Ex-Canadien National SW-1200's, and a question..............

[Engineer James]

These 2 SW1200 were run by RailAmerica in March on this Year. However They do not look like any SW1200 I have ever seen...

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=137419

Can some one clarify why they have the stacks the way they do? I can tell they were probaly ex-CN equipment too....

[Aji-tater]

Canadian National had those stacks, I can't recall if they were spark arrestors or silencers. I believe CP had some also which would suggest some sort of Canadian regulations.

[metman499]

I am not sure of regulations but those are SW-1200RSs which were produced for the Canadian market. Might be more in the Classic Diesel Spotters Guide but mine is 150 miles away right now.

[trainiac]

Those are SW1200RS units--equipped with Flexicoil trucks and large numberboard assemblies for road service, and retro-fitted with spark arrestors.

[Engineer James]

Ahh, I knew they had to be Canadian... But for Road service? Are CN/CP that hurt for Road power they upgraded their SW1200?

[Aji-tater]

No - they were built that way to allow them to be used either in the yards, or on runs where higher speeds were needed, such as some of the branch lines.

[Engineer James]

But, use of a SW1200, on a local brach job instead of a Geep? That sounds kinda reduntant, don't ya think? I would use a Geep over an SW anyday for branch service....

[EDM5970]

How many cylinders do you want to feed? A 12 cylinder NW or SW will pull just as much as a Geep, assuming that the units have equal weight. The acceleration won't be quite the same with the switcher, but for branch line service, like the SW-1200RS units were built for, acceleration doesn't matter. When you get to thinking about it, the SW-1200RS units were a pretty good mixture of road unit and switcher.

I know one shortline operator who is very happy with his SW-8s. Only eight cylinders to use fuel, and on his 20 MPH operations they are fast enough. With the same weight as a Geep, they pull every bit as well.

[SOU2645]

RF&P used SW1200's 81-83 and SW1500 91 in road service all the time. I'll never forget seeing the TOFC hotshot "orange blossom special" roaring by the Richmond VA Amtrak station with a GP35-GP40-Sw1200-GP40 lashup....
Larry

[GOLDEN-ARM]

But, use of a SW1200, on a local brach job instead of a Geep? That sounds kinda reduntant, don't ya think? I would use a Geep over an SW anyday for branch service....

Be sure to purchase only Geeps, when you buy your railroad. When you find yourself in an especially tight track, and your Geep goes on the ground, and when you have to pay your fuel bill, and when you have to do some serious switching, along the way, remember, you think SW's are "redundant", whatever the hell, that's supposed to mean. Wonder why the LVRR used them, from the mines in Pennsylvania, around the Hazelton area, all the way down, to Allentown yard. Stupid of them, running coal trains with them, when they could have easily tied up some Geeps.......
(maybe it's time, to leave the railroading, to railroaders, and post these speculations, in the TAMR section........... )

[Clyde]

Those switchers have been rebuilded at the CN Montreal Shops in the '80s. Since I was working there at this time I can remember about few things. The reason for high rise exhaust is simply to avoid oil spitting in the windows from the exhaust I guess. I remember that we also converted air brake system from 6SL to 26L, working with HF brake shoes instead of cast iron. The main air reservoirs are also equiped with Salem type electric blowdown valves. They are now also equiped with AAR type control stand I guess.

Claude

[Engineer James]

OK, I could see where they would make sence for branch line service.... and that TOFC lashup must have been awesome to see...

Did Amtrak own any Sw1200 used for road service besides the MOW switchers?

[clutch]

Southern Pacific ordered lots of switcher units for road service. Alco and EMD units for sure.

[EDM5970]

All of Amtrak's regular road service is passenger trains. Why would they use switchers to handle passenger trains in road service? And MoW really doesn't qualify as road service.

Some of you F1Cs come up with some really crazy ideas-

Hey, how about those NC&StL GP-7s on switcher trucks? You got an explaination for those?

[PRRGuy]

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=560194

The BP Refinary uses about 3 of these units..