM lol.

[TheTrainHistorian]

wish I had the money I would buy a running RS3 and have it in the back yard just to hear it purrrr and chug! Music to my ears!

[MrRailfanning]

Ok, that's just great... impressive machines... do like!

[gonetoworkbbackin5mi]

I love big motors.

[dalton1583]

Sounds rough

[dah72007]

I hear sweet music!

[douro20]

At Baldwin Depot there is an RS-3 with the original 244, and they told us they removed the turbo because they had a lot of problems with those engines as turbocharged.  When accelerated the engine lets out big thumps from the exhaust pipe and lots of clag.

[nyc484]

Nothing like a good old sounding ALCO

[calaverex]

great video

[DeserTBoB93535]

244s aplenty these days, due to the scrapping of several MRS-1s. Looks under MRS-1 on YouTube. They're selling the 244s with generators as a package. Most of these prime movers have less than 300 hours total on them. Of course, even a new 244's going to be iffy at best. They were a lousy design from day 1. Bad cranks, constnatly warping and cracking heads....the 251s were an improvment, but still fragile in service.

[choirboyfromhell1]

@DeserTBoB93535 I've never understood why Alco never went with one-piece liners and heads...would make servicing these beasts a hell of a lot easier. Lapping heads/liners is a p.i.t.a., not to mention time-consuming. Of course GE's slave/master connecting rod system had to get it's bugs worked out as well.....

[douro20]

@DeserTBoB93535

Aren't the newer F-M 251s better?

[DeserTBoB93535]

@douro20 They finally have most of the bugs works out of the 1951 design, but far too late for RR use. No emissions work has been done on the 251 at all. They're illegal for use in new equipment. Some are still used for marine use, and some are used for construction/industrial, as well as power generation, but not many.

[The5150Clown]

@DeserTBoB93535 I read in my grandfathers journal that they were built (244) with bad oil pumps or passages. Some roads that used them found a way around it and put oil feed lines around the engine to supplement the existing pump, But the engines still leaked

[choirboyfromhell1]

Sorry, don't know anything about Mr. Hockaday.

[sha1om]

Wasn't that FPA4 George Hockaday's old engine?

I rode behind that unit on the last trip of the season back in '95 or so on the OMid. I remember Mr Hockaday letting me in to the engine room and the cab after he'd shut it down for the winter. I asked him how come he didn't use it for revenue service on the OMid, and he said they mostly did switching-type moves, which aren't so easy with a cab at only one end.

[njRRtrainer]

Great job what a clean shop and area and great looking units.

[Fireheart528]

nice to see an old Alco survivor out there and running again! keep up the good work, lads!!

[choirboyfromhell1]

@Fireheart528 Thank you. We try to keep these old, increasingly delicate relics alive!

[Polybun]

@choirboyfromhell1 doyle had his fired up today, ran fairly well.

[Polybun]

@choirboyfromhell1 I don't think delicate is the right word. I think you mean tempermental. Half of the problems you have with one of these bastards gets fixed with a dead blow.

[choirboyfromhell1]

@Polybun Well yes, there's nothing delicate about straining on your back to replace a connecting rod cap, but they are worthy of a museum and probably not still be thrashed around in revenue service. They are actually built quite rugged, but parts availability makes us aware of treating them carefully.

[txtmenow]

@choirboyfromhell1 i have 4 alcos that i work on, pieces of junk!

[TVRM610]

That thing did what ALCo's are the best at doing...smoking.

[Hanglands]

What a great catch.. wonderful thumping sound, great video...

[GhostFearMe]

awesome amazing sound alcos for life

[rockguitarist946]

is that ex-IAIS? it sure looks like it if it isn't

[choirboyfromhell1]

@rockguitarist946 IAIS? I don't do alphabets. The unit was originally D&H, it could have come via anybody, but the blue cards (DOT/FRA inspections) are incomplete.

[rockguitarist946]

@choirboyfromhell1 sorry, IAIS= Iowa Interstate Railroad

[yonkersrails]

Cool

[AmfleetII]

Trains mag gave this line good reviews.

[Krellan]

Great ambient noise. Should submit it to the collection that's used by the "Ambience" app for iPhone.

[trainman549]

Man I could listen to an ALCO idle all day. Must be a guy thing

[seagraver]

I just love how they seem to say, "bucket of bolts, bucket of bolts" when they idle! I enjoy working with the RS-3 the most out of our in service engines. I like the FL-9, but it's not too brakeman friendly especially if we have to switch with it! We've got a U-23C that's okay and reliable, but I hear the real beauty will be the Geep.

