Trainmaster wanted

[Aji-tater]

I got a chuckle out of an ad on Railswap.org - somebody posted on there he is looking for an FM Trainmaster in operating condition. I'm tempted to respond and tell him the only way that will happen is if he adjusts his scale from 1:1 down to HO

[pablo]

Send him a picture and see if he'll bite. I'm sure we can dig one up someplace...

Dave Becker

[GOLDEN-ARM]

The LV FM TrainMaster, numbered LV-700 might be for sale. Used soley for hostling equipment inside the shops, and never having seen the light of day (it was trucked in, in pieces, and never left the inside of the shop building)This unit is rumored to be in the basement, of the meeting hall, in Sayre yards today.........Maybe Scottychaos can photoshop, er, "find" a picture of it, somewhere..............

[2spot]

Has anybody got a good model of a Trainmaster with a good diorama and backdrop? Photoshop some pictures and have some fun. Anybody up for it?

[scottychaos]

The LV FM TrainMaster, numbered LV-700 might be for sale. Used soley for hostling equipment inside the shops, and never having seen the light of day (it was trucked in, in pieces, and never left the inside of the shop building)This unit is rumored to be in the basement, of the meeting hall, in Sayre yards today.........Maybe Scottychaos can photoshop, er, "find" a picture of it, somewhere..............

GA,
I remember that LV Trainmaster!
I heard a rumour about it back in the early 80's..
I was poking around the Sayre yard one day with some friends, (we were about 15 years old..) and we noticed the boarded-up tunnel was broken open!
so naturally we had to check out the tunnel!
we got some flashlights from the museum, and headed in..
the tunnel runs under the tracks from Lehigh avenue over to the shops, near the location of the old powerhouse.. the shop workers used it to get to work.
There was another door inside the tunnel, and it opened into a large underground room..
and there it was! the mythical LV trainmaster!

At the time I was shooting with an ancient 35mm point and shoot, with a weak flash..I had been taking other shots around the yard that day, and by the time we found the tunnel, I only had one shot left!
I did my best, using the weak flash to get one photo:




sorry about the poor quality..but it was pitch-black, with a weak flash and 100 speed film..a very underexposed image.

I wish I had more film, because a pair of LV Alco PAs and a LV Wyoming were also down there...but alas, when I went back, the tunnel entrances were bulldozed down and the tunnel sealed forever..
I can only assume all the locos are still down there, since im sure we would have heard about it if they were brought up..

Scot

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Holy S&%#, Scot!!!. I was told, NO photos were ever taken, of that loco!!!! You sir, are a genius. The loco must still be in the tunnel, between the buildings, then. Sounds like someone could locate them, via the old steam tunnels, from the powerhouse, and might make a small fortune, from the stuff STILL down there................................

[Aji-tater]

I understood that whole set-up was part of a larger network. In order to avoid public complaints about blocked crossings, noise, etc, they extended the tunnels from the various LV coal mines directly under the main line. The Trainmasters, having great lugging power, were ideal for dragging those long trains of anthracite along the tunnels when steamers were in for repair. Did I say "were"? I mean "are" although we're not supposed to know about it.

All those Wyomings and smaller power burn coal directly from the mines. The ventilation system for the entire underground LV system directs fumes to a central location where they are vented outside. Obviously there would be an outcry from NIMBYs, so the cover story is an underground mine fire near Centralia. The area near the vents is blocked off in the interest of "safety", thereby keeping people from seeing the vents.

[pablo]

Nicely done, guys. Does anyone have an idea who was looking for them? Did anyone ever contact the guy involved?

Dave Becker

[Tadman]

The TVA has a Trainmaster, although its not for sale and still in use. And it might be one of those baby-trainmasters. I don't know much about the TM, only that it's a rarity. I was always surprised some shortline didn't snap up all the SP trainmasters after their retirement from commute service in SanFran - an outfit like A&M and their alcos. Hell the CNW was teh type of road to buy wierdo power around that time too - didn't they buy the N&W C628's about 1980?

[Petz]

@Tadman, i believe the Trainmasters would need too much maintenance effort for beeing used by a shortline and they also required FM - friendly and well trained personal for running them.

I get furiosly when i see on some railway tapes alco engineers switches from notches 0 to 3 in one time never waiting for the generator loading up or continously changing between notches 0 till 2 when slowly coupling some cars to a train instead of using softly the locomotiv brakes for controlling the speed.
It would be much cheaper to exchange some brakeshoes instead of bigger maintenance works on the engine or drive parts.
If i would be a owner of a shortline i would throw out such engineers from the cab by my own hands !!!

[GOLDEN-ARM]

@Tadman, i believe the Trainmasters would need too much maintenance effort for beeing used by a shortline and they also required FM - friendly and well trained personal for running them.

