Budd Garrett experimental gas-turbine M-1 cars

[railfaned]

LongIslandTool, Mactraxx, Nova55,
Thanks for setting me straight. I thought all the M-1 turbo's were GE's as I remember seeing GE's full page adv in either Time magazine or Newsweek.
From Nova55's info, it sounds like the GT-1 test car was basically a turbo powered RDC (mechanical transmission).
Mactraxx, I didn't see the earlier tread on the turbo's. Do you remember the title of it?
Again thanks to you guys!!!

[SwingMan]

Nice stuff Nova! Only if those things were good....




lirr415-Peter

[LongIslandTool]

Mac, I think it was kerosene; sure smelled like it.

When we got out to Greenport, we had to get a local dealer who hadn't be screwed out of money by the railroad yet to deliver us more fuel, so I doubt it was rocket fuel or anything too exotic. Heck, maybe it was regular heating oil, but it smelled more like kero.

It used something like three gallons to the mile -- those turbines were always running at full tilt, it seemed, even when you were stopped.

Kind of like a DE-30 when they go haywire.

A friend has a destination roll sign from one of them. Interesting stuff with diesel and electric places as well as JFK Airport, World Trade Center, etc. High hopes, they say.

[railfaned]

LIRR415,
From a historical and commuters point of view, it was a good thing that the turbines didn't do well. With the test failure, it just paved the way for the Ronkonkoma electrification. The positive thing I remember from riding the turbo's was the speed. It would leave about 15 minutes late from ronkonkoma and still get to Jamaica on time.

[MACTRAXX]

RF: Try Page 22 of the LIRR forums-about the middle of the page note this topic: M1 TURBO with 2 pages that include pics of those cars.
N55-I recall that Garrett as myself-the fantrip flyer definitely was interesting for that trip on 11/13/77-another trip I missed out on.

LI Tool-Wow! Three gallons to the mile-I never thought they were that bad on fuel-do you remember how much fuel they could carry in their tanks?-As basically an MU car were they better in Electric mode?
I also recall they were lettered M-METROPOLITAN on the front with the USDOT logo on the front door blue stripe. I seem to remember that the GE cars were the ones converted to regular electric MU cars for MNCR but the Garrett cars laid around for a while before they were finally sold off-for scrap? The GE cars were the better ones at least to me. MACTRAXX

[LongIslandTool]

Yea, Mac, they said "Metropolitan" under the two-tone M logos, instead of "Long Island". "Long Island Rail Road" appeared nowhere on the cars, I recall.

I don't know how they were on third rail. It was a long time ago, and I don't remember much.

Getting old, I am.

[newkirk]

LongIslandTool wrote:

A friend has a destination roll sign from one of them. Interesting stuff with diesel and electric places as well as JFK Airport, World Trade Center, etc. High hopes, they say.

I've seen a GT/E rollsign and WTC is not on it.

[74volts]

Here are a few shots from the fan trip. They were taken with a Kodak Instamatic 120.

CSX Mike

[mwichten]

I dug this out of the archives, let me know if anyone wants something specific and I will scan it in (there are 138 pages total).

[mwichten]

74 Volts,

Great pictures and excellent timing

[DutchRailnut]

here is picture from Chuck Crouses book The RDC story :
it shows GT-1 the test car at top
A Garret M1 in second shot

[DutchRailnut]

Here is GT-2 same car as GT-1 but now as dual mode.

[railfaned]

DutchRailnut,
WOW, I never knew that there was supposed to be a GM-Allison set of M-1 Turbo's. Thanks for the info.

[Notinmyneighborhood]

Scroll down to M1 Turbo ?
http://www.bradcoweb.com/trains/lirr3.htm

[DutchRailnut]

well on that website its neither a M-2 nor a dissel(diesel).
But it is a cute picture of GE turbine