MMA and Poland--Do you see what I see in this picture?

[Realityrail]

I know that the MMA is rebuilding locomotive engines for use in Poland, so I went looking for pictures of these units. Here is one that I found.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=189940


Nother special or odd, but look close at the units on the track to the far left. That third unit looks like a small switch engine.....but is that or is that not an MMA logo on the front of the unit?????


Can anyone explain this one?

[shadyjay]

Actually that would be on the far right.

Are those the ex-CDAC/Amtrak F40s, with rebuilt noses?

The picture caption says Poland, what would a MMA switcher be doing there? That sure does look like the MMA logo.

Is this "Rail Polska" owned by Railworld? Very similar paint scheme and the corporate Railworld logo?

[Tadman]

Railworld owned part of Rail Polska. I think they've sold their share, but I could be wrong. Some of the Poland Project at MMA involved gutting F40's and shipping the PM and traction motors to poland to repower soviet-design locomotives operating on RW's share of the Rail Polska system.[/quote]

[Dieter]

Interesting picture!

I have been inside one of these old Soviet beasts in Rajka, Hungary. The American prime mover could only be an improvement. When moving from one cab to the other inside the locomotive, one took one's life in their hands as the drive shaft in the center was about shoulder height, and fully exposed.

The engine was not shut down while moving through the unit, we had to edge against the wall to "make the trip" and we got covered with oil and grease from the spinning shaft.

Another peculiarity of these locomotives is they are equipped with what looks like a steering wheel in the cab. No Polish jokes, please!

D/

[Tadman]

If I recall, some european locomotives are controlled by a wheel - many TGV's have a wheel for control. Obviously it's not for steering.

[Tom Tancula]

Dieter is right, those old soviet designed locomotives were very dangerous to walk through. Additionally, Estonia required that a crew member walk through the engine room once or twice an hour to make sure all fluid lines (fuel, oil, water) were not leaking. That crew member had to tighten any hose fittings he found leaking. Moma mia!

The new EMD packages are much cleaner and quieter. We also added electric cab heaters, so the crews are very comfortable as compared to the standard Kolomna engine set up.

As for the wheel controls, the throttle up in a clock wise motion. The M62 units had 16 positions. If a driver came to a junction with a diverging route to the left...oops!, no jokes! We replaced the wheel with an EMD eight position throttle.

As for the MMA decal, Rail Polska's Director of rolling Stock (CMO) was in the Derby shops where the EMD components are rebuilt. He was presented the MMA decal and applied it to one of his shunters in tribute to the fine work produced by the MMA.

TNT

[Tom Tancula]

Dieter is right, those old soviet designed locomotives were very dangerous to walk through. Additionally, Estonia required that a crew member walk through the engine room once or twice an hour to make sure all fluid lines (fuel, oil, water) were not leaking. That crew member had to tighten any hose fittings he found leaking. Moma mia!

The new EMD packages are much cleaner and quieter. We also added electric cab heaters, so the crews are very comfortable as compared to the standard Kolomna engine set up.

As for the wheel controls, the throttle up in a clock wise motion. The M62 units had 16 positions. If a driver came to a junction with a diverging route to the left...oops!, no jokes! We replaced the wheel with an EMD eight position throttle.

As for the MMA decal, Rail Polska's Director of rolling Stock (CMO) was in the Derby shops where the EMD components are rebuilt. He was presented the MMA decal and applied it to one of his shunters in tribute to the fine work produced by the MMA.

TNT

[MEC407]

Nice!

And now the railfans in that area of Poland will be able to enjoy the wonderful sound of a turbocharged 16-645.

[Tadman]

Tom and Dieter's comments give new meaning to the words "workers' paradise"... I remember as an undergraduate, a quasi-communist professor tried to convince me that, properly applied, communism would allow us all to work hard for part of the day, then (his words, not mine) "sit by a lake and write poetry" in the afternoon. That is, if you can survive the black hole of a soviet diesel with the original PM.