I get furiosly when i see on some railway tapes alco engineers switches from notches 0 to 3 in one time never waiting for the generator loading up or continously changing between notches 0 till 2 when slowly coupling some cars to a train instead of using softly the locomotiv brakes for controlling the speed.
It would be much cheaper to exchange some brakeshoes instead of bigger maintenance works on the engine or drive parts.
If i would be a owner of a shortline i would throw out such engineers from the cab by my own hands !!!

The speed of the diesel, between idle and notch one, is the same. From first to second, it's like a 40 RPM increase. MY GOD, THE WEAR AND TEAR!!!!!!! Idling, and run two.........THE HORROR!!!!!!!!

I would be furiosly angry, if some no talent boss, came on my loco, and threw me off, for switching. I guess we could take 12 hours, to switch 14 cars, the way "you" would do it. OR, we could just kick them, like railroaders have done, since the advent of the automatic coupler, and have the work done in an hour. (I never thought of just burning off brakeshoes, with the throttle stuck in the second notch. Why, that's BRILLIANT!!!! I'll spend the first half of the shift, moving the first seven cars, then you spend the second half, changing my brakeshoes. ) A true manager, in the making, you are.......... IF you are paying a good wage, I guess I COULD do it your way, for the short time you remained in business, anyways.........................

[Petz]

I think 99 % of the employees are doing their business right and i surely critisize an absolute minority. If you look at Pentrex tape incredibile Alcos vol. 2 there´s shown an engineer of the Minnesota Commercial driving an Alco RS27 (ex GBW) in a style i could kill him.
Even on this series you see lots of other engineers working in a carefully operating style.
And it makes a difference in forcing the engine if i have to kick cars during switching or couple on some cars to a standing trainpart.
Generally the best for every engine would be a constant turning speed, this is the reason why diesels in stationary application mostly has a much longer life so you have to avoid unnecessarily speed changes.
The permanent changing between notches 0 and 2 or 3 instead of 1 produces a much heavier jerk the gearing and mechanical parts has to transfer senselessly. The better way would even be to take notch one until the loco starts to shove, after that it is no problem to go to higher notches at one step.

Following further posts i would be exited if anyone has the funds to dig out the LV - trainmaster and restore it, such an old brute in operating condition would be a dream for me because i ever was a fan of this locos. One of the reasons why i own three Athearn locos of this type.
But i think this would be the same unreal dream until Doyle Mc Cormick started his PA - project......

[GOLDEN-ARM]

The property is owned by the NS corporation now, and they DEFINATELY will not allow people to search for locos under the yard, at Sayre. They are very "pro-active", with their police force, and trespassers are dealt with firmly, and quickly. I would seriously doubt, if anyone ever saw a single loco, pulled from the ground, at Sayre. I say this, with full confidence. It will not ever happen. No locos will ever be "found" underground at Sayre. Sorry


You'd probably have a heart attack, watching me with the sanders running continuously, pounding up and down a lead, kicking cars, from idle, to 8, then jerking them to a stop, with full independant, and full sevice of the train brake too, only to kick 'em off, and rip 'em out, again. No other way to kick cars, that I'm aware of. The smell of the glowing wheels, shoes, cables and brushes, with a hint of silica, and a liberal clouding of diesel exhaust. What a way, to spend a day. We switched that way every day, all day, seven days a week, at Settegast. We used a pair of "double-Jacks, SW-1500's/MP-15's, nose to nose, on the NE lead. They required a full set of shoes, after every second, or third shift, depending on who was running them, and how many cars were switched. The air filters, and carbody filters, also changed out, on a bi-weekly basis, due to the severe use. Sandboxes filled, daily, as well. The lead on the East Side, was buried in sand, and rust, from brake shoes and wheels. Kicking hundreds of cars a day, three shifts a day, in 80 car cuts, there is no other way to move them, except for 8th, and sand.....................THE HORROR!!!!!

[Petz]

I wouldn´t get a heart attack because for kicking cars there´s no other possibility, as i have written in the post above.

"And it makes a difference in forcing the engine if i have to kick cars during switching or couple on some cars to a standing trainpart."

I have critisized the unnecessarily changing of notches few engineers like to do. I think that the EMD´s load up a little bit slowlier then Alcos for example so the jerking at the start may be not so hefty.

Trainmaster:
I agree that no private person should start a trainmaster search on her own but maybe an official request would allow a possibility to inspect the area in company with a NS - employee.
It would be a shame if the maybe last possibility to preserve a trainmaster would be leaved unused.

[pablo]

Petz, assuming that you were earnest in your interest, the original post stating that there was a Trainmaster underground was fiction. Sorry to get things lost in treanslation...but it's not true.

Dave Becker