[seagraver]

That'd do it. I'm with the Railroad Museum of New England. We've got ex-New Haven RS-3 529. We've got a head off right now and plan on pulling the rest for same services. She's got a couple of exhaust leaks herself. We'll be replacing her wheels later this year as well. All of this while refurbishing an ex-Metro North EMD 567 spare to go in our B&M GP-9 1732!

[choirboyfromhell1]

@seagraver Have fun lapping that head...leaks are common in ALCO's. That what it stands for All Liguids Coming Out, or Always Leaks COnstantly..

Actually the RS-3 is one of the more reliable, but has a 6RL brakestand from which I gather is tricky to use, so doesn't get used much. Quite a collector's item.

[seagraver]

Sounds like she still has a little exhaust leak?

[choirboyfromhell1]

@seagraver Might have had a loose exhaust strongback or two.

[chevroletman90]

it sounds awesome! great work keeping the old locomotives running

[choirboyfromhell1]

Liners are a bitch!

[BlackDimond100]

Awesome alco! I live in the cleveland area and hope i can see those sometime!

[DrAlco]

Whouu...thats what I CALLD a real ALCO SOUND.. I love that sound. Great video.. Thanks wery much. I wish we have that sound here in Denmark.

GREAT..

[choirboyfromhell1]

Well you certainly get enough EMD sound up there...

[UP8317]

Fantastic! Long live ALCO's! Proper motive power!

[choirboyfromhell1]

And your Class 50's as well....

[alcoC415]

I am in love

[choirboyfromhell1]

Glad you like them. They are worthy museum pieces that are starting to get delicate and need love and attention. Are the Goodwin's still running in Australia?

[alcoC415]

pure music for an ALCOPHILE

very sexy

[Lasselkv28]

Engine sounds very healthy.

[fergusontea]

What's the idle speed on one of those things. You can pretty much hear each cylinder fire, so they must run pretty slow!

[choirboyfromhell1]

Idle speed around 300-350 RPM. 1000 RPM full load.

[PistolPete2]

Sounds like some mechanic screwed up. She was missing on one or more cylinders.

[choirboyfromhell1]

Water in the fuel. Nobody screwed up.

[EmSTrO7x3]

Train horn sounds at 2:56

[choirboyfromhell1]

We have an ex-CP RS-18 that is the same internally (except gear ratios and no steam generator) and they've all been the most reliable units on the property.

[rleclare]

I spent a few years in the cabs of the FPA 4s on the CN (and later VIA). Everyone loved the sound these beasts made. They pulled as good as they sounded and ran 90 mph plus on the Kingston and Halton Subs. Thanks

[RRYankfan]

thats pure sound unfiltered or silenced straight from the motor!!

[gdobos76]

Very nice sound! I like those old diesels, the new full of electric diesels would never sounds like that!

[choirboyfromhell1]

No they're making our world a little more sterile by using silencers on the newer jobs.

[Grumpy7783]

listen to that thing just purr.

[Fireheart528]

@Grumpy7783 this ol' girl sounds good, a few repairs here and there, and she'll be as good as new. guess thats saying something, as i'm an EMD fan and here i am sayin an Alco RS-3 sounds good--weird.

[butti9249]

Alco RS-3: very good engines!

[up6050]

I thought I seen Will Carney.

[choirboyfromhell1]

You thought right.

[tpvalley]

do these locos both use same type of engine?

[choirboyfromhell1]

No. The FPA-4 uses a 251B and the RS-3 uses the 244. Both are 12-cyl.

[Superedit]

Not exactly Tier-2 compliant, but very impressive!

[BordiniBlues85]

amazing sound!!! great Alcos! First Generation Diesels are not dead!!!!

[trainOholic]

its sound like its gonna blow up sorta

bust still nice video

[choirboyfromhell1]

That's an Alco for you.

[RichardSwayne]

Clag Monster!

[sigmasquadleader]

How's the ventilation in that shop?

Just curious.

[choirboyfromhell1]

Good with the doors open. And there fans as well, and they do the job.

[bgsudude81]

Good. I'm glad to see they didn't scrap her and went ahead with the repairs. She was the line's pride and joy back in the day. Plus she's got a killer horn.

[bgsudude81]

How long had 4099 been out-of-service before these repairs were made? I haven't seen her running in a few years.

[choirboyfromhell1]

At least four years. It's hard to get heads for 244's these days.

[sigmasquadleader]

Are the specs available? Would it be viable to hire a machinist or a CNC shop to custom fabricate them?

[choirboyfromhell1]

We still find them with luck. I believe F-M has the license, and enough are in marine applications for a secondary market to exist.

[choirboyfromhell1]

My Alco can smoke your English Electric.